Crooners Compete for Berkshire Idol TitleBy Jen Thomas
iBerkshires Staff
11:06AM / Sunday, March 30, 2008
 | | Winners Kristina Clark and Mary Alice Wieland. |
NORTH ADAMS – Mary Alice Wieland was more nervous after Saturday night's Berkshire Idol finale than she had been before she took the stage.
The 10-year-old Broadway musical fan didn't expect to be crowned the youth category's winner with her "cute and sweet" rendition of "Popular" from the musical "Wicked."
"I was just like, 'Wow.' I don't even know what to say," Wieland said backstage after the show.
Clutching a bouquet of flowers and a giant $1,000 check bearing her name, the proud winner couldn't stop smiling.
"I've been singing since I was 4 and I just love it," said Mary Alice, who was a finalist in the competition last year.
The Berkshire Idol finale brought 16 contestants to the Drury High School auditorium to compete for the chance of being named the region's favorite crooner. Eight singers in a youth category (ages 10 to 15) and eight in the adult category took to the stage, performing pieces that ranged from sentimental to soulful.
Judged on both vocal ability and stage presence, the contestants drew cheers, applause, screams and whistles from the hundreds of area residents who packed the seats. Adams' Kristina Clark, 23, performing Whitney Houston's classic ballad "I Will Always Love You," elicited a standing ovation and the most raucous applause.
"You go, girl!" someone shouted from the front row.
Clark, a recent Berkshire transplant, took first place in the adult category with her powerhouse performance, a show that judge Dina Rizzotto dubbed "phenomenal."
"Whenever you perform a Mariah Carey, Celine Dion or Whitney Houston song, you're taking a risk and you pulled it off," Rizzotto said in her evaluation of Clark.
"Whitney who?" joked Lita Williams, another judge and the night's celebrity performer.
Mary Alice signs an autograph. |
For Clark, winning top honors in her category is a real accomplishment.
"I'm speechless; I'm just so excited," Clark said. "There were a lot of really, really amazing singers out there tonight and everyone did so well. When they called my name, I didn't know who, what, where, why."
She may have been surprised but the nearly 500 voters who logged on this month to cast their ballots for the People's Choice winner knew all along who deserved the title of Berkshire Idol. Both Mary Alice and Clark came out on top in online voting; Clark had received a standing ovation after her performance in the semi-finals two weeks ago.
Now in its third year, the annual competition raises funds for a local charity while also providing a $1,000 savings bond to the youth winner and $1,000 cash to the adult winner, along with four hours of recording time at Skyboro Sound studio in North Adams to be used for making a demo CD.
This year, Berkshire Idol raised $17,126 to be donated to Family Life Support Center's Louison House in Adams, a local shelter for women and families.
Before the show, it was an atmosphere of camaraderie as youth competitors helped each other with makeup and hair and cheered each other on. When Emily Lipinski, of Lee, said her parents couldn't make it to see her sing, she was met with words of encouragement and hugs.
"My parents are in Wichita, Kansas, but I've got a lot of people here to see me," said Emily, 13, who sang The Wreckers' "Leave the Pieces."
Even though she was the oldest contestant, Nikki Skipper, of Bennington, Vt., said she was comfortable with working with the other Berkshire Idol hopefuls.
Clark poses with a really big check. |
"It's cool because it's not catty. It doesn't feel like a competition to us," said Skipper, who rocked out to her own idol Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man."
Abigail Tague, 11, said everyone's calm appearances were just a facade as she and the other youth contestants prepared to wow the judges, who included country musician Williams, promoter Rizzotto and Inception Music founder John Souchack.
"I think everyone, as much as they don't want to admit it, is a little nervous," said Abigail. "It's not all about winning but it's still a little scary."
Her rendition of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move" had the judges complimenting her on her stage presence.
"I guess you're kind of comfortable on stage, huh?" said Rizzotto.
"The stage is where my life has to be," Abigail replied.
For second-place adult category winner Teddy Bourgeois, it was all about being the greatest crowd-pleaser.
"There are some extremely talented singers out there. Playing the crowd is going to be a big part of who takes the title," said Bourgeois, who perfected his own version of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered. I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder.
Mary Alice's fans go wild. |
The Berkshire Idol competition began with more than 100 auditioners and was whittled down to just 16 finalists. From reggae-loving Michael Wood to musical theater aficionado Joseph Sicotte to soul singer Noel Lugo, the contest catered to many musical styles and urged participants to show their personalities on stage.
"I love to sing and it's what I want to do for the rest of my life," said 14-year-old Noel, of Dalton.
"Once I step on stage, I have this really good feeling," echoed Rebecca Daniels, 14, of Savoy. "I'm most definitely going to be keep singing after this."
Second-place youth category winner Tina Miller, 14, said she wasn't disappointed that she didn't win.
"I don't feel let down. It was much harder standing behind stage this time because this is the best of the best," said Tina. "But Mary Alice, she's amazing, phenomenal. I'm so glad she won."
As for Wieland, she still can't believe it.
"I feel nervous. I don't know why. Oh, my gosh. I won," she said.
Raising the most money were Jennifer Tougas and, coming in second, Shannon Lemieux.
The entire show was broadcast by Northern Berkshire Community Television; check the NBCTV schedule for further showings.
Berkshire Idol Contestants
| Youth |
|
| Rebecca Daniels |
"Where the Boys Are" - Connie Francis |
Emily Lipinski
|
"Leave the Pieces" - The Wreckers |
Noel Lugo
|
"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae |
Tina Miller
|
"I Wonder" - Kellie Pickler |
Tyra Nurmi
|
"All Jazzed Up Tonight" |
Abigail Tague
|
"I Feel The Earth Move" - Carole King |
Noelle Walser
|
"Don't Leave Me This Way"
|
Mary Alice Wieland
|
"Popular" from "Wicked" |
| |
|
| Adult |
|
| Rosemary Blessing |
"I'm The Only One" - Melissa Etheridge |
| Teddy Bourgeois |
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" - Stevie Wonder |
Kristina Clark
|
"I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston |
Shannon Lemieux
|
"Misery" |
| Stephanie Shurtleff |
"Let's Hear It For the Boy" - Deniece Williams
|
Joseph Sicotte
|
"Out There" from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" |
Nikki Skipper
|
"Son of a Preacher Man" - Dusty Springfield |
Mike Wood
|
"Stir It Up" - Bob Marley |
|
