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Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, together with presenting sponsor The Children’s Trust, have announced the 2024 winners of Young Talent Big Dreams, the most widespread, local free youth talent competition in Miami-Dade County.
Gerry Ibarra, a 16-year-old from Terra Environmental Research Institute, was crowned the Original Composition Winner and the Overall Grand Prize Champion for his exhilarating piano performance of his original piece titled, Rat Race. Ibarra received $500 in cash provided by Actors’ Playhouse, and four tickets to Universal Orlando along with a hotel stay for two nights courtesy of WSVN 7News.
A marathon of preliminary and semifinal competitions for student performers ages 8-18 culminated in the finals held on Saturday, May 11, at the Miracle Theatre. Prizes ranged from cash awards, master classes with industry professionals and performance opportunities to performing arts scholarships sponsored by SouthState Bank, the Coral Gables Rotary Club and Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida.
Hundreds of hopeful contestants attended five preliminary auditions conducted during the past three months in distinct geographic neighborhoods including the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay and Sandrell Rivers Theater in Liberty City. Participation was free and was specifically for residents of Miami-Dade County.
The competition featured a total of six individual categories: pop/rock/rap vocals, musical theater/jazz standards/classical vocals, dance, musical instrument, original spoken word, and original vocal and/or instrumental composition. Group categories (six or fewer members) included dance, musical instrument/bands and vocal groups.
Semifinals and finals were held before live audiences; up to five acts in each individual category and up to three acts in each group category advanced to the finals, where judges selected a winner in each category as well as a grand prize honoree.
“Actors’ Playhouse is immensely proud of the role that we have played in nurturing young performers for over 35 years, including the past 14 years through the Young Talent Big Dreams competition,” said Barbara S. Stein, executive producing director of Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. “Supporting these exceptional performers is at the heart of our mission, and we could not do it without the unwavering support of The Children’s Trust since the program’s inception. It is exhilarating to watch these young talents shine!”
“We believe in investing in developing skills and talent in Miami-Dade County’s youth, and Young Talent Big Dreams is one way we do so. Through various partnerships across the community, we are able to provide more opportunities for children to engage in the arts and create a community where creativity thrives,” said James R. Haj, president and CEO of The Children’s Trust.
Young Talent Big Dreams follows the popular TV talent show model; judges have included a host of industry professionals from the performing arts community. Judging the May 11 finals were David Arisco, artistic director, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Howard Cohen, breaking news reporter, the Miami Herald; Shamele Jenkins, artistic director of Lip, Tongue & Ear Poetry Productions and executive director/immediate past president of the Miami-Dade County Foster & Adoptive Parent Association, and Ruby Romero-Issaev, executive director/CEO of Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida.
2024 Young Talent Big Dreams contest winners:
Original Composition and Overall Grand Prize Winner
Gerry Ibarra, 16, Terra Environmental Research Institute
Individual Dance Winner
Maribelle Juvier, 12, Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer
Individual Vocal – Broadway/Jazz/Classical Winner
Stephanie Aguiar, 16, Somerset Preparatory Academy
Individual Vocal – Pop/Rock/Rap Winner
Luna Meneses, 17, Doral Academy Preparatory High School
Individual Original Spoken Word Winner
Salandra Singleton, 17, Miami Norland Senior High School
Individual Musical Instrument Winner
Harmoni Warren, 16, Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Group Vocals Winner
Mariachi — Dylan Bustos, 13, and Shantel Ruiz, 12, of Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer
Group Dance Winner
The Quadratic Four — Tylah Dorsonne, 14; Shannon Millan, 13; Ariannah Wright, 15, and Azariah Wright, 13 — all students at Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts.
Group Musical Instrument/Bands Winner
The Atomic Lollipops — Atlas Alvarez, 18, Miami Southridge Senior High School; Nya Fabian, 16, Homestead Senior High School; Ray Garcia, 16, South Dade Senior High School; Natalia Gomez-Mieses, 16, Homestead Senior High School; Kevin Perez, 18, Homestead Senior High School, and Liz Ponce, 17, Dade Preparatory Academy.
For more information, visit www.actorsplayhouse.org. To learn more about The Children’s Trust, visit www.TheChildrensTrust.org.
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