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Teens Compete To Be The Next Westchester Idol

IRVINGTON, N.Y. –  Ray Arruci knows there are talented teens throughout Westchester County, and he is helping showcase 25 of them Saturday at the Irvington Town Hall Theater.

Westchester teens will compete Saturday in Irvington to be the next Teen Idol.

Westchester teens will compete Saturday in Irvington to be the next Teen Idol.

Photo Credit: Flickr user visual.dichotomy

“These kids are dynamite,” Arrucci said. Arrucci is the president of PMT Productions, which is hosting the event.

The 25 finalists will compete to be named the 2012 Westchester Teen Idol. The annual singing competition helps raise funds for PMT Productions, a musical theater company originally based in Pleasantville.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase through the Irvington Town Hall Theater's website for $25. A snow date has been set for Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

This is the seventh annual show. Teens between the ages of 13 and 19 will compete for a grand prize that's worth about $1,500 and includes a voice lesson and professional head shots.

About 140 teens auditioned for the competition at the Yorktown Stage in late September and early October, Arrucci said. Teens from all over the tri-state area, including New Jersey and Connecticut, will compete in this year's finals on Saturday.

The competition also features three celebrity judges: John Treacy Egan, a graduate of Rye County Day School and Purchase College who has starred in “The Little Mermaid,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Sister Act”; Ben Hartley, a dancer and actor who has starred in “The Little Mermaid” and “Enron”; and Mary Bracken Phillips, who has starred in “Annie” and “1776.”

Proceeds from the ticket sales will help fund the community theater group's productions, which Arrucci said can end up costing about $20,000 to put on.

“It brings in the money we need to fund the show and gives the kids a great opportunity to get up and sing,” he said.

This year's finalists are Brittany Bonamassa of Yorktown Heights; Danny Bronico of Bedford Hills; Allison Cane of Bronxville; Brooke Chaco of West Harrison; Christopher Cheeseman of Montvale, N.J.; E.J. Couloucoundis of Darien, Conn.; Julia DiMarzo of Poughkeepsie; Carina Florio of Pleasantville; Breigh Hammel of Pleasantville; Kristen Huttunen of Brewster; Dean Klebonas of Oceanside; Jinji Martine of Croton-on-Hudson; Kylie McDonald of Fishkill; Erynn Legna McLeod of White Plains; Heather Rose of Montrose; Sarah Rossman of Rye; Mikey Rubin of Chappaqua; Max Schoetz of Chappaqua; Jessyca Silva of Yonkers; Lauren Spatafore of Rye Brook; Rachel Stagg of West Harrison; Noel Tyminski of Tinton Falls, N.J.; Emily Ultan of Pleasantville; Rosie Veltri of Port Chester; and Elizabeth Vuksanaj of New Rochelle.

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