Successful Sing-Off Honors Late BRHS Senior

An audience of about 250 headed to the Bridgewater-Raritan High School June 10 to hear local talent and honor a girl taken too soon.

The second annual Bridgewater Sing-Off competition, sponsored by the Friends of the Kimberly A. Nelson Foundation, Inc., was held to raise money for the foundation itself.

The show was modeled on the format of "American Idol," and included 13 solo and ensemble vocal artists from BRHS and the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School. Prizes were awarded based on the evaluations from three professional judges.

The evening was opened by Marisa DiPaolo and Melanie Fernandes, recipients of the 2012 Foundation scholarships. Ryan Guth, a local voice teacher and graduate of Westminster Choir College, served as the Master of Ceremonies.

Judges this year were Gregg Barnes, a Tony Award-winning Broadway costume designer; Mark Conklin, an award-winning songwriter, producer and performer based in New Jersey and Nashville; and Amy Toporek, a Broadway singer and actress who starred in the international tour of "Hairspray."

The performers ranged from freshmen to seniors, and they sang solo and in groups, with live accompaniment or recorded music. John Wilson, BRHS choral director, provided piano accompaniments for many of the performers.

For the solo performers, third prize went to Cailin Marie who sang “Arms.” Second prize went to Marc Lovallo’s rendition of “The Way You Look Tonight," and first prize went to Vo-Tech freshman Myah Scavo and her powerful performance of “Who You Are.”

For the ensemble performances, second prize was awarded to an original parody, “Can You Feel the Bromance Tonight” by Joshua Acampado, David Fernandes (a repeat winner from 2012) and Dustin Zhao. First prize for ensembles went to Sarah Loeffler and Justin McBurney, who sang “I’ll Cover You.”

All the performances can be seen on YouTube by clicking here.

The Kimberly A. Nelson Foundation was formed to honor the memory of Kim Nelson, a BRHS senior in the class of 2010, who died suddenly in the fall of 2009. The foundation was established to support vocal music programs, particularly choir and musical theater, through scholarships and program support.

This was the fourth benefit concert for the organization and the second one in the successful judged format. Head to www.kimsway.org for future event announcements, as well as photos and clips from this year’s show.