O.C. ICON 2009 Semi-Finals Saturday in Orange!

200 Singers from 87 Southern CA Cities Face Off to Determine 30 Finalists!

After auditioning hundreds of talented young singers from all over Southern CA; O.C. ICON has narrowed the field of contestants to 225 semifinalists who will compete on August 29th at The Village Theater in Orange. The O.C. ICON 2009 Semi-Finals will take place as three ticketed events. The 7-10 Age Division will begin at 9am with the 11-14 Age Division starting at 2pm and the 15-18 Age Division at 7pm.

O.C. ICON is an annual solo vocal competition open to Southern CA youth ages 7-18. The contest is a showcase opportunity for young singers and gives the 30 finalists a chance at a great prize package designed to help further their entertainment careers. 30 Finalists chosen from the semi-final competitions will perform in an exciting concert finale to be judged by celebrities and entertainment industry veterans on Saturday, September 19th at The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, CA.

The winners of the O.C. ICON Finals event will be determined by combining the votes from the celebrity judging panel and the live theater audience in attendance that evening. “One of the coolest parts of the final event is that the audience gets to vote and help choose the three winners! It’s really exciting!” said Dan Calvillo, vice-president and technical director for WBZB Entertainment, producers of the event.

One winner from each age division will be selected and awarded trophies and a prize package including:
• A two-song, professional recording and production opportunity with Studio 770 in Brea
• One original song produced specifically for the young artist
• Professional Vocal Coaching Session
• Professional photography session with Lisa Renee Photography of South Orange County
• Professional Music Video produced for one song by ASP Recordings of Corona
The 3 qualifying auditions were held at The Village at Orange, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and The Shoppes at Chino Hills.
The O.C. ICON 2009 Final Concert Event plans to be a star-studded affair that will feature appearances and performances by International teen celebrities including: Malese Jow from Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous” and “Bratz” movie. The guest performances are being produced by Glam Squad.

The final concert event will also feature celebrity judges from recording, television and theater industries. This year’s celebrity judging panel includes: Mark L. Walberg, host of Fox television’s “The Moment of Truth” and PBS’s “Antique Roadshow”, Kye Brackett (Emmy Award-winning choreographer for Barry Manilow), talent development extraordinaire Suzy Sachs, who is credited with launching the careers of Hillary Swank and Brendan Fraser; and Grammy-nominated recording artist and Orange County native, Cassie Miller.

David Sidoni (Disney’s “Newsies” and Nickelodeon’s “Roundhouse”) will serve as emcee for the show.

WBZB Entertainment is a unique, non-profit, performing arts organization based in Southern California. Their primary mission is to produce unique, professional performance opportunities for young people. In addition, they use the performance arts to make a difference by conducting interactive arts outreach programs that are “up-close, personal and life-changing.” www.ArtsReach.org

Tickets for The O.C. ICON 2009 Final Concert Event are scheduled to go on sale August 29th. For more details on O.C. ICON and WBZB Entertainment, visit www.OCICON.com and www.WBZB.net online or call 951-371-5239. They can also be reached via email at info@wbzb.net.

The semifinalists represent over 87 different cities in Southern CA from as far south as San Diego and reaching all the way out to Valencia and Apple Valley.