Coachella Valley artists aged 8-79 to showcase talents at annual Open Call competition

Another set of finalists are poised to show off their artistry at the 26th annual McCallum Theatre Open Call Talent Project this month.

The Coachella Valley-wide talent competition invites residents of all ages to showcase their gifts, and audience members then get to vote for their favorite performers. This year's show includes 19 acts, consisting of 42 community members between the ages of 8 and 79, according to Kajsa Thuresson-Frary, vice president of education for the McCallum.

They all will take center stage at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 20 and 3 p.m. April 21, followed by the awards ceremony, at the McCallum. Tickets can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/OpenCall2024

"I think all of us who have been involved for a long time, we love this project. It's such a passion project for us," Thuresson-Frary said. "It's so much fun to work with our local artists."

More than just being a fun local competition, Open Call has been a stepping stone for big-name talent. Carrie St. Louis won back in 2004 and has gone on to star in off-Broadway hit "Titanique" as well as the Broadway and national touring company of "Wicked." Five-time Open Call finalist Abi Carter is currently impressing judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on "American Idol" as a top 14 contestant.

"I do think the fact that Carrie St Louis is a Broadway star, Abigail Carter is on 'American Idol,' it goes to show you that there's a place for these more local talent projects as a vehicle for people to find their legs," Thuresson-Frary said. "Carrie St. Louis speaks very eloquently about how the opportunity to perform at the McCallum Theatre was something that really made her realize that she could do this and how much she wanted to do it. I would think for Abigail, also, it was an opportunity to really understand there's a big world out there and that she's fully capable of being part of that bigger world."

The next superstar could be one of this year's finalists. The Desert Sun spoke with three contestants to learn about their passions and what they hope audience members take away from their performances.

Cartoon takeover

Some people love to act and sing, but Doug Arbulu uses his vocal chords a little differently as a voice artist. There's not a voice or sound he hears that doesn't immediately make him want to imitate it — which he demonstrated during his Desert Sun interview with imitations of Bugs Bunny, Peter Griffin, Donald Duck, a baby crying and a chicken clucking.

"I always say, God blessed some people with the ability to sing. With me, he said, 'Well, you can do chickens,'" Arbulu quipped.

It's the first year that the 58-year-old La Quinta resident is participating in Open Call. He moved to the desert a few years ago and soon began performing in local plays. Some friends encouraged him to audition for the competition, which allowed him to "rediscover" his passion.

Arbulu recalled that he would watch Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig cartoons as a child and, almost out of habit, imitate their voices. He liked making people laugh with his talent, and it was a fun activity to do.

Performing was always his bread and butter, as he starred in plays and then later started doing standup comedy. But he soon realized he needed to change paths and earn a living, so he put his passions on the backburner. It wasn't until he moved to the Coachella Valley that he channeled his inner child again and returned to the stage.

Most recently, he was able to use his talents during "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," in which he played Donnie Kirshner. A baby was supposed to cry during the show, but the sound track wasn't working. He then told the stage manager to turn on a microphone and he imitated the sound, which he then got to do each night of the show.

During his Open Call performance, audience members can look forward to big laughs with his Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzales, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger impressions, among others. He's also enjoyed the Open Call journey, especially seeing other finalists' performances, which "blows you away (with) the talent that's out here."

"I was really struck by the professionalism and the organization of Open Call," he added. "Doing a lot of community theater, I'm used to more amateur-type productions, and this was professional all the way."

Lightning strikes

Grupo Folklorio Tonantzin of Desert Hot Springs will also be taking the Open Call stage for the first time. The nonprofit group showcases traditional Mexican dances and is a way for kids, teens and adults to connect with their culture, member Yessica Fonseca, 21, said.

Fonseca, herself, has been a member of Grupo Folklorio Tonantzin for 11 years. She joined the group because her cousins were in it, and when she attended her first practice, she said she "fell in love with it and I just stuck with it."

Joining Fonseca for Open Call will be Ariadne Cabriales, Benito Aguilera Fonseca, Sofia Henriquez, Destiny Mendez, Mayra Muñoz, Verenise Parra, Ximena Parra and Giancarlo Rodriguez, whose ages range between 8 and 21. Some might think it would be tough to dance alongside youngsters, but Fonseca said it's "pretty fun." She is the junior coach of the group, so she teaches some of the youngest members how to dance.

"It's fun to see them grow and have fun with the steps and the songs and also just collaborating with them and speaking about what they're doing for spring break," she said.

Taking part in Open Call has been a new and different experience for the group. Typically, members will practice on their own, make their own chorography and perform at an event they're invited to, explained Fonseca. But the talent competition has allowed the group to work with other participants and those behind the scenes, such as the pianist and chorographer.

"Being able to have guidance from other people, I think it's definitely helped us grow and learn more about dance and how things work behind the scenes," she said.

Grupo Folklorio Tonantzin will be showcasing the state of Michoacán and the region of Tierra Caliente with its performance. The song they will be performing to, "El Relampago (The Lightning)," is a common one of the area, and tells a forbidden love story. A middle instrumental section features a sped-up beat, during which the dancers will show off fast and loud footwork to symbolize lightning, Fonseca said. She added that all of the steps and dresses used in the performance are true to the region.

One aspect of Open Call that Fonseca has really enjoyed is seeing people from all walks of life get up on stage and do what their hearts desire most.

"I think it's cool to see that everyone has a talent and everyone is proud to showcase that to others," she said. "Since we have the age range of 8 to 21, I hope that the audience can take away from our performance that it doesn't matter if you're a kid or a teen or an adult, you should be able to do what you love and show it (to) loved ones or even strangers."

Music to everyone's ears

Finalist Josh Witte, 18, of Indio, has had a long relationship with Open Call. He, a cellist, auditioned a few years ago with friends, but he recognized that he still needed time to grow as a musician. Last year, he hit the stage with his sister, a pianist, and they made it into the program.

This time around, however, all eyes will be on Witte as a soloist.

"I didn't really think I was going to make it this year because not a lot of solo acts make it ... it's usually something accompanied, like a singer with a track or a group of musicians, like I did with my sister last year," Witte said. "To make it this year on my own, it can be a little scary, but it'll be a fun experience for sure."

It can be a bit nerve-racking to perform in front of a live audience, whether alone or with others, he said, but the more exciting feeling he gets is "sharing the gift of music with the people in our valley." The young musician picked up the cello when he was 5 because he once watched a string quartet perform on a cruise ship and thought the instrument would be "cool to play."

Witte cited classical cellist Ruslan Biryukov and musician and friend Jared Camp as his two biggest inspirations. Biryukov is the young musician's instructor, and Witte called him "the best cellist I know." He met Camp through his time playing in churches, and Witte said he taught him how to be creative with music, which led him to compose his own work and be more comfortable with improv. In fact, the piece he is playing for Open Call uses "a lot of improv techniques."

With his Open Call performance, Witte hopes to inspire youngsters in the crowd to potentially pick up an instrument, as well as touch audience members' lives and give them a moment of peace.

Looking to the future

With Open Call officially past its quarter-century anniversary, Thuresson-Frary said it might be time to discuss ways to keep the project fresh and exciting for both performers and audiences.

Next year's show will take place the first weekend of May due to theater availability. It's a "very positive" change in some ways, she said, because it "takes us off the (music) festival timeframe," which has likely impacted submissions from teenagers and young adults.

"We've had such support for this project from donors and audiences members ... and new generations are coming up, so I think it's fun to think about what could it be," Thuresson-Frary said.

If you go

What: 26th annual McCallum Theatre Open Call Talent Project

When: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21

Where: McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert

Tickets: Range $28-$63

More info: www.mccallumtheatre.org/productions/open-call/

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Local finalists discuss McCallum Theatre 'passion project' Open Call