As more than 50 hopeful contestants plus friends and family gathered in the Franklin Morning Pointe Senior Center common room on a still hot, almost fall day, the excitement was almost palpable.
Since 2021, this small senior community, home to about 100 residents, all 60 and older, has given back to Williamson County by hosting a Seniors Got Talent show. This was the audition for the Oct. 15 showcase. Up for grabs is a $1,000 grand prize and a year's worth of bragging rights.
“This is a great opportunity for talented seniors in our area to prove that age is just a number, and they still have much to contribute to the performing arts,” Morning Pointe Foundation’s Executive Director Miranda Perez said of the festivities. Every year, auditions are open to any senior in the area, regardless of where they live.
This year's audition opened with one hopeful singing, “The Man from Tennessee,” but many more would follow. The seniors played instruments, told jokes, danced, sang and performed in various ways to try to earn a coveted spot on stage at the Franklin Theater.
One contestant, Jackie Christian, recited a poem for her sister.
“She taught me this poem when I was young so I’m doing this in honor of her memory,” she said.
Another contestant sang an original song that she wrote for her husband, "in celebration of the life we’ve had and a way to reminisce on the good times we’ve shared,” she said.
Also auditioning was last year’s third place winner, Brett McCreary.
His version of Michel Bublé’s "Me and Mrs. Jones" captivated the audience, which led to him being voted as last year's People’s Choice winner. He dedicated the performance to his wife. They've been married for 48 years, he said.
“We were 18 and 16 when we married and raised a good family and are now up to great-grandkids. I didn’t want to embarrass her, but I wanted to acknowledge her and that’s probably one of the best memories for me,” McCreary said, acknowledging her shyness.
Music has always been an important part of McCreary’s life, he said.
“It’s important for me to be a part of a contest like this because music is an outlet for me,” he said. “It’s my passion.
The singer is also a part of a small band in his 55 and up Spring Hill community.
Although he says he loved performing last year, McCreary almost didn’t audition this year due to a medical issue. He was diagnosed with non-small-cell stage one lung cancer.
“Thankfully they caught it early, and I had the upper lobe removed,” he said. He's also a pancreatic cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with the disease in his early 50s, he said.
As a result of his most recent surgery, McCreary was worried if he would be able to sing again.
“I am a little past the 10-week post-op and singing has been therapy for me,” he said. “I don't know whether I'll get selected or not, but that's okay. Either way, I got another opportunity to sing.”
McCreary did not get selected for the final show, but the selection process is very limited each year, organizers said.
Out of the dozens of people who showed up for auditions, only a handful were selected for the stage show.
Performing this year are:
- Lisa Fatzinger – singer
- Leon Waller “Tumbleweed Jones” – tap dancer
- Barry Cardinael – pianist
- Barbara Shimoff – singer
- Bill Schneider – singer
- Bobby and Karen Leib – dancers
- Susie Stephens – singer and pianist
- Chris Maze, Joe Lawrence, and Daniel Pierce – musical trio
- Paula Chavis – singer
- Judy and Jim – singer and pianist
- Mike Fay – comedian
- Dana Townsend – singer
The show will take place on Oct. 15 at the Franklin Theatre. First place wins $1,000, second place wins $500 and third place wins $5.
Tickets cost $10, and all proceeds will benefit the Morning Pointe Foundation, which, according to information online, is a nonprofit that provides nursing scholarship opportunities, forms community partnerships and supports caregivers in its mission to advance the care of seniors.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Tennessean got a peek inside the Franklin Seniors Got Talent audition. We were amazed
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