Bradford & District | Archive | 2003 | September | 15
From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Monday 15th Sep 2003.
Singers and dancers aspiring to become stars of the stage and screen battled it out for the chance to perform alongside Phantom favourite Peter Karrie in Bradford.
More than 40 talented wannabes of all ages packed into the Alhambra Theatre's Gods Bar to perform numbers which they hoped would be good enough to see them chosen to thrill a packed crowd at the theatre just hours later.
Welsh singer Peter, who has wowed audiences in everything from Les Miserables to Jesus Christ Superstar and, of course, Phantom of the Opera, opened his UK show up to local talent on Saturday.
And three talented performers, Bradford's Sonum Batra, Charlotte Walker and Jenny Wickham, were chosen to shine on stage after impressing the judges.
Also performing on the bill were Emmerdale actress Amy Nuttall and Coronation Street star Suranne Jones, pictured, who joined Peter for a number of show tunes and duets.
The chosen performers today spoke of their delight after shining in front of a packed Alhambra crowd - and being paid £100 as a show fee.
Sonum said she was delighted to put a smile on the hundreds of faces in the audience.
"The show came together really well," said the 17-year-old. "I did a five minute act from Blood Brothers where I perform as a seven-year-old Liverpudlian boy.
"I was a bit nervous before I went on but once I was up there I was fine and I absolutely loved it.
"It was a humorous piece and it was really good to see the crowd laughing."
Sonum, said she was complimented after the show by Peter.
Charlotte and Jenny, both aged 14 and from Selby, performed a song and dance routine together entitled "What do you know we've got a show".
"It was brilliant," said Charlotte. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us."
Jenny said: "We were hanging out with Amy and Suranne and they gave us advice. We really love performing and got a real buzz from it."
The pair said they would love to go into showbusiness or work in television in the future.
Bradford Festival Choral Society and Bradford's Stagecoach Theatre Arts also lent vocal backing on the night.
Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus last month, Peter said he wanted to give local people the chance to take part in a professional show and help them get on the road to stardom.
Yvonne Hanham, Peter's PA and one of the judges, said she was impressed with the standard of entrants.
"We thought the standard was excellent and possibly the best we've seen so far," she said. "It was really hard to choose between them.
"We needed people with a bit of variety within the show and we got that with the two dancers who can also sing and Sonam, who performed really well."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008