‘Just holding Hayden’s Got Talent was a win’
Ashley Costa, one of Hayden’s newest residents, took home the crown as winner of the 2020 Hayden’s Got Talent competition with her rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All.”
Courtesy city of Hayden
The Hayden dance troupe In-Step Line Dancers gave a strong performance at City Hall in front of two real-time judges and an online-voting audience. (Courtesy of city of Hayden)
The dance team Falcoln Warriors performed for a virtual audience at this year’s Hayden’s Got Talent competition, taking home third place among a crowded field of skilled competitors. (Courtesy city of Hayden)
Hayden’s Ashley Cleveland belts out an original song at this year’s Hayden’s Got Talent. After Saturday’s performance, the singer/songwriter was awarded second overall.
Courtesy city of Hayden
Having a talent can pay off, as Ashley Cleveland learned Saturday. The Hayden singer took home second place at this year’s mostly-virtual Hayden’s Got Talent. (Photo by Lori Cogley)
Ashley Costa celebrates after claiming the $550 top prize for winning this year’s Hayden’s Got Talent competition. (Photo by Jennifer Arrotta)
Lake Edmonson gave a stirring performance Saturday during the finals for this year’s Hayden’s Got Talent competition. (Courtesy city of Hayden)
Participants, organizers reflect on a virtual talent show in a COVID world
Suzanne Cano said a big part of her mission is to bring people together.
As recreation and community events director for the city of Hayden, she usually has ample opportunities to unite residents by organizing community events, such as Hayden Days and one of its marquee highlights, Hayden’s Got Talent.
Usually, that is, because most years, talent shows aren’t canceled en masse as the result of the coronavirus. But this year, organizers and talents alike agreed that the show must go on.
“Auditions were conducted June 13 in person and at that time, Hayden Days was still a go,” Cano said. “When Hayden Days was canceled, we wanted a way to conduct the talent show.”
That path led organizers to Wake Media, which offered to sponsor, record and post videos for Hayden’s Got Talent in a digital sphere, all while acts and talents across town united at City Hall for a talent show gone virtual.
“There was a talented group of finalists this year,” Cano said of the event, which held its finals Saturday. “So we were really excited that we could hold Hayden’s Got Talent virtually and interactively to give the finalists a chance to showcase their talent to the public.”
That talent was not in short supply. Pianists and guitarists, singers and songwriters, and dance teams and troupes came out in force to show their skills. The judging consisted of two entertainment industry experts and an audience vote. The videos of the acts are posted on the city’s Facebook page and still available to view. On Saturday, Hayden had its say: Singer Ashley Costa, an 18-year-old newcomer to the area, won the top prize of $550 and bragging rights to this year’s championship.
“I’d just moved here about three months ago,” Costa explained. “A friend of mine told me about this talent show and suggested I enter, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Costa’s winning act was her rendition of a Whitney Houston song, “Greatest Love of All.” Costa said the late, great singer has always held a special place her heart.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I grew up with Whitney,” Costa said. “I’ve always felt like I could connect with her, and we kind of have the same sound.”
Singer/songwriter Ashley Cleveland took home the second-place prize of $300 with an original composition, while dance team Falcoln Warriors earned the $150 third-place award. Kiley Cutler, choreographer for Falcoln Warriors, said the sudden change from a live outdoor stage to a City Hall council room actually ended up benefiting the squad.
“We started practicing for this in the beginning of June as if it was going to be on concrete,” Cutler said. “So we didn’t choreograph in as many rolls. But after they changed it to (an indoor venue), we were able to put in some more to liven it up.”
That change in venue — after COVID-19 turned Hayden’s Got Talent from an outdoor public spectacular to a closed-off indoor talent show — was the first of many changes to which Cano said contestants and organizers had to adapt.
“Just being able to hold Hayden’s Got Talent was a win for us, especially with so many events being canceled,” she said.
