Kiwanis Stars of Tomorrow Auditions, Feb. 21 & 22

What do eight singers, four pianists, one gymnast, a cellist, a violinist, a violist, one dancer, a trumpeter, a baritone sax player and two make-believe pirates have in common? They’ll all compete for cash prizes in the Monument Hill Kiwanis Club’s Stars of Tomorrow talent contest on March 15 at Palmer Ridge High School. A record number of more than 50 students showed off their talents at auditions on Feb. 21 and 22 at Big Red. Two fifth graders from Palmer Lake Elementary, Emmalyse Schaffer and Anna Bearden, played pirates in a performance they wrote themselves. There were two sets of brothers and sisters. Singers Benton and Hadley Miles will compete with other high school students for prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. Violist Katherine Rose Johnson made the cut in the middle school division and her older brother Austin, a violinist, will perform against high schoolers. Middle school prizes range from $750 to $500. The elementary school winner will take home $500. One 11-year-old from Palmer Ridge High School, Kenton Klein, didn’t make the cut but earned praise for originality by solving a Rubik’s Cube while answering questions from the judges. Photos by Michael Weinfeld.