Welcome to the fabulous Fox Theatre and the 2026 Teen Talent Competition!

(Applause) ♪♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.

Colossal we run these renegades in the ring.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh.

Where the lost get found and we crown them the circus kings.

Oh, don't try to fight it.

It's all, you know it's only this moment.

Oh, its blindin out shinin Just surrender cause youre comi Wanna go And it's covered in all the colored lights.

But the runaways are running the nights.

Oh, this is the greatest show.

We light it up, we won't come down.

The sun can't stop us now.

Watch it come true, its taking over you.

Oh, this is the greatest show.

whoa, whoa, whoa whoa, whoa whoa, whoa Oh, this is the greatest show.

Oh, this is the greatest show.

Welcome to the 16th Annual St.

Louis Teen Talent Competition.

I am your host, Ben Nordstrom, and we are so happy to have you here at the Fox Theater for the greatest show on earth.

Let's get ready to meet our esteemed panel of judges.

Here we go.

First up, former Miss Missouri and internationally acclaimed singer and vocal coach Shelby Ringdahl.

Founder and artistic director of LaVue Performance Ensemble and director of education at St.

Louis Dance Theater, Brandon Fink.

Distinguished concert and symphony principal musician and educator at Washington and Webster Universities, Nina Ferrigno (Applause) Nationally recognized musical director and education director for the Muny, here she is, Tali Allen!

(Applause) Guitarist and vocalist for iconic St.

Louis rock bands, The Incurables and El Montero, Jimmy Griffin!

Co-owner of the internationally renowned On The Fly and quarterfinalist on America's Got Talent, Jason Whicker Internationally celebrated jazz vocalist and recording artist, Mardra Thomas!

Representing actors, models, and creative professionals, owner and founder of St.

Louis' Talent Plus Agency, Sharon Tucci!

Renowned violinist and composer, known for her work in the iconic prog rock band Pavlov's Dog, Abby Steiling And lifelong professional dancer and professor of hip-hop dance at Washington and Webster University's MJ Imani And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

All right, my friends, this is the moment you've been waiting for.

Let's meet our finalists for the 2026 Teen Talent Competition.

Here we go.

First up, this is Hurry, Feature Fin Clark, Ray Rieser, J Say hello to Clover Fortus.

Please welcome Dancing in Madness, featuring Hritika Malugu, Kirthi Ramesh, Shreenidhi Senthilnathan and Aditi Sriram This is Nadia Curtiss.

Please welcome Henry & Kaitlyn Foppe.

Say hello to Jillian Ritter.

Next up, this is Lyla Lawless & West Wilson.

Please welcome Langston Casey.

Next up, this is Crispin Shininger.

Say hello to Leia Yogi and AJ Bentley.

This is Safiya Austin-El.

Please welcome Alisha Wang Yin.

This is Rashad Laurel.

And finally, Aragon, featuring Samuel Engel, Gavin Martin, Aislynn Spraul, and Zion Voegtlin.

Congratulations to the 2026 Teen Talent Finalists!

(music) ♪♪ Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

And you know we can't go back again to the world that we believe in Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

So come alive!

Come on, come on, come in, come on.

Anyone who's burstin with a dream.

Come on, come on, you'll hear the call.

To anyone who's searching for a way to break free.

The world becomes a fantasy So dream it with your eyes wide open.

We know we can't go back against the world that we were living in.

So dream it with your eyes wide open.

Dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

And we know we didn't go back against the world that we were living in.

Dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

Dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

So come alive!

(Applause) Welcome to the 16th Annual St.

Louis Teen Talent Competition!

(Applause) Thank you so much to every single one of you for being here tonight.

It is incredible.

All right.

Now, if you are a Teen Talent regular, you might notice that we are getting bigger and bigger.

We have got 25, 25 performers up here on stage as our finalists.

Also we've got our outstanding Teen Talent Ensemble, who you just now saw.

Yes, yes.

They crushed it up here on stage in the opening number.

So thank you to them.

Now the Teen Talent Ensemble, they are under the esteemed direction of choreographers Yvonne Meyer Hare and Jeana Smith and vocal direction by Jermaine Smith.

So let's hear it for them.

(Applause) Additionally, there are more talented teens backstage tonight helping the show run smoothly, working as stage managers, content creators, production assistants and music assistants.

You just met our amazing judges.

They are all right here in the front row and they've got a very, very tough job ahead of them.

The judges will be scoring our finalists tonight in the following four categories.

Technical Ability, Interpretation, Stage Presence, and Originality.

All of the scores will be tabulated.

We have a very special treat tonight.

The scores will be tabulated by our very own CFO from the Fox Theater, Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Antrainer.

He is with us tonight to tabulate the scores.

So thank you to Jeff.

All right, my friends, the performers you are going to see on this stage tonight, they have worked so very hard to get here.

They train with teachers, coaches, and yes, they train with YouTube videos to hone their crafts and strive to become the best artist they can be.

And we here at Teen Talent, we sincerely believe that every performer on the stage is already a winner.

That truly is the mantra here at Teen Talent.

We are so proud of every single one of them.

And so I think it's ready to celebrate with our first contestants.

Are you guys ready to get the show started?

All right, let's go.

We're going to begin with our first contestants.

They are rock and roll musicians who have been playing music for years, but they have assembled this group specifically to participate in Teen Talent.

Their passion for music is reflected in their goals to continue pursuing performance opportunities and challenging themselves with complex material like the piece they are playing tonight.

They are 17-year-old Finn Clark, 16-year-old Ray Rieser, and 17-year-old Joey Roggen They are performing the song La Villa Strangiato by their favorite band Rush.

Please welcome to the stage, Hurry (Applause) ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ (Applause) All right.

Thank you.

Hurry.

What a way to begin the evening.

Our next finalist is an 18-year-old vocalist who was inspired to follow her instincts and continue to work hard to grow as an artist.

She believes music's true purpose is to connect with people and to reach right into their hearts.

Singing "Fly, Fly Away" from the musical "Catch Me If You Can," this is Clover Fortus.

(Applause) Men who they call real were really fakes who left me nothing But this man they call a fake gave me something real I've known cruel cruel men with Christian names who taught me manners But this man without a name taught me how to feel They only saw the magic tricks, the smoke and mirrors Was I the only one to ever see the boy?

So now they wanna clip his precious wings and bring him down.

But in his heart and soul's the kind of good they can't destroy.

And now I wanna see him fly, fly.

Ill be your alibi, my baby Fly, fly, fly away.

I didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye.

No need to tell me why, my baby.

Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day.

Baby, when you're in the clouds, please keep a look out.

Maybe darling, find a hideaway for you and I. I'll be your alibi, my baby.

Fly, fly, fly away.

We didn't get to say goodbye, goodbye.

No need to tell me why, my baby.

Maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day.

Oh, maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day.

Oh, maybe it's because you'll fly back home to me one day.

And I'll be waiting for you there.

You will fly back home to me one day.

(Applause) Thank you Clover.

>> Thank you so much to all of our amazing producers and them a quick shout out right now.

Our assistant stage managers Olivia Clayborn and Jack Lesch and Patrick Hoffner.

(Cheers) >> Yeah.

Our content creators Angel DiSalvo and Cora Donaldson, production assistant Harper Clark and our musical director assistant Nick Adams.

Give it up.

There he is.

Nick, right there.

I didn't want to miss anybody.

All right.

Thank you to those fabulous teens for everything they're doing to make the show run smoothly.

Here we go on to our next finalist.

Bharatanatyam is an Indian classical dance form that is based on a vocabulary of sign language including gestures of hands, eyes, and face muscles.

This next piece is intended to reflect the idea that even in chaos, nature can still find balance.

Drawing inspiration from the energy and harmony between bees and flowers, dancers 17-year-old Hritika Malugu, 17-year-old Kirthi Ramesh, 16-year-old Shreenidhi Senthilinathan Nathan, and 17-year-old Aditi Sriram present "Dancing in Madness."

(Applause) ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ (Applause) Thank you, Dancing in Madness.

Now, in 1927, a new show opened in New York that marked the birth of the American musical genre.

Our next finalist says that she feels giddy whenever she gets to sing a song that she truly loves.

And tonight that song is "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" from the historical musical "Showboat."

Please welcome, here she is, 16-year-old Nadia Curtiss.

(Applause) ♪♪ Oh, listen, sister, I love my Mister Man.

And I can't tell you why.

There ain't no reason why I should love that man.

It must be something that the angels planned.

Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly.

I gotta love one man 'til I die.

Can't help lovin' that man of mine.

Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow.

Tell me I'm crazy, maybe I know.

Can't help lovin' that man of mine.

When he goes away, that's a rainy day.

But when he comes back, that day is fine.

The sun will shine.

He can come home as late as can be.

Home without him ain't no home to me.

Can't help lovin' that man of mine.

(Applause) Thank you, Nadia.

The young talent in this community is truly remarkable.

And right now I would like to say thank you to all of the friends and family who offer their encouragement to all of these young artists.

They commit, yes, go for it.

(Applause) They, these friends and family, they commit so much of their time, attention and energy to these young people, to their creative work, and having a positive support system truly is essential to these young people, both as artists and as individuals.

So we appreciate every single one of you for being there for them.

Thank you very much.

(Applause) All right, our next contestants are cousins who grew up together studying music.

Each of them aspires to continue that journey beyond high school.

Henry's original composition, "Turning Tides," is a piece he hopes will resonate with the audience, inviting you all to find your own story within it.

Please welcome 17-year-olds Henry and Kaitlyn Foppe.

(Applause) ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ (Applause) ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ (Applause) Thank you, Henry and Kaitlyn.

Now, every participant of Teen Talent selects or creates their own material, and they are encouraged to advocate for their own creative vision and ideas throughout the competition.

Here in the finals, they actively collaborate with our team of professionals on every aspect - staging, costumes, lighting, video, every production element.

Many of them are composers, choreographers, arrangers, and creators of the pieces they are sharing with you on stage tonight.

We are committed to empowering them to bring forward their own unique voices and ideas.

And next, our next finalist, we have a vocalist who has been writing her own music and evolving as an artist throughout her teenage years.

Her career plans are to continue writing, recording, and performing her own music.

Here she is, singing "Fool Me Once."

Please welcome 17-year-old Jillian Ritter.

(Applause) I just want a moment, a moment, a moment like it was I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming I just want a moment, a moment, that moment Fooled me once, I want it, I'm running, I'm running What a time, stuck on 7th Street, pearly whites and a perfect scene What's it like outside reality?

From right here it's looking scary How sweet, you have your cake and you eat it too Easy, pull the plug, you call it good as new.

On me for ignoring all the signs Fooled once, but you can bet it won't be twice I just want, a moment, a moment, a moment like it was I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming, I just want A moment, a moment, a moment.

Fooled me once I'm running, I'm running, I'm running At least I showed up with a decent heart You hang up, well that shows who you are How'd it go, that happy ending?

What do you know?

Curtains closed, no more pretending So sweet, how quick it blew up into a mess Now I'm just a name you try to forget My fault, I said that it was fine Fooled once, but you won't get a second time I just want a moment, a moment, a moment Like it was, I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming I just want a moment, a moment, a moment Fooled me once.

I'm running, I'm running, I'm running Running, not gonna lose it You're running, out of excuses I'm running, not gonna lose it You're running, Fooled me.

You knew it.

I just want it, I just want it Moment a moment, Like it was, like it was I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming I just want a moment, a moment, a moment.

Fooled me once I'm running, I'm coming, I'm coming I just want, I just want a moment, a moment, a moment like it was I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming I just want, I just want a moment, a moment, Fooled me once.

I'm running, I'm coming, I'm coming Im running, Im running.

(Applause) Thank you, Jillian.

Now, all of you out there, you might be asking yourselves, where do they find all of these terrifically talented teenagers?

Well, I'm going to tell you.

Teen Talent is a region-wide program that is free to all participants in grades 9 through 12.

Any young person within 75 miles of any direction of the Fox Theater is eligible to participate.

Now, at both the preliminary rounds and the semi-final rounds, students are evaluated by panels of professional artists and educators, many of whom are with us tonight in the audience.

So thank you very much for being here with us tonight.

And they speak to every performer.

Those auditors at prelims and semis, they speak to every single young person that auditions, providing insight and advice.

And they also provide numerical scores.

And of course, those scores add up.

And that is how different performers advance to the various rounds.

Now those that do not advance to the finals tonight, they are still eligible to receive a variety of awards.

And many of them are in the Teen Talent Ensemble that And many of them are in the Teen Talent Ensemble that And many of them are in the Teen Talent Ensemble that you're seeing on stage tonight.

The Teen Talent Ensemble.

All right, let's get on with our next finalist.

Up next, we have two performers who have been training together for over five years.

One of them is a senior and one of them is a freshman.

In their self-choreographed piece entitled "Up and Onwards," they tell the story of the bittersweet nature of change.

Please welcome to the stage 15-year-old Lyla Lawless and 17-year-old West Wilson.

This is "Up and Onwards."

(Applause) ♪♪ Lately Ive been traveling Back to the past.

It seems I was asleep for years awake but against the glass.

The more you say you know the less you can be sure.

Yeah it was bliss and hell.

Believing that the world was ours.

And it gets hard to know that you'll go farther than a moment.

It is hard to know it.

Hard, Hard, Hard Stuck in a haze and it never goe Everything changed but my mind couldn't change me When does it end?

Does it ever go back to the old ways?

When I knew nothing And we could escape, to escape, to escape, to escape (Instrumental) Lately there is no way out of my head.

I'm dreamin' up a realm where there is no such thing as regret.

You say we cannot be so quick to wreck ourselves.

I say I don't know much else.

What the hell are you supposed to do with yourself?

And it gets hard to know that you'll go farther than a moment.

It is hard to know it.

Stuck in a haze and it never goes away.

Everything changed but my mind couldn't change me.

When does it end?

Does it ever go back to the old ways?

When I feel nothing And we could escape, do escape, do escape, do escape ♪♪ (Applause) (Cheers) (Applause) Thank you!

(Cheers) (Applause) My friends, it truly is an honor to be up here sharing the stage and this experience with these young people.

They are as professional and kind backstage as they are dynamic and thrilling on stage.

It's just such a joy and it is so, so much fun.

All right, let's get to our next finalist.

In 1971, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice opened a bold new rock opera on Broadway.

In this next piece, the title character experiences profound inner conflict as he struggles with sacrifice and ultimately acceptance.

Here to sing the song Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar, please welcome 17-year-old Langston Casey.

(Applause) I only want to say If there is a way Take this cup away from me For I don't want to Taste its poison Feel it burn me I have changed I'm not as sure As when we started Then I was inspired Now I'm sad and tired Listen, surely I've exceeded Expectations, tried for three years, seems like thirty.

Could you ask as much from any other man?

But if I die, see the saga through and do the things you ask of me.

Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me, nail me to their tree.

I wanna know, I wanna know my Lord.

Wanna know, I wanna know my Lord.

Wanna see, wanna see my Lord.

Wanna see, wanna see my Lord.

If I died, what would be my reward?

Have to know, have to know my lo Lord.

Have to know, I'd have to know my Lord.

Why should I die?

Why should I die?

Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain?

Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain.

Show me there's a reason for you wanting me to die.

Far too keen on where and how, but not so hot on why.

Alright, I'll die, just watch me to die.

See how I die.

See how I die.

(Applause) God thy will is hard, but you ho card.

I will drink your cup of poison, nail me to your cross, and break me, bleed me, beat me, kill me.

Take me now, before I change my mind.

Now, before I change my mind.

(Applause) ♪♪ She told me I had a purpose.

To bring laughter and joy to the world.

Is it just me?

Or is it getting crazier out there?

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ (Applause) Wow!

What a way to kick off the second act!

If any of you out there know any talented dancers, circus performers, vocalists, instrumentalists, comedians, magicians or any other talent that you can think of, please send them to Teen Talent.

The preliminary auditions will begin this fall for Teen Talent 2027.

The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation offers a variety of free training workshops to help these young talented kids get ready to get on stage and shine.

So please, send us all your talent for Teen Talent 2027.

All right, we are going to get back to our finalists.

Our next finalist of the evening credits his parents' artistry and work ethics as his inspiration as a vocalist.

He selected the next song, "What Do I Need With Love?"

from the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, because it nods to his two favorite genres, jazz and musical theater.

Please welcome 18-year-old Crispin Shininger.

(Applause) Oh, the places I would like to show you Although I hardly know you I have a funny feeling we'd make a perfect pair Famous sights on want to see you The nights of you and me-ing.

Me.

You.

We.

Wait a minute.

Just a minute.

No, no, no, no.

I'm a Joe with just one aim.

Every night to date a different dame.

Call each one of them the same pet name.

Hey, baby.

In a row I have my ducks.

Loads of gals to give me loads of yucks.

Leave the coo until the other clucks.

I don't mean maybe.

Got it good.

What do I need with love?

Always practice what I preach.

Keep temptation out of easy reach.

Stick to dolls who wash their hair in bleach.

I'm happy.

Come and go the way I choose.

Never sing the tied-down blues Other guys would kill to fill my shoes.

No wing clipped.

Sappy.

Got it good.

What do I need with love?

That was an near miss.

Talk about a close shave.

Flirted with disaster.

There must be someone up there watching over me.

Talk about a four-leaf clover me.

Peter Rabbits missing footsie means I roll without a tootsie I'd say I got it good.

What do I need with love?

I got it good.

What do I need with love?

Skip the vows and all that rot.

Tell the minister that I dare not.

Bright and breezy is the birds and bees-y.

He is the free and easy is the life I got.

Without her.

Although I hardly know you.

What do I need with love?

I've got it good.

Oh, I've got it good.

But now I've got it bad.

(Applause) Thank you, Crispin.

And also, I want to take a moment to say thank you to the fabulous Fox Band under the direction of Steve Neale.

(Applause) You guys are fantastic.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I also want to take a moment right now to pay tribute to a friend of teen talent that we lost in 2025.

Bob Harsh was a volunteer with a big smile and an even bigger heart.

He was an active contributor to our community, often being the first one to arrive and the last one to leave.

His dedication to our young artists will be greatly missed, but his impact will continue to be felt in the lives that he touched.

Bob, we will miss you.

(Applause) All right.

Our next finalists are dancers who have performed together in many productions over the last few years.

They co-choreographed this piece that you're about to see entitled "Lay Me Down."

It is a story about friendship, struggle, support, and love.

Please welcome to the stage A.J.

Bentley and Lea Yogi.

This is Lea and A.J.!

(Applause) ♪♪ Yes I do.

I believe.

One day I will be.

Where I was.

Right there, I'm missing you tonight.

This emptiness, this hole that I'm inside.

These tears, they tell their own story.

They told me not to cry when you were gone.

But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong.

And make sure you're alright, I'll take care of you.

I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight.

I'm reaching out to you.

Can you hear my call?

You told me not to cry when you were gone.

But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong.

Can I lay by your side?

Next to you, you.

And make sure you're alright.

I'll take care of you.

I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight.

Lay me by your side.

Lay me by your side.

Can I lay by your side?

Next to you.

You.

(Applause) Thank you, Leia and AJ.

Now, in our teen talent culture, our extraordinary young artists are encouraged to express themselves honestly and openly, advocating for their personal values and creative vision.

It's important to us to give them a supportive and safe environment to explore complex emotions and for them to pursue the kind of work that they're proud of.

The arts serve as powerful tools for young adults to empathize and connect to other people's experiences, to challenge social injustices and shed light on stories that need to be told.

Singing "Maybe I Like It This Way" from the musical "The Wild Party," please welcome Safiya Austin-El.

(Applause) I know it's wrong I know he's rough I don't know what to do But we've been through enough I know it's time And yet I stay Maybe I like it this way I see his pain I hear his cry He pulls me to the edge but I don't ask him why I understand and I obey Maybe I like it this way I like the way he laughs, his strange and silent stares I like the way he moves, the way he's always there, the way he calls my name, the way he takes control.

I like the way this man has stirred my soul.

When I first met him, he was grand.

You'd understand that I was scared, awfully lonely, hungry, hopeful.

How could I know?

Maybe tomorrow it comes crashing down.

Maybe next week I'll find another clown.

Maybe I'll try to go a different way.

But look who's standing here today.

If I could change, if I could grow, I'd ask for nothing more and through that door I'd go.

But if Im through, why do I sta Maybe he wants me.

Maybe he needs me.

Maybe he loves me.

Maybe I like it this way.

(Applause) Thank you, Safiya.

The arts truly give a voice to the voiceless.

This season, the young performers of Teen Talent have shown a powerful awareness of that truth, speaking out and speaking up throughout preliminaries and semifinals to affirm the importance of protecting freedom of artistic expression.

Our next finalist was motivated by this idea when she arranged her oral interpretation piece entitled "Ways to Find Your Voice."

In this art form, the performer selects a variety of different source material from books, poetry, media, and other sources, and puts it all together to communicate a central theme.

Please welcome to the stage 16 year old Alisha Wang Yin.

In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet and just a moment.

I feel like I'm drowning.

I'm sinking down into water and reaching up for help and shh.

Ariel was a kind and curious mermaid with a voice as beautiful as the song of the waves.

She longed to see the surface world, but she knew that humans couldn't live underwater.

Give me the mic!

No, no, no.

Give me the mic.

The freedom of speech says that I have the right to articulate my opinions and ideas without interference from the government.

I have a right to tell them the truth.

Remedies to get your voice back.

Number one, rest your voice.

Resting your voice is the single most important step in healing.

Try not to talk in the eye of a hurricane.

TV host Jimmy Kimmel suspension is provoking questions regarding the right to free speech.

Kimmel returns tonight.

Look, I don't want to make this about me, which I know is what people say when they want to make things about themselves.

But really, I am not important.

This show is not important.

What's important is that we live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.

There is quiet.

So Ariel visited the sea witch, who was known for her dark magic, and asked the witch to turn her into a human.

The witch agreed, but Ariel had to give up her voice.

So she took the potion Drink warm liquids.

Drinking warm liquids will help keep your airways moisturized and your throat choking.

Choking to death slowly but surely.

Everyone sees it.

But doesn't do anything.

I'm coughing.

There is quiet.

I was not happy when they took me off air on Wednesday.

I told them that I did not agree with this decision.

And that I have a right to free speech.

This is my choice.

This is my conscience.

This is my right.

To the freedom of expression.

Hey.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, please.

No.

Please.

Number three, gargle saltwater.

Gargling saltwater will help by keeping your throat quiet.

And Ariel tried to speak, but no words.

I'm giving up.

I can't breathe and I can't see and I can't speak!

I'm giving up.

I'm giving up.

I can't breathe and I can't see and I can't speak and I tried to speak but... So thank you all for tuning in tonight and I'll have more to say when we come back.

(Applause) Thank you, Alisha.

My friends, can you believe all of this magnificent talent we're seeing on stage tonight?

It is incredible, it is incredible, and it is largely due to the amazing arts organizations, coaches, and high school educators that share their passion and knowledge with these talented teens.

So right now I want to give a huge shout out to all the teachers and mentors in the house.

Thank you!

(Applause) Alright, here we go.

Our next contestant hopes to continue his training as a tap dancer and aspires to combine a classic tap style with the modern generation's influence.

Performing a piece that he co-choreographed to the triumphant song "I'm Still Standing" Please welcome Rashad Laurel!

(Applause) ♪♪ You can never know what it's like You're blood like winter, freezes just like ice There's a cold and lonely light that shines from you You wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use Did you think this fool could ne Well look at me, I'm a-comin' back again I got a taste of love in a simple way And if you need to know while I'm still standin' You just fade away Don't you know I'm still standin' Better than I ever did Lookin' like a true survivor Feelin' like a little kid I'm still standin' after all this time Pickin' up the pieces of my life without you on my mind I'm still standin' Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm still standin' Yeah, yeah, yeah What I never could have hoped to win You're startin' down the road to leavin' me again The threats you made were meant to cut me down And if our love was just a circus You'd be a clown by now No, I'm still standin' Better than I ever did Lookin' like a true survivor Feelin' like a little kid I'm still standin' after all this time Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind I'm still standin' Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm still standin' Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪♪ I'm still standin' better than I ever did Lookin' like a true survivor Feelin' like a little kid I'm still standing There for all this time Thinkin' that the pieces of my life without you on my mind I'm still standing Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm still standing Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm still standing Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm still standing Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm still standing (Applause) Thank you, Rashad.

Oh, my goodness.

Folks, are you having a good time tonight?

(Applause) Excellent.

Well, as you can imagine, producing teen talent, it takes a village.

Actually, it does not take a village.

It takes an entire community.

It is the definition of community.

Tonight's event is presented by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, founded by Board President Emeritus, the one and only Mary Strauss.

(Applause) The Board of Directors of the Foundation and current Board President Pat Vogelsang are the heartbeat of this program.

The Foundation staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly to give us this wonderful evening.

The team here at the Fox Theater, they have graciously opened their doors to host and support this incredible event.

We are joined by multiple video and audio production teams here, here and all over the place from Nine PBS, Lifetime Media, Logic Systems, All Access Events and Pipe Dream Productions.

Our outstanding judges, coaches, creative team, social media and marketing managers and of course the talented cast and crew whose enthusiasm, dedication and amazing talent are inspiring to us all.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in making this event possible.

Thank you.

(Applause) All right, our final contestants tonight are a rock band who have been playing together for over two years.

They are driven to continue working hard, performing whenever they can and growing as a band.

They are proud to introduce rock and roll to their generation, singing their original song Kiss the Sky.

Please welcome 17-year-old Samuel Engle, 17-year-old Gavin Martin, 15-year-old Aislynn Spraul, and 16-year-old Zion Vg Together they are Aragon!

(Applause) ♪♪ I am you and you are me.

You see.

There's nowhere else you'd rather be than with me.

Come with me and you will see what it means to be free.

In our dreams, come with me.

Kiss the sky, do or die I'm aliv Kiss the sky, do or die were alive.

Living the dream.

Rock and roll.

Hearts like thunder we've got soul.

Wake up tell me what you see.

It's me.

Never knew.

Youd never leave.

My dreams.

Come with me and you will see.

What it means to me.

In our dreams.

Come with me.

3, 2, 1!

Kiss the sky Do or die.

Were alive.

Kiss the sky You're alive.

Alive.

Living the dream.

Rock and roll.

Hearts like thunder (Guitar solo) Livin' the dream Rock and roll Hearts like thunder Weve got soul.

Clap your hands everybody!

Kiss the sky, do or die, I'm alive Kiss the sky, do or die, we're alive Kiss the sky, do or die, I'm alive Kiss the sky, do or die, we're alive Kiss the sky, do or die, I'm alive Kiss the sky, do or die, we're alive Kiss the sky, do or die, I'm alive Kiss the sky, do or die, I'm alive Livin' the dream, rock and roll Hearts like thunder, Weve got soul.

♪♪ We are Aragon!

♪♪ (Applause) All right, thank you Aragon!

And there you have it, what an incredible night.

Let's hear it once again for all of our fabulous finalists.

Let's hear it!

I am very proud right now to invite last year's winners back to the Fox stage for a command performance.

This is going to knock your socks off.

Now since last year's Teen Talent, when they won, three of them have graduated high school and they are utilizing their first place scholarship funds at Webster University and Southeast Illinois University, all studying dance.

The others are still attending Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and they're working toward following similar paths when they graduate.

Here they are, back to perform their new piece.

It's called A Step Beyond.

Please welcome Keith Brown, Alexis Clark, Trenton Hampton, Bryson Jones, and Daisha Leachman.

(Applause) (Music) (Music) ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Now as we've said many times at Teen Talent everybody is considered a winner and many of the participants that you have seen on stage tonight finalists and ensemble members alike have already been awarded tuition and training scholarships from an impressive variety of arts and educational organizations and individuals.

Every award and prize that we present is made possible by generous donors who helped to create these life-changing opportunities for these students.

Right now, we would like to give a sincere thank you to all of our donors for their commitment to nurturing young talent.

Thank you so very much.

(audience applauding) Here we go.

On your mark, get ready, get set, go!

♪♪ And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

And we will come back home, and we will come back home, home again.

This is me!

The world becomes a fantasy, mor Dreamin' with your eyes wide open.

And you know we can't go back against the world that we were living in, Dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

So come alive!

(Drums) Come on, come on, come in, come on.

Anyone who wishes to join me.

Come on, come on, you'll hear the call.

To anyone who's searching for a way to break free.

The world becomes a fantasy, The more that you So dream it with your eyes wide open.

We know we can't go back against The world that we were living in.

So dream it with your eyes wide open.

The world becomes a fantasy, more than it could ever be, cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

And we know we can go back against the world that we were living in, cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

Cause we're dreamin' with our eyes wide open.

So come alive!

(Applause) Great job!

Alright, that was awesome.

Congratulations to all of our finalists.

Thank you.

Here we go.

Our first award, the Berges Classical Performance Award, underwritten by the Berges family.

Here we go.

Oh, hello there.

How's it going?

Okay, good.

All right, this award goes to Nadia Curtis.

(Applause) ♪♪ (Applause) ♪♪ All right, congratulations, Nadia.

Here we go, the Broadway Bound Award.

This is the Broadway Bound Gerry Stretzmeyer Legacy Scholarship, underwritten by Yvonne Meyer Hare.

This award goes to Langston Casey.

(Applause) All right, good job.

Congratulations, Langston.

Next up, the Creative Impact Scholarship Award for Young Women.

This is underwritten by Danielle Wood and the Women's Initiative Group at Capes Sokol.

This award goes to Clover Fortus.

(Applause) All right, thank you.

Okay, up next, the Excellence in Dance Award, underwritten by Pat Vogelsang and Donald Jones.

Just seeing if there's anyone else coming.

Okay.

This is underwritten by Pat Vogelsang and Donald Jones.

This award goes to Rashad Laurel.

(Applause) Okay, next up, the Eye Award, underwritten by Terry & Sally Schnuck, for the most imaginative, inspired and inventive act, this goes to Alisha Wang Yin!

(Applause) Okay, here we go.

The Kranzberg Vocal Performance Award, underwritten by Ken & Nancy Kranzberg.

And this goes to Safiya Austin-El.

(Applause) ♪♪ All right, congratulations.

Here we go.

♪♪ Let's see.

The Poppy Award, to encourage young artists to continue their artistic journey, delivering joy and happiness to others, underwritten by Jenny Gupta and Steve Trampe and their family.

This award goes to Dancing in Madness.

(Applause) ♪♪ (Applause) All right.

The Terry Lynford Classical Music Scholarship, underwritten by Terry Lynford.

This goes to Henry & Kaitlyn Foppe.

(Applause) ♪♪ (Applause) All right, the Triple Threat Award, underwritten by Hawk Productions.

Here we go.

This award goes to Crispin Shininger.

(Applause) The Voss Family Originality Award for the best original work in composition, writing, arranging or choreography underwritten by Tom and Carol Voss.

This award goes to West & Lila.

(Applause) ♪♪ Okay, alright.

I think we have come to the MVP award.

Is that okay to move on to the MVP award?

We're gonna do it.

We're gonna do it.

The MVP award or the most valuable performer award.

Now this award is underwritten by the Fox Performing Arts Journal Foundation Board of Directors and it embodies the spirit of team talent.

The MVP displays professionalism, passion, dedication, and encouragement of others.

This award is determined by the production staff.

Everyone votes.

The production staff, cast, crew, and volunteers.

And oh, here we go.

Oh, so official.

Here we go.

The MVP.

The MVP award this year goes to Langston Casey.

(Applause) Okay.

Can we do audience choice?

Okay.

Okay.

Now we're going to find out who you, the audience, have voted for with the audience choice award.

This is underwritten by Russell Jackson.

Here we go.

Thank you.

Do you know who it is?

All right, here we go.

The 2026 audience choice award goes to... Langston Casey!

(Applause) Congratulations, Langston.

You're welcome, you're welcome.

Langston!

Langston, you know, the best prize for Langston is he now he has multiple pictures of himself with me on stage.

What's he gonna do with all these pictures?

All right.

Okay.

This is the moment we've all been waiting for.

We are going to announce our winners.

Here we go.

Let's do it.

Let's do first, second and third.

This is this is crazy.

All right.

Thank you.

All right.

The third place.

$4,000 scholarship has been underwritten by longtime philanthropist and friend of teen talent.

Sally Johnston, excuse me.

And the third place award goes to (audience cheering) Of course you're welcome.

Great job.

Okay, here we go.

The second place $6,000 scholarship has been underwritten by John Russell.

Second place, here we go.

Did you look?

(audience laughing) Here we go, second place goes to... Leia and AJ!

(audience cheering) (band playing) (audience cheering) Congratulations.

All right, here we go, my friends.

The first place $8,000 scholarship has been underwritten by Mary Strauss.

And there we go, and it's presented by her daughter-in-law, Christina Strauss.

Hi, nice to see you.

Thank you.

Here we go, my friends.

The winner of the 16th annual St.

Louis Teen Talent Competition at the fabulous Fox Theater is... Safiya Austin-El!

All right, and there you have it!

Thank you, everyone!

You've been a wonderful audience!

Congratulations to everyone involved in Teen Talent!

We can't wait to see all of you for the 17th annual Teen Talent competition right here at the fabulous Fox Theater!

Good night!