M.J. Niederhauser, a sophomore at Levelland High School, was named the top winner for the inaugural Levelland’s Got Talent held Saturday, Oct. 3 at the historic Wallace Theater in downtown Levelland.
Niederhauser wowed the judges with her stunning performance of the soprano aria “Un bel di, vedremo (One fine day, we’ll see),” from the Puccini opera Madame Butterfly and was presented a $250 cash prize. She was accompanied on the piano by her piano and voice coach Jan Nugent.
Hosted by the Levelland Breakfast Rotary Club with presenting sponsor South Plains Community Action Association, the talent contest showcased the vocal and instrumental skills of 12 local and area performers who were judged for top places and cash prizes. Approximately, 150 people attended the show.
“Our line-up of amazing talent thoroughly entertained an enthusiastic audience and impressed our judges,” said Irene Tienda, president of the Levelland Breakfast Rotary Club. “We are grateful to our contestants and our sponsors for making Levelland’s Got Talent a big success and a very fun evening overall.”
Faith Guzman, an eighth grader at Frenship Middle School who lives in Levelland, received the second-place prize of $150 for her masterful performance of “Burn” from the musical “Hamilton.” She also received the Audience Choice Award with the most votes from audience members and was presented an additional $50 in cash and $50 Levelland Bucks, courtesy of Levelland MainStreet.
A third-place tie went to Jaydi Sanchez of Levelland and Landon Morrison of Lubbock. Sanchez, a freshman at South Plains College, performed an emotional rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from the musical “Grease.” Morrison, a digital creator and vocal performer, sang “Believe” from Brooks & Dunn, dedicating it to his late greatgrandmother Jolene who used to sing it with him. Both winners received $100 each.
Other performers included Cindy Terzenbach, Peyton Sawyer, Dautry Waller, Dionna McWhorter, Evelyn Aguirre, Isalen Solano, Rodney Murphree, and Kolt McDaniel.
The judging panel included Levelland Mayor Breann Buxkemper, KCBD-TV news anchors Kase Wilbanks and Christy Hartin, and SPC creative arts music professors Emily and Brent Wheeler. Aryn Corley, a local comedy entertainer and member of the Levelland Breakfast Rotary Club, served as the emcee for the show.
“We could not have asked for better talent or audience for the first Levelland’s Got Talent,” said Tienda. “We especially want to express our gratitude to our judges who had a big task in selecting our winners. And we thank the staff of the Wallace Theater who were so instrumental in helping us produce the show.”
Performance sponsors included City Bank, McDonald’s of Levelland, Hockley County Credit Union and Bill and Kay Powell. Talent Sponsors for the show were Prosperity Bank, Robertson & Agnew Plumbing and AC, Maverick Bank, Tanner Terrell Financial Advisor, Paxton Real Estate, AgTexas Farm Credit Service, South Plains College and St. Michael Catholic Church. Free popcorn and soft drinks were courtesy of City Bank and United Supermarket Levelland.
Proceeds from Levelland’s Got Talent will help fund Levelland Breakfast Rotary Club service projects, including scholarships to attend South Plains College, Tienda added.