Two Mississauga senior citizens got the chance to perform live with an orchestra at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel Monday night in the first-ever Senior Star national finals sponsored by Mississauga’s Chartwell REIT.
Although they didn’t win Phyllis Styles and Jose Manzanaras made the most of their moment in the spotlight.
The glitzy event was the culmination of a nation-wide talent search by Chartwell, which owns a number of long-term care facilities, who invited seniors who are clients to take part in their own reality program. The top 10 contestants from across the land performed live Monday night, in front of a panel of judges which included Gordie Tapp, a comedian and singer who was featured for years on the TV show Hee Haw.
Mississauga was the only city to have two participants in the final. Hazel Proctor of Calgary was the eventual winner.
Manzanaras, who lives in the Heritage Glen site on Glen Erin Dr., played guitar and sang The Way You Look Tonight, the 1937 Oscar winning song written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields.
Demonstrating similar good taste, Styles, who performs at the Regency location in Port Credit, sang Hoagy Carmichael’s classic composition, Stardust.
“The response across the nation has been tremendous and the quality of talent really impressive,” said Stephen Suske, vice-chair of Chartwell. “This inaugural event has been so successful that we plan to hold the competition annually.”
onlinenews@mississauga.net
