To be chosen at arts fest, Plymouth's own Idol
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The rubber ducks will race, classic cars will show off their shiny finishes, Patriots cheerleaders will sign autographs, and some 100 arts and crafts vendors will offer products from cranberry jelly to metal arts under tents on a street closed to traffic for the two-day Downtown Plymouth Waterfront Festival.
And at the heart of the summer weekend festival by Plymouth Rock are the 10 young singers who are competing to become Plymouth's Idol.
The competition can give ambitions a boost, said Denis Hanks, the executive director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, the event's organizer. "It's a good experience, a confidence builder, and something on your resume," Hanks said.
Josh Glynn of Plymouth said he has been getting family pressure to compete in singing competitions such as "American Idol" for years. "My dad bothered me about it for weeks and weeks," said Glynn, 22, who works for his father's electrical contracting company.
He and his girlfriend, Francine Bouska, entered the Plymouth Idol competition, separately, and now they are both among the semifinalists, looking forward to taking the festival's main stage on Saturday - and, with luck, returning as finalists on Sunday.
In its 17th year, the free festival has succeeded in bringing crowds for a summer weekend to Plymouth's historic town center and waterfront. The arts and crafts tents, featuring jewelry, gifts, boutique fashions, and other products, are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days this weekend.
Child-sized amusement rides are set up in grassy Pilgrim Memorial Park near Plymouth Rock, and entertainment stages at the foot of Brewster Gardens and on State Pier near the Mayflower II offer regional musical performers.
The Motor Heads Cruise-in Car Show takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at nearby Jenney Grist Mill, accompanied by more music and an appearance by the Patriots cheerleaders, who will sign autographs and pose for pictures.
Hundreds of yellow rubber ducks will be floating up Plymouth's Town Brook, where the Pilgrims found fresh water. The duck races take place both days at 4 p.m. in Brewster Gardens.
Senate President Therese Murray, who represents Plymouth, will kick off the race on Saturday.
Auditions for the Plymouth Idol solo singing competition were held last month at Croma, a new restaurant at Plymouth's Colony Place shopping center, with 53 competitors performing karaoke-style to recorded background music.
Four judges narrowed the field to 10. In addition to Glynn and Bouska, they are: Kasey Bishoff of Plymouth; Diana Cybulska of Kingston; Mark Estano of Plymouth; Charles Foley of East Bridgewater; Hillary Horn of Carver; Anastasia Johnston (no hometown available); Jessi Milch of Marshfield; and Teddy Weckbacher of Kingston.
"I love performing," said Estano, 22, who also acts on stage and performed in Plymouth Community Theatre's "Much Ado About Nothing" production this summer. Leaning toward jazz and popular standards, he plans to sing "Somewhere Beyond the Sea" (the Bobby Darin version), "The Way You Look Tonight" (made famous by Frank Sinatra), and "Mac the Knife" (Darin).
Foley, 38, the keyboard player for the Living Hope Church in Hanover, sings in wedding and club bands, and has played keyboard and sang backup vocals for name artists. He plans to sing "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx for the semifinal round.
Glynn, 22, sang in a New Bedford-based pop band called the Big Heavy. The band was getting traction until the members quarreled and split up. He continues to sing and play piano and guitar. He plans to sing Van Morrison's "Moon Dance" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" in the coming rounds.
Bouska, 24, a full-time actress who sings at events, represented Plymouth in last year's Miss Massachusetts contest. A show-tune fancier, Bouska plans on singing "Being Alive" from the musical "Company" in Saturday's round.
Sunday's final judges include Sara Edwards of
For complete festival information, visit www.plymouthwaterfrontfestival.com.
Robert Knox can be contacted at rc.knox@gmail.com.
