by Hanna Singh
The stage lights shined bright, but North Louisiana talent shined even brighter at the inaugural Bayou Star Search hosted at Louisiana Tech University. As the sun went down, the stars came out on stage for a night of song, dance, comedy, and talent of all kinds.
And when the star dust settled Malcolm Thomas captured the title and a $10,000 check as he stunned the crowd with a breathtaking vocal rendition of “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman”.
Thomas edged out Dani LaCour (second place), who performed a cover of “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna, and Clara Rae (third place), who performed an original piece titled “She Made it For Me” dedicated to her late aunt.
Thomas described how it felt to take home the very first winning title of the Bayou Star Search competition.
“It’s been surreal. It honestly still hasn’t even hit me yet if I’m being honest,” Thomas said. “My goal has always been to bring joy to others, and I am grateful that the audience and judges were there in the moment with me. I’ve always loved having new experiences. Even just being a part of the experience allows me to show my nieces and nephews that they can follow their dreams no matter their circumstances. It has allowed me to say that I’ve even been a contestant on such a show, let alone a finalist.”
The audience was also given the opportunity to choose their favorite artist of the night by voting for the People’s Star Award. After a heartfelt performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah”, Eli Rodgers was chosen by the audience as the People’s Choice Star.
The event featured numerous performers from all around north Louisiana as well as performances from the Louisiana Delta Ballet. The show benefitted the Louisiana Delta Ballet through a silent auction featuring signed t-shirts by Lainey Wilson, as well as a guitar to be signed with a personal note by Wilson to the winner.
Many performers were simply grateful to participate in the inaugural event, win or lose, emphasizing the feeling of community while sharing the stage with other talented artists.
Hunter Schulze, who performed an original song, described the experience in playing in front of the judges, audience, and other performers.
“It was absolutely incredible. Just getting to perform for such a large and wonderful crowd as well as being around and jamming with so many unbelievably talented people,” Schulze said. “It was all so great. I’m hoping to come back next year and do it all over again.”
Elise Clair Causey, who performed a mashup of her original song and Adele’s “When We Were Young”, shared a similar sentiment of enjoying the experience itself.
“It felt surreal to be on the stage performing part of my own song in front of a live audience. I also loved being able to spend the day with so many talented people,” Causey said. “I wanted to be a part of this show because it seemed like a great opportunity to gain experience. It was such an amazing night, and I would love to do it again.”
The Bayou Star Search turned out to be a night of amazing musical performances, show stopping dances, and immense talent of all kinds. With such an impressive debut, the competition is sure to become a stage where local stars continue to rise for years to come.
Hosted by the Louisiana Delta Ballet, the first ever included 21 stars of all ages and different talents competing for three cash prizes.
Judging the competition were former Miss Louisiana Kelsi Crain White, Emmy nominated artist Christian Vincent, Broadway perfomer Nita Whitaker, and critically acclaimed performer and professor Dr. Richard Seiler. The show was hosted by local personality Nick “The Professor” Harrison.
