Media Invitation - 2012 Quebec Senior Star winner to be declared on September 26 - Provincial finale

MONTREAL, Sept. 24, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - On September 26, 2012, at 2 p.m., the provincial grand finale of the Senior Star competition (for participants aged 65 and up) will be held at Théâtre Desjardins, Salle Jean-Grimaldi, of Cégep André-Laurendeau in Montreal. The 10 regional finalists will put their voices and musical talents front and centre as they compete before a panel of highly-respected judges from the arts and entertainment world.

Our finalists are:

• Lionel Côté - Aylmer
• Jean Simard - Gatineau
• Marius Lessard - Quebec City
• Thomas Pearce - Trois-Rivières
• Stan Unger - Montreal/Laval
• Lucile P. Graveline - Sherbrooke
• Gisèle Desgroseillers - St-Hyacinthe
• Pedro Vega - Sorel-Tracy
• Claude Vermette - St-Jean-sur-Richelieu
• Jacques Coutu - Rouyn-Noranda

The winner of the 2012 edition of the competition will be awarded a cash prize of $5000 and go on to proudly represent Quebec in the Canada-wide Senior Star National Finale in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on November 19, 2012.

"Wonderful surprises were awaiting us on our regional tour," confirmed Quebec finale co-host Claudette Dion, who was also a tour judge for the 10 regional finales held in May and June. "We discovered a wealth of talent, and I'd say we're in for an excellent show on September 26." The competition will be co-hosted in English by Christopher Hall, a popular Quebec comedian.

The finale's trio of judges will no doubt have some difficult decisions to make, but the experience they'll bring from their respective fields is sure to help them select the best solo performance. France Castel and Serge Laprade, both of whom had successful singing careers before going into radio and television, and Stéphane Laforest, artistic director and conductor of the Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke (since 1998) and Sinfonia de Lanaudière, are all more than up to the challenge.

The Senior Star competition is organized each year by Chartwell Senior Housing. "At Chartwell, our priority is to provide an environment that offers seniors the chance to make the most of life," explained Denis Lagueux, President of Chartwell-Québec. "We strive to give our residents the opportunity to live their dreams, and it is this objective that led us to create the Senior Star competition, which we are particularly proud of," he added. Since the first edition of Senior Star in 2010, the competition has enabled more than 800 contestants aged 65 and over to live their dreams and share their talent with Quebecers across the province.

Media RSVP

What:	Media invitation to the Quebec finale of the Senior Star competition. Photos and interviews possible with Claudette Dion and jury members.
When: Where:	Wednesday, September 26, 2012, 2 p.m. Interviews with jury members may be conducted after the performances at around 4 p.m. Cégep André-Laurendeau, Théâtre Desjardins, Salle Jean Grimaldi (1111, rue Lapierre, Borough of LaSalle, Montreal, Quebec H8N 2J4). Directions: http://www.theatredesjardins.com/nous-joindre/ Free parking for media representatives who have confirmed they will attend.

SOURCE: CHARTWELL-QUEBEC

View clips from the 2011 Quebec finale (two minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sTgwhHyw74&feature=youtu.be

Download images from the regional finale: http://bit.ly/JlcuuR

Information and interviews
France Gaignard, Press Officer, Groupe CK7
514-616-7705
[email protected]