About WCOPA – World Championship of Performing Arts
One of a kind, 22nd Annual International Performing Arts Championships lands in Long Beach, CA
(Presented by Worldstars ™)
Singers, musicians, dancers, variety artists, actors and models are ready to compete before judges from the entertainment industry at the 22nd Annual World Championships of Performing Arts® (WCOPA), July 6 – 15, 2018 in Long Beach, California. This one-and-only, Olympic-style international meet for aspiring performers and entertainers is held annually in the “Hollywood” area, entertainment capital of the world. “A most invaluable experience of a lifetime” is the frequent universal praise given by attendees to this prestigious event..
Selections for contestants are held in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. “Contestants from over 60 countries are expected to participate,” says Griff O’Neil, Founder, CEO and a former executive of the Miss Universe Pageant, “vying for ‘the gold’ PLUS treasured prizes.” In 2017, awards included a recording contract from Indasoul Entertainment, and a total of over a half-million dollars in scholarships ($30,000.00 USD from the Millennium Dance Complex, $50,000.00 USD from CSM Music, $150,000.00 USD from the New York Film Academy and $280,000.00 USD from the New York Conservatory for Film and Television”).
Before the Opening Ceremonies and competition begins, contestants look forward to the much-anticipated WORLDSTARS Boot Camp, an unmatched full-day of the most comprehensive performing arts seminars and workshops given exclusively by top industry experts.
A popular highlight of the global meet is the spectacular Opening Ceremonies and WORLDSTARS Parade of Nations. Similar to the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics, proud contestants from over 60 countries parade in beautiful costumes representing their respective nations. The WORLDSTARS Parade of Nations is free to the public and occurs outside the Long Beach Convention Center with entertainment from a variety of talent from around the world.
Adding to the fun, a WORLDSTARS Village, much like an “Olympic Village,” will be set-up in front of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center where one can meet and communicate with contestants and guests from around the world. During these days, Worldstar contestants and families will enjoy live entertainment, food trucks and special events which include: DJ Dance Party, “Champion Circle,” and the much-anticipated WCOPA announcement of finalists. Entrance to the WORLDSTARS Village is free and open to the public.*
The week of competition finishes with the exciting WCOPA Grand Finale Competition – a live worldwide webcast staged in the beautiful Terrace Theater in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. The pre-show is followed by the finals where the best of the best vie for the World Championship titles. The Next WORLDSTAR℠ is an esteemed gold medal award presented every year to each finalist at the World Championships of Performing Arts signifying outstanding achievement in their respective talent or model category. Featured artists and former WCOPA World Champions will perform. Information on ticket sales will be made available on a date closer to the event by calling the Box Office or online via Ticketmaster.*
Entertainment industry greats from Hollywood, Nashville and New York have served as judges and been honored with induction in the Performing Arts Hall of Fame®. Previous honorees include: Debbie Allen, Ann-Margret, Jaclyn Smith, Justin Chambers, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, Engelbert Humperdinck and many others.
2018 judges will be announced in the months to come. Previous judges have included Cirque du Soleil’s Head Artistic Director, Pierre Parisien; world-renowned casting director, Harriet Greenspan; Anita Mann, Emmy Award-winning Choreographer and live show producer; Janet Alhanti, one of the most sought after acting coaches to the stars; Bob Garrett, vocal coach to some of the most respected singers and actors in Hollywood; LA Models’ Crista Klayman, considered to be the #1 runway agent in America; and Lang Elliott, the original founder of TriStar Pictures, a two-time Academy Award nominee who has produced and distributed over 125 motion pictures around the world.
Executive Board
Griff O’Neil
Former executive with the Miss USA and Miss Universe Pageants televised on CBS and fully-sponsored by Procter & Gamble. International event producer for over thirty-five years. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Worldstars® International Inc. and the World Championships of Performing Arts®. Originator of the Performing Arts Hall of Fame®, and International Worldstars® Association. Creator of Destination Hollywood®, Hollywood Bound®, and The Next Worldstar®.
Gwen Wilson
President and Producer of the World Championships of Performing Arts®. Executive producer of national and international events for stage and television the past twenty (20) years; manager of an award-winning vocal group; worked on award-winning music video production; Special Events Director for non-profit organizations; and producer of telethons
Glenn (Scott) Murphy
Senior Vice President in charge of the WCOPA International Selection Committee which selects talent from around the World in countries without a formal selection process and in charge of the USA Selection Committee which select talent within the host country. He has produced, judged and hosted events for the past 20 plus years..
Alan Margulies
Former Vice President of Entertainment of Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City). Founder and President of his own management/production company with clients such as Ann-Margret, Paul Anka, Burt Reynolds, Linda Gray. Executive Producer of numerous television movies, miniseries, and series. A producer of the first major sports show from Macau satellited into Mainland China on CCTV. He also did a series of shows on Shanghai Media Group (SMG) Television.
Nancy Bianconi
WCOPA International Field Representative. President/CEO of NoHo Communications Group, Inc., an arts marketing firm which has consulted with national arts service organizations and hundreds of theaters and dance companies in New York and Los Angeles, and is now providing arts consulting services in China. She has produced three Off Broadway plays which ran for more than three years and toured to other cities.
Judy Garland
Senior Vice President New Business Development for WCOPA. International consultant for film and TV production companies for destinations worldwide. Ms. Garland has traveled the world working with governments to promote filming and TV productions for their specific destination. Producer of highly-praised documentaries. Served on the Board of Directors for Caribbean Tourism Authority and several charitable organizations.
Chuck Lorimer
Chief Financial Officer of Worldstars® and World Championships of Performing Arts®. President of Lorimer & Zimmerman LLC which provides services such as Business Management, Consulting – Management, Consulting – Payroll Services, Small Business Accounting, Tax – Business & Occupation, Tax – Consulting, Tax – Corporate, Tax – Estate & Trust, Tax – Individual, Tax – LLC & LLP, Trusts – Accounting.
For more information about World Championships of Performing Arts contact info@wcopa.com visit www.wcopa.com
* Times, events, ticket availability and participating Judges are subject to change.
PERFORMING ARTS BOOTCAMP (Presented by Worldstars ™)
(Presented by Worldstars ™)
The inimitable global event features an intense, inventive one-day “Worldstars Boot Camp.
A full day of the most comprehensive entertainment educational training, seminars, and workshops given by renowned experts in the fields of modeling, acting, performing, singing, music and dancing exclusively provided to models and talent from around the world participating at WCOPA.
A sampling of previous year’s camp highlights and mentors are:
- The legendary “vocal coach of the stars” whose students have garnered over 120 Grammy’s and include superstars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, David Archuleta, Josh Groban, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Cher, Tina Turner, Natalie Cole, and many others. To be in the same room as this world famous icon will indeed be a rare privilege and honor!
- Seven-time Emmy nominee and three-time Emmy winning producer and choreographer.
- One of the world’s most famous fashion designers whose celebrity clients include Angelina Jolie, Ivanka Trump, the cast of “Desperate Housewives”, Eva Mendes, Heather Locklear, Gwyneth Paltrow and many more.
- The modeling industry: training, careers, and “the business”.
- Senior Talent Agent with offices in New York and Hollywood presenting “audition techniques”.
- One of the world’s foremost psychologists and radio talk show hosts giving exclusive tips on “How to overcome stage fright”.
- Seven-time Grammy nominee and two-time Grammy winning independent music label owner.
- One of Hollywood’s most celebrated agents with celebrity clients on several hit TV series.
- Several of the world’s top dance choreographers from the renowned Millennium Dance Complex teaching some of the most dazzling routines ever created.
- Amazing information and tutoring for actors and performers including TV camera techniques, business operations, marketing, and vital “tools of the trade” from the celebrated New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts School of Film and Television.
CELEBRITY JUDGES (Presented by Worldstars ™)
Previous WCOPA Judges have included:
Troy Laureta
Troy was a multi-medalist world winner at WCOPA 1998. He is an award-winning musical director, keyboardist and arranger for Ariana Grande and has worked with Disney artists, reality show singers from American Idol and The Voice, and currently is working on a major project with the legendary Grammy-winning producer, David Foster.
Amy Morgan
Professional dancer and choreographer who has worked with Beyoncé and many celebrities appeared on Yahoo’s series Sin City Saints and performed at the MTV Video Music Awards. Trained in various styles of dancing, Amy teaches at the famed Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood.
Carlos Vazquez
California designer and creative director for 40 years and now a Professor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM).
Jennifer Tomiko Kohatsu
Jennifer is the National Sales Director of the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. What a great four years it’s been having our world event hosted in Long Beach, California – often cited as “Hollywood at the Beach!.”
Jeff Weber
Jeff is President of “Weberworks Music,” his groundbreaking independent music label. Having produced over 180 CDs, his projects have yielded two Grammys, seven Grammy nominations, seventeen top ten albums, two number one albums and an assortment of other honors. And he is the producer of the album for WCOPA alums, Alessandro Danello (2015 Instrumentalist multi-medalist and Troy Laureta (1998 multi-medalist, and now renowned recording arranger, keyboardist and conductor).
Crista Klayman
An integral member of LA Models and considered the number 1 runway agent in America, Crista has developed and marketed top models to such exclusive clients as Gucci, Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton to name a few. Currently she hosts her own radio show, The Real Runway with Crista Klayman.
Kristina Aglinz
Kristina was a multi-medalist world winner at WCOPA 1998. She is now considered Russia’s #1 jazz singer, an award winning pianist, singer, composer, and Creator and Artistic Director of the Musical Festival Ultra Musica.
Jessica Ferris
Casting director and speciality trainer for Feld Entertainment contracting for worldwide touring productions. Current projects include: Disney Live, Marvel Universe Live, Sesame Street Live, Monster Jam and many others.
James Charles
With the Wilhelmina Agency, you’ve seen him as an industry expert on America’s Next Top Model! He has personally scouted and developed models for prestigious campaigns with Prada and Calvin Klein, as well as scores of magazines in Milan, New York, London, and Paris.
Pierre Parisien
Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil Special Projects and Touring Shows in Montreal, Pierre is currently Senior Director of the Cirque du Soleil Resident Shows in Las Vegas.
Bruce Newberg
Owner and Director of Bruce H. Newberg Casting. Having been nominated for and won several awards for casting in outstanding films and TV series, he currently is working on a comedy pilot for CBS.
Michael Dameski
Here’s another multi-medalist world winner! He’s from the 2007 WCOPA. Among his numerous accomplishments: he starred as Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical in Australia, on Broadway and the national tour, and was a lead in Newsies on Broadway and in Disney’s recent film Newsies the Musical.
Mehdad Brooks
Brooks, a famous Calvin Klein model, starred on Alan Ball’s HBO hit TV series True Blood. He is a SAG ensemble award winner and Image Award nominee for his performance as Alfred Woodard’s son on ABC’s smash series Desperate Housewives.
John Pardee and Joey Murphy
These partners, in addition to their careers as successful feature film screenwriters, are in their 17th year as writers/producers of numerous television series – most notably, The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Cybill. Both currently are the Co-Executive Producers of ABC television’s mega-hit, Desperate Housewives.
Anita Mann
With six Emmy nominations, two Emmy Awards and honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Anita is one of America’s top choreographers and live show producers. Her countless credits include The Academy Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Miss America Pageant, The People’s Choice Awards, The Emmy’s.
Steven Dorff
One of the world’s most successful music composers. NSAI Songwriter of the Year, 40 BMI and 11 Billboard #1 awards, three-time Grammy nominee, Emmy nominee for five television compositions, nine #1 film songs and 15 Top 10 hits. His many songs have been sung by some of the greatest artists of our time: Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, George Strait, Vanessa Williams and countless others. He currently has two projects making their way to Broadway.
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (Presented by Worldstars ™)
A highlight of the festivities is the annual presentation of an Achievement Award to an entertainment industry celebrity or VIP.
Because of its stellar reputation in attracting achieving talent, revered VIP and celebrity entertainment industry greats from Hollywood, Nashville and New York have been inducted into WCOPA’s legendary “Performing Arts Hall of Fame” such as:
ANN-MARGRET – TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE
JACLYN SMITH – STAR OF CHARLIE’S ANGELS
JUSTIN CHAMBERS – STAR OF GREY’S ANATOMY
LINDA GRAY – STAR OF DALLAS
LIZA MINNELLI – THREE TONY AWARDS, AN OSCAR, EMMY AND TWO GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
DOLLY PARTON – FOUR-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER.
DIONNE WARWICK – MULTI-GRAMMY WINNER
DANIEL LARMARRE – PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
Sponsors
WCOPA Sponsors
New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting is a for-profit film school and acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and across the world.
The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts enables students to define their unique brand as an actor by discovering who they are as a person. We practice a personalized approach to training that places acting and storytelling at the core–offering immersive, disciplined, and focused professional training programs designed to give students the tools and techniques they need for successful careers in today’s industry.
The Debbie Allen Dance Academy is a non-profit organization that offers a comprehensive dance curriculum to students ages four and up.
http://www.debbieallendanceacademy.com/
Indasoul started as a small production company in the basement. Now, based in Los Angeles California, Indasoul is a highly sought after production company producing hits for several major artists and record labels.
Indasoul Entertainment Award: write and produce a full song. Inclusive of studio time, producer cost, engineering cost, mix down and editing. Indasoul will also assist with the release and marketing of said composition. A junior and senior contestant will each receive the song award.
CSM Words and Music is a Los Angeles-based music production and publishing company focused on the development of competitive materials and artists in pop, r&b, rock and dance.
http://www.csmwordsandmusic.com
Performing Arts LIVE is the most comprehensive online source for information about theatre, dance and classical music events in Southern California
http://www.performingartslive.com
K.K Production is a music and entertainment company based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by Kristin Kalliope.
Our goal is to develop world-class talents and give a start of their careers.