By Steve Paradis
Herald Correspondent
Showtime in Sanford featured a sax player, comedians, singers, and even an appearance by President Joe Biden, but no one could match the energy of The Showout Girls, who took the $500 first prize in the third and penultimate competition of Showtime’s Season V on Thursday, Sept. 18.
“It was everything I want from this show [with] diversified talent from all ages coming together having fun in the city we love,” said Lawrence Gordon, aka Calico tha Surrealist, CEO of Surrealist Entertainment that produces Showtime in Sanford at the Woman’s Club on Oak Avenue.
Showtime limits groups to five people, so The Showout Girls brought five of their 30 or so members, said dance coach Naleshia Edwards. It’s hard to win when her dance troupes are part of the competition. In fact, they won the very first competition five years ago.
“The money will go toward competition fees and uniforms,” Edwards told the Herald.
For their winning performances, the girls went old school, Edwards said. They wore spray painted shirts with their names and jean shorts painted with the year each was born. The years ranged from 2012 to 2014.
“Showtime in Sanford is great,” Edwards said. “I love it and its good vibes.”
Coming in second was JayVion Mcvadian, an R&B singer who brought a bunch of white roses to hand out after his act. Third place was singer Timpani Rose with her powerful voice that could win it all in the December season finale.
Sanford City Commissioner Claudia Thomas provided the $500 cash prize for the Sept. 18 show.
Sponsors on the night were the Sanford Herald, Yellow Door Realty, the Lake Mary Bilingual Academy and Filomena’s Pizzeria & Ristorante.
Ventriloquist Vance S. Dykes II of Kissimmee brought his special friend for the competition, Joe Biden, who apparently is holding down a job at Arby’s, but also seemed very forgetful and even fell asleep.
The Surrealist Entertainment crew was on hand of course, including emcees, Jay Love and Aunti August Hillery, who kept the audience laughing with their back and forth teasing.
The big finale for Season 5 of Showtime will take place Dec. 18 featuring many of the top three finishers from the season’s three shows in 2025. The prize money jumps to $1,000 cash in December, so if you want to be there, check out Showtime in Sanford or Calico tha Surrealist on social media.
