Bayou Star Search

08/26/2026

(R to L): Alyssa Freeman, members of Taylormade, and HealPhoto by Josh McDaniel by Hanna Singh It was an unforgettable Saturday night at Louisiana Tech’s Howard Theatre for Alyssa Freeman, who was …

08/23/2026

🎉 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 2026 BAYOU STAR SEARCH! 🎉

🥇 1st Place: Alyssa Freeman
🥈 2nd Place: Mark “Mr. Taylormade” Taylor
🥉 3rd Place: Heka the Magi
⭐ People’s Star Award: Eli Rogers

What an unforgettable night celebrating the incredible talent found throughout Louisiana! Every performer who stepped onto that stage brought something special, and we are so grateful to each of them for sharing their gifts with us.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made Bayou Star Search possible such as our sponsors, judges, volunteers, production team, Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana Delta Ballet leadership and board members, performers, families, donors, and every person who purchased a ticket, voted, attended, assisted, shared a post, or supported the event in any way.

You did more than attend a talent competition. You helped support the mission of Louisiana Delta Ballet and the future of the performing arts in our community.

Congratulations again to Alyssa Freeman, Mark Mrtaylormade Taylor, and Heka and thank you, Louisiana, for making the 2026 Bayou Star Search a night we will never forget! 🌟

08/23/2026

For those who couldn't make the show, we're done with intermission and well into the second half. The talent is incredible! You can be a part of the action at home. Besides the judge's award, we will award YOUR choice... the People's Star award... at the end of tonight's show. Your vote now goes toward the total. 10 dollars a vote. Vote now!

**VOTING IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 2026 PEOPLE’S STAR!**

The judges will select our top three winners tonight, but **you** get to choose the contestant who will be named the **People’s Star**.

**$10 = 1 vote**, and you may vote as many times as you would like.

Don’t wait until the end of the show. Start supporting your favorite star now, and share the link with family, friends, and fans who want to help!

**Vote here:**
https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/ThePeoplesStar

You can vote from inside Howard Theatre or from home. Voting will close **three minutes after the final performance tonight**, and the winner will be announced at the end of the show.

Who will be your 2026 People’s Star?

08/22/2026

**VOTING IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 2026 PEOPLE’S STAR!**

The judges will select our top three winners tonight, but **you** get to choose the contestant who will be named the **People’s Star**.

**$10 = 1 vote**, and you may vote as many times as you would like.

Don’t wait until the end of the show. Start supporting your favorite star now, and share the link with family, friends, and fans who want to help!

**Vote here:**
https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/ThePeoplesStar

You can vote from inside Howard Theatre or from home. Voting will close **three minutes after the final performance tonight**, and the winner will be announced at the end of the show.

Who will be your 2026 People’s Star?

08/22/2026

🎉 We have a winner! 🎉

Congratulations to Lacee Collins Ratliff, the winner of our Facebook Share Giveaway! Lacee has scored FOUR FRONT ROW TICKETS to Bayou Star Search this Saturday, August 16 at Howard Theatre.

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets, liked, and shared our post — we can’t wait to see you at the show to cheer on Louisiana’s best talent competing for $10,000 in prizes.

If you haven’t grabbed your tickets yet, there’s still time:

🎟️ https://www.bayoustarseach.com

08/22/2026

MEET OUR JUDGES: DIANA THACHER

Meet Diana Thacher, an internationally experienced pianist, educator, and collaborative artist whose career spans solo, orchestral, chamber, and contemporary performance.

A native of Kazakhstan, Diana serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Louisiana Monroe. She has also been a member of the New Orleans-based chamber ensemble Musaica since 2015, where she champions new music and collaborations with living composers.

Diana has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her appearances as a soloist have included performances with the Kazakh National Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Central Asia, the Shenzhen Chamber Orchestra, and the Moscow Rendezvous Music Festival Orchestra.

She also serves as Principal Keyboard with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Her recent projects include a six-concert solo piano Candlelight series devoted to Chopin, the international Tribute to Coldplay tour, and Reimagined Classics, an innovative program connecting the works of Scarlatti, Scriabin, and Ravel with contemporary influences.

Diana holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

With her depth of musical knowledge, international performance experience, and commitment to developing artists, Diana brings a distinguished perspective to the Bayou Star Search judging panel.

Join us as Diana helps determine who will become the 2026 Bayou Star and take home the $10,000 grand prize!

BAYOU STAR SEARCH 2026
Saturday, August 22 at 7:00 PM
Howard Theatre at Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Tickets are available now:
https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/BayouStarSearch

08/22/2026

MEET OUR JUDGES: GARY HALVORSON

Meet Gary Halvorson, an award-winning director whose remarkable career spans television, film, live performance, and opera.

Gary directed dozens of episodes of two of television’s most successful and beloved comedies, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond. His extensive television credits also include Two and a Half Men, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Joey, and numerous other series.

The Metropolitan Opera credits Gary with 14 Emmy Awards and more than 150 episodes of hit television. He also received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for his work on Everybody Loves Raymond.

Today, Gary is the longtime director of The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera’s acclaimed series of live cinema transmissions. He has directed more than 100 Metropolitan Opera broadcasts shown in movie theatres around the world.

Throughout his career, Gary has guided celebrated actors, musicians, singers, and performers through productions seen by audiences across the globe.

His extraordinary understanding of stage presence, storytelling, live production, and connecting with an audience will bring an unmatched perspective to the Bayou Star Search judging panel.

Join us as Gary helps determine who will become the 2026 Bayou Star and take home the $10,000 grand prize!

BAYOU STAR SEARCH 2026
Saturday, August 22 at 7:00 PM
Howard Theatre at Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Tickets are available now:
https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/BayouStarSearch

08/21/2026

MEET OUR JUDGES: HOLLI’ CONWAY

Meet welcometo_holliwood, an accomplished Broadway performer, mentor, and former Miss Louisiana whose career reflects a commitment to excellence, representation, and service.

Holli’ made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which received 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. She later made history as the first Black woman to portray Katherine Howard in the Broadway production of SIX: The Musical and went on to originate a role in the original Broadway cast of Lempicka.

She can currently be seen starring as Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins in the world-premiere TLC biomusical CrazySexyCool.

In 2018, Holli’ became the third Black woman to be crowned Miss Louisiana. She earned multiple scholarships, received the Preliminary Talent Award, and finished as Second Runner-Up at Miss America.

Holli’ also founded Coached by Conway, through which she mentors aspiring performers and pageant competitors with coaching, masterclasses, and professional development.

A proud Louisiana native and Northwestern State University graduate, Holli’ believes in the power of the arts to inspire, connect, and create meaningful change.

Her experience as a Broadway performer, vocalist, mentor, and advocate will bring an invaluable perspective to the Bayou Star Search judging panel.

Join us as Holli’ helps determine who will become the 2026 Bayou Star and take home the $10,000 grand prize!

BAYOU STAR SEARCH 2026
Saturday, August 22 at 7:00 PM
Howard Theatre at Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Tickets are available now:
https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/BayouStarSearch

08/21/2026

MEET OUR JUDGES: KAITLYNN EDGAR

Meet kaitlynnedgar, a professional dancer and choreographer whose career has taken her from international ballet tours to some of the biggest stages and screens in entertainment.

After training in a wide range of dance styles, Kaitlynn toured internationally as a principal dancer with the contemporary ballet company Rock the Ballet. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she performed with Shaping Sound and danced alongside artists including Nicki Minaj and David Guetta.

Her television credits include the American Music Awards, The Late Late Show, Saturday Night Live, Fosse/Verdon, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has also appeared in films including In the Heights, Marry Me, Spirited, and IF.

When Kaitlynn is not performing on stage or screen, she teaches throughout the country and shares her experience with the next generation of dancers.

With a career spanning ballet, commercial dance, television, film, and live performance, Kaitlynn brings an extraordinary understanding of technique, artistry, stage presence, and entertainment to the Bayou Star Search judging panel.

Join us as Kaitlynn helps determine who will become the 2026 Bayou Star and take home the $10,000 grand prize!

BAYOU STAR SEARCH 2026
Saturday, August 22 at 7:00 PM
Howard Theatre at Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana

Tickets are available now:
https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/BayouStarSearch

08/21/2026

🎟 Front Row Ticket Giveaway! 🎟

Want to sit in the best seats in the house for Bayou Star Search?
Here’s your chance to win FOUR FRONT ROW TICKETS for the big night tomorrow on Saturday, August 22 at Howard Theatre!

How to enter:
1️⃣ Purchase at least one General Admission ticket to Bayou Star Search.
2️⃣ Share this post to your page. (and go ahead and like the post while you are at it)

Important:

Tomorrow morning, August 22nd , we’ll randomly draw a name from everyone who has purchased a General Admission ticket — whether you bought before or after this post went up.

If your name is drawn, we’ll check to see if you’ve shared this post. If not, we’ll pick another winner.

Winner will receive 4 front row tickets and will be contacted directly.

🎤 Don’t miss your chance to be up close for all the music, performances, and excitement as Louisiana’s top talent competes for $10,000 in prizes.

📅 Event: Saturday, August 22, 2026
📍 Howard Theatre – Louisiana Tech University
🎟 Get your tickets now: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/BayouStarSearch

Like ✔ Share ↗ Buy 🎟 … and you could be right up front for the show of the year!