October-November 2001 Edition

Singing on Good Morning America    A Fair Lawn teenager recently made her national television debut on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”     The morning show, hosted by Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson, held a nationwide all-night karaoke contest. Hundreds of people from all across the country turned out to croon for the judges. Out of a pool of more than 300 singers, 15-year old Erica Leigh Boseski made the top five.     Boseski was the youngest finalist to wow the crowd. The other top finalists ranged from age 27 to 48 years old.    “I couldn’t believe it. I just thought it would be fun to sing… I never thought I would actually make the finals!” says Boseski.    It was a long night. The contestants stood in line for hours for a chance to compete for a few minutes of fame in the karaoke marathon. Judges whittled the performers down to just five, including Erica Leigh. Those five were invited back the following morning to sing a live performance for GMA’s national audience.    Erica’s biggest fan, her mom Cynthia, went along for the ride.  “I heard about the contest at work, and thought why not? I could not believe it when the phone rang at 4 o’clock in the morning to announce she had been selected one of the top five!” says Boseski.    Viewers were instructed to log onto the GMA website to vote for their favorite singer. The singer with the most votes won a karaoke machine and the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a Brooklyn Cyclones game (a new single-A farm team for the New York Mets).   While viewers, friends and family members were quick to cast their votes, Erica Leigh did not get the most votes. But winning was not the point. Erica Leigh says the experience itself was enough for her.    “Just singing on national television was amazing. I never dreamed that I would have had such an incredible opportunity.”     This is not Erica Leigh’s first brush with theatre. The teenager regularly participates in local theatre groups, including musical productions in Fair Lawn -- Fair Lawn High School, St. Anne Stages, and the Old Library Theatre.  Her long term goal is to spotlight her talents on Broadway.