Bruce Tinker
Executive Artist & Director, Grand Rapids Civic Theater
Bruce has directed over 100 plays and musicals for community, professional and university theatres. His Civic productions include Grease, Dreamgirls, Ragtime, Sweeny Todd, Singin in the Rain and Fences. Bruce has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from University of Evansville, Indiana and a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from University of Nebraska. Prior to his work with Civic, Bruce was the Managing Artistic Director for the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre in Fargo, North Dakota and served on the board of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT)
John D. Gonzalez
Entertainment Editor - Grand Rapids Press
John Gonzalez was hired in 1990 as the paper's music critic, and was named Entertainment Editor in 1996. In the fall of 1999, he helped launch The Weekend section, a 28-page section that previews happenings in West Michigan. In 2001, he helped launch a special Friday Movies & More section. In addition to his role with The Press, John can be seen on local television and also heard on local radio, including Barnaby and Friends morning radio show on 95.7 WLHT-FM in Grand Rapids.
William Vits
Principal Percussionist - Grand Rapids Symphony
Bill is an active performer in all styles of music, both as a percussionist and recording producer. He has appeared as a soloist on all the Grand Rapids Symphony series including the Lollipops, Family, Pops, Classical Series and Picnic Pops. Locally, he is well known for his childrens school programs and award winning music video POP UP. He has also collaborated with local artists on several short animated pieces for Sesame Street that are still shown around the world. Bill has also been the Principal Percussionist with the Colorado Philharmonic and the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California.
Noddea Moore
Noddea Moore began an eleven-year career as a vocal entertainer at the age of fourteen, having performed more than 500 shows in small town country bars in Northern Michigan to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. As a teen and young adult, she captured many state and national talent competition titles. She traded in her cowboy boots for theatre scripts and scores in 2004, and since has graced the stage at Civic Theatre, Actors' Theatre, and most recently, as "Miss Adelaide" in Circle Theatre's Guys and Dolls. Noddea also enjoys performing at various charity cabarets. As the Executive Director for the Miss Spirit of the State Scholarship Program, a part of the Miss America and Miss America's Outstanding Teen organizations, she has produced five preliminary talent winners at the state level in the last six years. Noddea is employed at Aquinas College in the Campus Life Office (voted Staff Member of the Year by students in 2009!), where she has coordinated all areas of the AQ Idol 2 and 3 competitions and served as Executive Producer for the music album "AQoustic (You'd hear it at The Moose)". Noddea enjoys all things sparkly, and keeps busy in her free time by planning a wedding for this October, playing with her little dog Big, baking cakes for fun, and shopping for shoes.
Ellen Tailor
Todd Chance Radio Show
Ellen Tailor is the producer and co-host for the Todd Chance Radio Show on 105.3 HOT FM. You can also hear Ellen reporting traffic conditions every morning on all Citadel Broadcasting radio stations including 97LAV, 107.3WBBL and 94.5 The New Thunder Country. She is a HUGE fan of American Idol and totally in love with Matt Giraud, a previous West Michigan Idol contestant. As the entertainment reporter on the Todd Chance Radio Show Ellen has her finger on the entertainment pulse and recognizes super-star potential.
Bobby J. Hopewell
Mayor, City of Kalamazoo
In addition to his role as Mayor, Mayor Bobby J. Hopewell is currently the Director of Hospitality Services at Borgess Medical Center, and has served with many organizations that play a role in significantly improving our community, such as the Kalamazoo Planning Commission and the Kalamazoo Charter Review Committee. American Idol fans saw Mayor Hopewell on the show, while Matt Giraud was making his Idol run.
