darren krause/metro calgary
Ten-year-olds Sadie Jacobs-Peters, left, Destiny Doyle and Juan Nieto get ready for auditions yesterday for the upcoming TV show, Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader.
Wanted: Five Canadians kids with the right combination of smarts, sass and star appeal to help adults vie for $1 million.
The spotlight shone on Calgary’s Westin Hotel yesterday, as nearly 300 soon-to-be Grade 5 students took their best shots to land a spot on an upcoming Canadian edition of the hit TV show, Are You Smarter Than A Canadian 5th Grader.
Ten-year-old Destiny Doyle of Calgary figures she has the smarts and personality to make it through the auditions, saying she might have the “talent” producers are looking for — plus a flashy set of sparkling pants to show off her glittering personality.
The turnout in Calgary was exceptional, said casting producer, Kirsty Nordal — and she hinted the numbers here might match Toronto, which had the most youngsters audition so far.
Nordal said enthusiasm for school was one of the top criteria for selection, but “outgoing” and “energetic” were also high on the list of traits producers are looking for.
“They have to have a certain amount of charisma, because we’re going to want to tune in to watch these kids,” said Nordal.
Five kids from across the country will be selected from five Canadian cities: Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.
