Talent tryouts

Andrew Glazer

The five spiky-haired 11-year-olds pretzeled their legs on the gymnasium

floor, loosening up for the spins, kicks and squirms they were about to

perform.

“We’re going to break-dance and we want to make it perfect,” said Johnny

Moreno, a fifth-grader at Wilson Elementary School and the group’s

earnest leader.

The B-Boys, as they called themselves, were one of about 15 acts

auditioning Thursday for Talent 2000 -- a March 26 show planned by a

local parents’ group and census volunteers.

Admission to the show is free, but the groups hope to raise money for

arts programs at TeWinkle Middle School by selling raffle tickets and

food. And volunteers from Costa Mesa Census 2000 will urge the audience

to fill out their census forms.

“We’ve got a lot of talent in Newport-Mesa,” said Vickie Groskreutz, the

show’s talent coordinator and a teacher at TeWinkle Middle School. “Now

we get to showcase it.”

Organizers said they’ll perform short census-themed skits between acts,

hoping to inform the audience about the importance of filling out the

forms.

City officials said a large number of Costa Mesa residents failed to

return their census forms in 1990, depriving the city of federal, state

and county funds for police, schools and social service organizations.

“The most important thing with the performance is for people to have

fun,” said Mirna Burciaga, a census outreach volunteer and owner of El

Chinaco Restaurant. “But we can also educate a little.”

Minutes before their performance, the B-Boys were adjusting their

overalls and tweaking their routine. They were too busy to catch Isaac

Gomez, a broad 17-year-old, singing a mournful Joey McIntyre tune. And

they also missed the dancing, shimmying and tumbling of three all-girl

dance groups.

But the Naughty Boys, an elder trio of break dancers, snared the B-Boys’

attention -- especially N.J. Fazai, 15, who jerked his wiry frame like an

ungreased robot, then hit the floor and spun his legs in the air,

windmill-style.

“Oh my god,” said Eddy Islas, 11. “I think they’re better than us.”

But after the performance, the B-Boys climbed onto the stage with

authority, making their “B” stand for bravado. They wriggled like worms,

twisted and jumped. And then they bowed. The nearly 20 spectators,

including the Naughty Boys, clapped enthusiastically.

The true showstopper, however, was a deep, soulful rendition of the theme

song to “Fame.”

The Naughty Boys, who had slipped outside after the B-Boys’ performance,

were grabbed by the powerful voice that echoed from inside.

“Wow!,” said Edwin Bonilla, a 16-year-old junior at Newport Harbor High

School.

They were surprised to find the Cher sound-a-like was 4-foot, 7-inch

Brandijo Kistler, a 9-year-old whose eyes were squeezed shut and fists

were clenched above her head as she sang.

The whole room seemed to believe that she really, really wanted to live

forever, and really wanted to learn how to fly.

Tami Jo Kistler, Brandijo’s mother -- who looked exactly like an older,

larger version of her daughter -- was beaming with pride.

“She’s got a big voice,” she said.

FYI

* WHAT: Talent 2000

* WHEN: 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26

* WHERE: Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave.