By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - When the Behringer-Crawford Museum staged its first open mike night for teens last summer, organizers had no idea what to expect.

They were pleasantly surprised when 29 acts showed up for "Taking the Stage." Sponsors encouraged teens to sing, play an instrument, or give a monologue.

This year the event has been extended to two nights, June 16 and July 27, to accommodate more acts.

"It's American Idol without the crazy man, Simon," said Laurie Risch, the museum's executive director.

The event was the brain child of Patrick Burns, a museum board member. His daughter, Caroline, now at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, lamented that she had met many talented teens who didn't get a lot of chances to perform in public.

Last year's acts included a harpist, a rock band, several dramatic monologues, dancers and three young teens playing a lap dulcimer. However, there are no restrictions on the types of performances, organizers say.

Although there's no panel of judges, there's no telling who could be in the audience.

"Last summer, two of our performers were recruited to perform with a summertime musical theater show in Greater Cincinnati after a woman connected with that group saw their acts," Burns said.

If you go

• What: Taking the Stage, an open mike event for teens

• When: 6 to 9 p.m. June 15 and July 27

• Where: Behringer-Crawford Museum Amphitheater, Devou Park in Covington

• Admission: Free for museum members and performers. $2 for other teens/students and $5 for adults.

• To perform: Contact Patrick Burns at (859) 341-4828 or via e-mail at TakingtheStage@aol.com.

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E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com