OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Blue Valley teen, Keith Klein, has been named Kansas City’s newest KC SuperStar! The finals for KC SuperStar were held at Johnson County Community College Sunday night. And, as finalists took the stage hoping to be the next SuperStar they were joined by a Hollywood star.
The event was emceed by Overland Park native Rob Riggle. The actor and comedian is a Shawnee Mission South High School graduate who said he is a big proponent of the arts.
“Tonight really is about these young people and their talents. It’s not about me at all so I’m just the facilitator I’m going to get up and introduce people and we’re going to have fun tonight,” he said.
The show was dedicated in honor of 14-year-old Reat Underwood. In April the aspiring singer was going inside the Jewish Community Center to audition for the competition when he was shot and killed in an apparent hate crime. His grandfather, William Corporon, was also shot and killed, as well as Terri LaManno at the nearby Village Shalom.
A scholarship fund has been created in Reat’s name with proceeds from Sunday’s event and future shows going to help support other young singers in the KC SuperStar program.
Riggle said Sunday’s finals prove hate doesn’t win.
“Anything I’ve ever learned in this life is that it’s hard to believe sometimes, but good prevails, and especially in a community like this everybody came together, everybody is still coming together and we’re going to do this show it’s going to be an amazing night,” he said.
Finalists competed for a $10,000 scholarship. This was the fifth year for the competition.