PHILADELPHIA — After a record turnout in Philly last spring, “Shark Tank” casting producers will return to Rivers Philadelphia for the second consecutive year for an open audition of local entrepreneurs with game-changing products, services and ideas. In collaboration with WPVI-TV/6abc, The Event Center at Rivers Philadelphia in Fishtown will host an open casting call on March 18.
Casting producers from the multi-Emmy Award-winning primetime ABC series “Shark Tank” will be on hand to hear pitches from hopeful entrepreneurs. Contestants may begin lining up at 8 a.m., with numbered wristbands distributed from 9 to 11 a.m.
Pitches are expected to begin at approximately 10 a.m. Applications and more information will be available online at http://ABC.com and on-site.
Successful participants may be selected to appear on Season 18 of “Shark Tank,” which is expected to begin airing later this year. New Episodes of ’Shark Tank’ air Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC and Stream on Hulu.
Over 900 people attended last year’s casting call at Rivers Philadelphia, and producers heard over 460 pitches. Many participants were regional, but some traveled from as far as France. This was the first step for several businesses that ultimately landed deals during Season 17, which is currently airing on ABC.
“We were blown away by last year’s turnout and the quality of the entrepreneurs that presented to us,” said Mindy Zemrak, supervising casting producer of “Shark Tank, who has been casting for the show since its debut in 2009. “Returning to Philly was a no-brainer, and we can’t wait to see what innovative brands and entrepreneurs will impress us with in March”
The March 18 event in Philly will be one of very few open casting calls nationally and the only East Coast casting event that Shark Tank will hold for Season 18. Entrepreneurs who pitched last year are welcome to try again.
Parking at Rivers is complimentary, and a free shuttle runs throughout the day from the property’s main entrance to Riversuites at The Battery, Rivers’ boutique hotel, located across neighboring Penn Treaty Park.
Multiple entrepreneurs struck deals on Season 17 after first pitching the casting team in the Rivers Philadelphia Event Center last April. Forte3D from Lansdowne and Warrior Kid Medic of San Antonio came to Philly and left the Tank with investors.
Forte3D, the creator of classical string instruments made affordable using cutting-edge 3D printing, reached a deal with Lori Greiner, the queen of QVC. Warrior Kid Medic partnered with fashion expert Daymond John for a deal, advancing its mission of teaching kids and adults the basics of first aid during emergencies.
Bon AppéSweet, an artisanal chocolate business based in Leonardtown, Maryland, received a multi-Shark deal this season, while QB54, the backyard football game from Kendall Park, New Jersey, also appeared on the show. Both businesses first pitched in Philly last spring.
Other “Shark Tank” success stories with Philadelphia ties include Scrub Daddy (Season 4), the bestselling sponge of all time, and Reading-based Bro Glo, “self-tanner for the boys” (Season 16).
“We’re thrilled to host ‘Shark Tank’s’ casting team for the second consecutive year and look forward to again welcoming hundreds of entrepreneurs to Fishtown,” said Scott Lokke, general manager of Rivers Philadelphia. “The national exposure and potential for investment by a Shark has been life-changing for many business owners, and Philly’s talent pool is exceptionally deep.”
Entrepreneurs, inventors, creators and innovators are encouraged to bring their best ideas and refine their pitches as if stepping into the Tank. All participants have the opportunity to deliver a one-minute pitch about their business, product or idea to a member of the casting team.
To preserve the authenticity and integrity of “Shark Tank’s” on-camera pitches, the Sharks do not participate in casting calls.
Only individuals auditioning may attend the open call. No audience members are permitted.
In 2024, “Shark Tank” won its fifth Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program.
Season 17 is currently airing in Philadelphia on WPVI-TV/6abc on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Past seasons are available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.
DCCC President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, left, greets and helps an unidentified student at Delaware County Community College’s new Southeast Center in Drexel Hill. (COURTESY OF DCCC)
DCCC president welcomes students to new Southeast Center in Drexel Hill
When Delaware County Community College’s new Southeast Center in Drexel Hill officially opened its doors to students on Jan. 20, DCCC President Dr. Marta Year Cronin was there to welcome them on their first day of class.
“We were not simply welcoming them to the college, we were walking alongside them as they stepped into the next chapter of their lives,” Cronin said.
After more than six years of planning, partnership and sustained commitment, and 14 years after Archbishop Prendergast High School merged with neighboring Monsignor Bonner High School, leaving “Prendie” empty, the historic building is once again filled with students.
“It is exciting to see it once again serve as a place of learning, and to watch it come alive as our students arrived,” Cronin said. “They are here for learning, training, and building pathways to opportunity. We are thrilled to support their goals.”
Cronin greets a group of students on opening day, Jan. 20. (COURTESY OF DCCC)
For DCCC’s Educational Foundation the moment reflects both a milestone and an ongoing commitment to support the programs, partnership and resources that will allow the new Center to reach its full potential.
“This moment has been a long time in the making,” Cronin said. “The opening of the Southeast Center represents the culmination of a six-and-a-half-year journey shaped by vision, perseverance, and the tireless work of so many across our college community as well as our community partners. Reaching this milestone is a testament to what we can accomplish together when we stay focused on our mission and on serving our students.”
For more information: http://dccc.edu.
$1.7M in state funding awarded for Stoney Creek Yard project
State Rep. Carol Kazeem recently announced that Conrail had been awarded $1.7 million in state grants for rail freight improvements to its Stoney Creek Yard in Chester.
“This state funding will increase our region’s identity as a critical freight connector in the Northeast and will create and sustain family-sustaining jobs in our district,” Kazeem said. “This strategic infrastructure investment will energize our own local economy’s growth for a long time to come.”
The funding will be spent to replace 11 turnouts within Stoney Creek Yard and includes replacements with steel timbers.
The Conrail project was one of 30 projects selected to receive Rail Transportation Assistance Program and Rail Freight Assistance Program funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
According to PennDOT, Pennsylvania is the only state with a dedicated rail freight grant program in the country.
PCS Theater to present Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’
PCS Theater at 614 Fairview Road, Swarthmore, will present “And Then There Were None,” by Agatha Christie, presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
It will run Feb. 6 through 14.
Amanda Pasquini as Vera Claythorne, Vince Fox as Anthony Marston and Mike Sokolowski as Philip Lombard, right, rehearsing a scene from “And Then There Were None” at PCS Theater, running Feb. through 14. (COURTESY OF PCS THEATER)
Thought by many to be one of the most celebrated mystery thrillers ever written, “And Then There Were None” draws audiences into a world of suspicion, secrets and moral reckoning.
Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they are unwilling to reveal and a secret that will seal their fate, for each has been marked for murder.
As the weather turns and the group is cut off from the mainland, fear takes hold and the killings begin.
One by one, the guests are murdered in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme about “Ten Little Soldier Boys,” leaving the survivors to question who among them will be next and whether justice or vengeance is driving the bloodshed.
The show runs approximately two hours and contains mature themes including murder, psychological suspense, intense paranoia, moral dilemmas, suicide and discussion of past crimes.
The atmosphere remains tense and unsettling throughout, making the production most suitable for mature audiences.
The production is directed by Timothy Oskin, who brings sharp pacing and mounting tension to Christie’s iconic story, allowing the suspense to build relentlessly as the mystery tightens its grip.
The cast features Susan Bolt as Emily Brent, Eric Crist as Rogers, Dena Daniel as Mrs. Rogers, Vince Fox as Anthony Marston, Thomas-Robert Irvin as William Blore, Kevin McPeak as Dr. Armstrong, Amanda Pasquini as Vera Claythorne, Michael Steven Schultz as Justice Wargrave, Mike Sokolowski as Philip Lombard, Chas Thomas as Fred Naracott, and sports newscaster Glen Macnow as General McKenzie.
Reserved seating ranges from $13 to $24.
For additional details about this production and other upcoming shows, including exact times and dates, follow PCS Theater on social media or visit the theater’s website at http://pcstheater.org, or call the box office at 610-328-4271.
PCS Theater is committed to accessibility, and the performance venue is fully ADA compliant to ensure an inclusive and welcoming experience for all patrons.
Founded in 1911, the Players Club of Swarthmore PCS Theater has been a beloved hub for community theater in Delaware County for more than a century.
Entirely volunteer-led, PCS is dedicated to producing a wide range of theatrical experiences, from cherished classics to bold contemporary works, while fostering local talent and nurturing a strong sense of community.
Readers can send community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21st-centurymedia.com.