Maple Ridge’s Madeline Merlo was among 20 talented young people chosen last week for the ultimate summer experience – the opportunity to participate in the Metropolis Glee Club. Winners were picked from a group of semi-finalists during live auditions held at Metropolis at Metrotown on Saturday, March 26. The group will perform at various locations throughout the summer. “This is a very exciting time for us,” says Brenda Longland, public relations manager for Metropolis at Metrotown. “The talent we’ve seen over the course of the past few weeks, from the original video submissions to the live auditions, has been incredible. We had a tough time narrowing down the field, but we’ve chosen a group that works well together and will put on some amazing performances throughout the summer.” A seasoned performer, Merlo has placed second in the B.C. Junior Talent Search, won first in the Port Moody Idol and runner-up in the Red Robinson Talent Showdown. Last year, she played Bella in SPECC-tacular Productions’ Beauty and the Beast. At 17, she is one of the youngest members of the troupe. She didn’t know much about the club when she posted a video of herself singing Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” on the contest Facebook page, but now she’s thrilled she aced the audition. “I love to sing, so I was up for anything,” said Merlo, who is a student at Thomas Haney secondary. She’ll be practising with the club three times a week until summer, when they hit the road with performances at the PNE, Metrotown and have plans to surprise audiences as a flash mob. “It’s been totally worth it,” added Merlo. “I’ve already learned a lot.”