ORIGINAL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

In touring from city to city, dozens of Mothers and Fathers would come with their children to the stage door and ask for auditions. They hadn’t the time, the money, nor the know-how of taking their children to a talent market such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles and even if they did the auditions would take a great deal of time and waiting. Therefore, Heidt conceived the Original Youth Opportunity Program, a program that toured from city to city with advance scouts and presented opportunities to hundreds and thousands of young people, who could not otherwise be heard. This program toured America for five years and discovered all the people you see in this program and also created incentives for many thousands of others.

“The Swift Show Wagon”
(1954-1956)

Horace decided that a road show would once again be the ideal vehicle to showcase what he and his troupe did best.

The plan had actually begun in 1947 with Horace’s idea of doing a talent show and then taking newly discovered performers on the road to star in live variety revues across America as well as on radio and television.