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- The Garden of Dreams Talent Show features kids facing incredible challenges like cancer and homelessness, giving them a moment in the spotlight.
- The 2026 Garden of Dreams Talent Show is set for May 26 at Radio City Music Hall.
When Austin Grubb gets up on one of the world’s most famous stages, he’ll do it with a very special message.
Grubb, 14, of Woolwich, will sing Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” at the Garden of Dreams Talent Show at Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday, May 26.
He’s a big fan of Sheeran and his songwriting, but there’s a deeper meaning behind his song choice.
“I really just love the title ‘Perfect’ because all these people that are performing have individual experiences, but at the end of the day we’re all perfect,” Grubb said.
He could not be more on point. The Garden of Dreams Talent Show features more than 150 kids and young adults from the tri-state area who are facing incredible challenges like health issues, homelessness and other obstacles, giving them a moment in the spotlight to celebrate their talents and tenacity. It’s an evening of hope, of celebration, of chills.
Grubb was diagnosed with an optic nerve glioma, a rare brain tumor that affects the optic nerve and impacts vision. He has soldiered through rigourous chemotherapy treatments and experienced significant vision loss.
He says music has always been instrumental to him, including during treatment.
“My entire life, music has felt like escapism and made me a happier being, so it definitely played a role,” he said.
Grubb says he has found comfort in meeting others going through challenges as they prepare for the talent show.
“Everyone is just so kind. They’re all here for the same reason and stuff, it’s like everyone is just supportive of each other and it’s such a positive environment,” he said.
2026 Garden of Dreams Talent Show
The 2026 Garden of Dreams Talent Show will feature young people from 25 of the Garden of Dreams Foundation’s partner organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Children’s Aid, NYC Department of Homeless Services, SCAN-Harbor, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Madison Square Boys & Girls Club. They’ll perform dance numbers, instrumental performances, vocal performances and more.
Each year, athletes and celebrities work to mentor performers and serve as presenters at the talent show.
Grubb especially loved working with two Broadway favorities, as a big fan of the Great Bright Way. He hopes to make it to Broadway himself one day, if not working elsewhere in the arts.
“Michael Park was such a chill dude and he was able to give advice. Also Tom Kitt gave actual constructive criticism about (things like) breath support,” he said. Getting that feedback and applying it to the performance was especially cool, Grubb said.
He can’t wait to step onstage at Radio City Music Hall.
“It’s a huge honor, just the fact that I’m standing up there on the same stage as a bunch of legends have, it’s unimaginable,” he said.
One of the Garden of Dreams Foundation’s other performers is 14-year-old Giza Miller Pringle of Hillsdale.
She’ll sing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” which she chose because of its messages of hope.
Pringle was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma at just 10 months old, resulting in surgeries, chemotherapy, and vision loss in her left eye. She recalls listening to music while undergoing MRIs, her choices helping her feel less anxious.
She’s excited to sing at Radio City Music Hall because of its legendary history and the unique opportunity to perform there at such a young age.
She’s always loved music and performance because of how it makes her feel.
“I love how it makes me feel an adrenaline rush,” she said. “I just feel free on stage.”
She also has loved connecting with the other talent show performers.
“You have people from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, all these places, and they’re just here for the same thing and they’re all performing (despite) different challenges. It’s really great to connect with all these people,” she said.
She loved getting the chance to work during rehearsals with Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr., who complimented her technique.
Garden of Dreams Foundation
The Garden of Dreams Foundation is a non-profit organization that works with the MSG Family of Companies – MSG Entertainment, MSG Sports and Sphere Entertainment – to “positively impact the lives of children facing obstacles.”
Since its start in 2006, the Foundation and its brands, including the New York Knicks, Rangers, Westchester Knicks, Radio City Rockettes, famed showplaces, regional sports and entertainment television networks and more, have impacted the lives of more than 480,000 children and their families though hundreds of programs and events each year, as well as through its Community Projects program, which provides grants that fund work like the refurbishment of gymnasiums and pediatric areas at local hospitals, and the construction of new dance and music studios. It also provides college scholarships and more.
To learn more, visit gardenofdreamsfoundation.org.
Attend the Garden of Dreams Talent Show
The Garden of Dreams Talent Show is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, at Radio City Music Hall. Tickets are free and must be reserved in advance at radiocity.com/talentshow.
Ilana Keller is an award-winning journalist and lifelong New Jersey resident who loves Broadway and really bad puns. Reach out: [email protected].
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