Lead sought for "Lucy and the Lake Monster"

MORIAH – Crown Point native Kelly Tabor and Hollywood filmmaker Richard Rossi are seeking the next Shirley Temple, a girl to be a child star playing the lead role in their upcoming film about Champ, the Lake Champlain monster.

Part of the film will be shot on location on Lake Champlain in Moriah and Crown Point.

Tabor and Rossi are co-writing the film, "Lucy and the Lake Monster," based on their children's book series, and Rossi is directing.

The lake monster story is loosely based on the childhood of Tabor, a 4th-grade school teacher who grew up by the lake and believes in Champ.

Tabor has won several Teacher of the Year awards from the state of North Carolina, Papa John’s Pizza and Kilwin’s.

She told her popular Champ stories for years to her students.

"The lead role is a 9-year-old orphan girl named Lucy," Rossi said in a news release.

Tabor and Rossi have been close friends nearly 40 years and she runs the fan club for his work.

"We've received submissions from child actresses throughout the U.S., but we welcome local Lake Champlain surrounding area girls age 7 to 10 to try out as well," Tabor said in the release.

For audition instructions, visit https://www.backstage.com/casting/lucy-and-the-lake-monster-424335/.

The film is scheduled to shoot next year in New York, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and California.