Sea Star Inn Karaoke gets off to good start

Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:Abigail Arthurs and Mewra Brown advanced to the final 10 of the Sea Star Inn's 13-week-long karaoke contest, which got under way at the resort on Monday night.

During Monday night's eliminations, the powerful voices of Arthurs and Brown, combined with their ideal song selections, proved too much for the other competitors, and by the end of the first of their two songs, it was already evident that the two would advance.

Arthurs initially thrilled the audience with the soulful jazz number Crazy for You and later returned to cement her position as an extraordinary vocalist with Adele's One and Only.

captivating performance

Brown, who appeared intimidated on entering the stage, confirmed that a book should never be judged by its cover. Her rendition of Queen Ifrica's Lioness on the Rise captivated the audience, but when she performed Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley's Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, almost everyone, including fellow competitors, cheered loudly.

"I'm very excited to be moving on tonight!" Arthurs later told Western Focus. "Singing is my passion in life and I am just so grateful to Sea Star Inn for hosting this competition, which presents a good opportunity for young talents, including me, to move forward with our singing careers."

Although the judges' choices were fitting, their deliberations could not have been easy as the other contestants certainly did not disappoint, albeit there were some pitch issues that were difficult to ignore.

NOTEWORTHY PERFORMERS

Other noteworthy performances included Hanover resident Japheth Sterling, who took a trip down memory lane with Nat King Cole's Unforgettable. Opening contestant Therence Brown and The Gleaner's own Paul Clarke were equally impressive.

Chief judge and owner of Sea Star Inn, Christopher Tomney, reassured contestants who did not advance on Monday night that the selection phase for the final 10 contestants, who will compete for the grand prize of $100,000, will run until July 7. They are, therefore, eligible to return in subsequent weeks to retry if they so desire.

Former rising star contestant and resident cabaret singer, Sasanya Dawson, performed master of ceremonies duties for the night. She kept the audience entertained in between performances with her melodic voice and captivating dancing.

By all indications, the remainder of the competition should be equally as good with all roads leading to the Sea Star Inn on a Monday night.