Northwest Premier Singers Showcase delivers

By Ty Hughes

The inaugural Northwest Premier Singers Showcase, presented by Fred Umayam and special friends at Seattle’s Spice Restaurant, turned out to be an enchanting night of dress-up and high-octane performance variety.

The date was March 26th, 2006. The unique and upscale bar at Spice was filled to capacity with many of Puget Sound’s most incredible and accomplished singing talents. An excellent opportunity to break out those fancy duds gathering dust and treat a loved one to a comfortable and relaxing night in the big city with some big-time entertainment in a small, intimate venue.

Not quite certain what to expect, the invitees and their handful of friends settled in at one of the many stylish tables surrounding the staging area set up at the far end of the room. The soft red-orange glow from the bar poured into the entire room. Lavish and modern in design, the interior décor at Spice could be considered contemporary, even futuristic. Situated on the corner of 5th and Bell, directly beneath the monorail, the bar is surrounded floor to ceiling with glass, offering a complete view of the bustling activity outside.

The evening’s event coordinator and host, Fred Umayam, personally handed out custom-made programs featuring a small biography on each of the ten singers invited to showcase their talents, and thanked each of them for coming. Those invited to attend each possess a long list of accomplishments and credentials throughout the music industry.

Among those showcased were Loretta Jones, winner of last year’s Seattle Stars contest on KIRO 7 television; Celestine Berrysmith, a Seattle native well-rooted in the local music scene; Nate Vibez, with his fancy guitar and vocal stylings; Debbie Scott, Tacoma’s country diva and Puyallup Fair finalist; Timothy Michaels, an animated guitarist and vocalist who keeps busy in the industry; Hal Sawyer, known as “Mr. Smooth”, a charming crooner with decades of professional experience; Sherry Eberhardt, competing finalist on KIRO’s Seattle Stars, and a soulful performer; Marina Wiesenbach, Seattle native with a lifetime of experience.

The entertainment was absolutely amazing to say the very least. Luke Vaule of Spotlight Karaoke operated the sound system, and though there were a couple snafus along the way, it didn’t take away from the magic of the evening.

The menu selections were reasonably priced, exotic Indian dishes, expertly prepared and presented. Spice put forth great effort to create a comfortable atmosphere for their guests. The staff was extremely helpful and genuine, making it an outstanding choice of venues for an evening of style and entertainment.

Huge thanks goes out to all the fabulous performers for an extra special evening and to Fred Umayam for concocting and organizing such a special event, it was a great success. Fred is currently planning the second Northwest Premier Singers Showcase to be offered in a couple short months. Keep your eyes glued to these pages for more info in the near future. If you would like to be featured in the next event, feel free to contact Fred via email at fruaju@msn.com for your audition to perform amongst the Northwest’s best musical talent.

Bartender	Celestine	Debbie	Dinner
Debbie & Husband	Fred & Loretta	Fred & Loretta 2	Hal
Loretta	Marina	Nate	Sherry
Timothy