Starry-eyed youths

Friends to participate in valleywide show

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Two Henderson friends will do what they do best at the 27th Search for Talent Winners' Showcase this weekend.

Miller Middle School students Malia Civetz, 12, and Chelsea Sykora, 13, were selected among the top four in their age category at the countywide Search for Talent.

The process began in January with 75 applicants, all under the age of 18. That pool was narrowed to 50 and those applicants performed for judges on March 11.

A total of 13 acts were selected for the showcase, which will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Joe O'Neill, cultural leader with the city of Las Vegas, said he was blown away by the talented children.

"I like to think of it as our own little 'American Idol,' " O'Neill said.

This year it is even more like "American Idol" since the vast majority of the acts are singers.

When you love to perform as often as Malia and Chelsea do, it's nice to have a friend along for the ride. The two have been friends for about a year, although they were acquaintances before that.

They became friends through DeBlanc Studios, where they both take voice lessons with Billie Cole.

The girls are performing constantly. Malia sang the national anthem at a Las Vegas 51s game recently and she also sings at church, fundraisers, and festivals.

Chelsea sings as well and plays piano. She was recently accepted into Las Vegas Academy based on her piano skills.

Both sing with a community group called Showbiz Kids.

They also participate in an audition-only regular performance at the Bootlegger Bistro, 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South, for the Showbiz Kids Sunday Brunch.

Sometimes the schedules get hectic, but the girls' mothers said their daughters rarely turn down an invitation to perform.

"We just fit it in. It's just their life. It's our life. It's something we're committed to," said Wendy Brenner, Chelsea's mother.

The young performers said their dads played instruments somewhat but other than that, there is not much musical ability in their families.

But the girls started singing early.

"My mom told me that I sung before I even talked," said Chelsea.

Malia and Chelsea both love Broadway music and Malia also adores jazz.

Although they have had teachers in the past who strictly sung and taught a more operatic style, both girls said they have belting voices.

"I think you either have it or you don't have it. Some people can train to get it but not many," Malia said.

As young as the girls are they really do behave like pros, knowing when to turn on the charm.

Their mothers watched them rehearse one morning about four hours before they were scheduled to sing a duet.

They sounded fairly weak, Brenner said. But when they got on stage they performed wonderfully.

"When they got up there, people gave them a standing ovation and they were crying," Brenner said.

Both girls are honor students. If that ever changed, the mothers said they may reconsider the hectic schedule.

But both girls said they're so motivated in all the things they do they would never let their grades slip.

Malia and Chelsea both have wonderful performance memories.

Malia loved performing at the Newport Pacific Jazz Festival in Henderson. She also had a great moment at the Celebrity Theater in Las Vegas. She was excited to perform with a five-piece orchestra.

Chelsea won the amateur division of the 2005 Liberace Play Alike competition.

That was a great moment but it could have been a horrible one.

"I had 102-degree fever and was wearing all this sequins and capes and everything that Liberace wore," she said. "It was so hot but I pulled it off."

The girls said they don't really get nervous aside from a few butterflies right before they perform.

This weekend, the girls will sing with the other top contestants from the Las Vegas area.

The showcase will include Nikki Testa of Las Vegas, Kennedy Ann Sparling of Henderson, Jessica Noel Ruettinger of Henderson, Elle Smith of Henderson, Kailey Nicole Swanson of Henderson, Ana Realmuto of Las Vegas, Brooke Borman of Las Vegas, Gabrielle Boyadjian of Las Vegas, Aimee Rochelle of Henderson, Stevie Jewel Keeter of Las Vegas, Jennifer Daquila of Henderson and Claudia Duka of Las Vegas.

Showcase tickets are $5 and may be purchased in advance by calling 229-6211.