CHARLESTON -- About 300 people gathered at Charleston High School Saturday night to watch about 20 individuals take their first steps toward fame.

The Clara Drinkwater Newnam Auditorium was the home of a talent and variety show sponsored by SEMO Community Programming and the Business Research Institute. Both companies are based in Sikeston, and work to provide positive social, business and educational activities for communities in the region.

"We just wanted to provide a sense of pride about the communities," said Christopher Wiggins, executive director of SEMO Community Programming. "We wanted to make people familiar with what's going on in these communities."

Eleven performances by people from the communities of Charleston, Cape Girardeau, Morehouse, Paducah, Ky., Pinhook and Sikeston were featured during the show. All were singing acts, but the similarities ended there. There were a capella, live and recorded music performances, and the music genres varied between gospel, rhythm and blues, and soul. Performers ranged in age from the mid-teens to mid-40s.

Wiggins said his intent was to provide opportunities for participants to achieve goals and make connections on a national level. To help with this effort, Mary Whalum, owner of St. Louis-based Jeremy Jordan Entertainment, attended the show and critiqued the performers. She told seven of the 11 acts they had shown promise with their performances and should contact her when they had developed their styles and were ready to enter the music business.

"She's not promising anybody anything," Wiggins said. "What she does is attend shows like this and looks for new talent. One guy there last night she mentioned she wanted to do something with. She looks for people she believes are suitable to be heard by a major record label."

Several young singers were highlighted for their performances. Whalum told 15-year old Ace from Sikeston that she wanted him to take care of his voice and contact her soon because she had a three-man act that needed a lead singer.

Whalum also gave a nod of approval to 16-year old Nicky Howard of Morehouse, and her sister Tiangela Williams of Pinhook. They performed as soloists during the evening, but both caught Whalum's eye. "You don't mean you're sisters," said Whalum. "Both of these girls can blow. I've got ideas; lots of ideas."

Charleston soloist Pat Lampkin was also recognized by Whalum after the event. Whalum said Lampkin was her favorite performer because she had a strong voice and exhibited the control, style and stage presence of an entertainer.

Several people were also recognized for their dedication to community service during the variety show. Wiggins said the people were honored because those who live in and work to better the smaller communities in this region are almost never recognized for their contributions.

"We figured it's time we start appreciating and recognizing some of these people who do work in our communities on a daily basis," he said.

Honorees for community service included: Dwayne Glasper, a business owner in Cape Girardeau; Diane Jackson of SEMO Empowerment in Sikeston; Matt Marshall, president of the Business Research Institute in Sikeston; Scott Porter, a business owner in Cape Girardeau; Jeff Partridge, president of the YMCA of Southeast Missouri in Sikeston; and Larry White, director of the Drug Alcohol and Deliverance Center, or DADC, located in Sikeston and Charleston.

The variety show was one of several Wiggins and John Carter, Business Research Institute executive production manager, have sponsored during the past three years. They said they plan to sponsor two to three talent and variety shows this year.