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Mr., Miss, Ms. R.O.U. Selected
by Brad Benedict

The Royal Order of Unicorn of Lafayette held its annual contest to select their new Mr., Miss, and Ms. R.O.U. It was held at Sound Factory to a packed house of enthusiastic supporters. There were three men vying for the Mr. R.O.U. title, five candidates in the Miss R.O.U. category, and one candidate for Ms. R.O.U. Supporting talent for the evening was exceptional.

Handsome and debonair John Abshire claimed the Mr. R.O.U. title over Jamal Synclaire and John Woods. The Miss R.O.U. title was won by Victoria Valentine. The other four candidates were Chelsea Paige, Victoria Blake, Dominique Dubois, and Savannah Leigh, who was named first runner-up. Robin Guidry was named Ms. R.O.U. Abshire's talent was quite unusual and was a tribute to his mother who passed away recently. It was nicely executed, a little too dark perhaps and with too much smoke, but other than that it was a wonderful presentation. I hadn't seen such a nice and original talent presentation since Eric Bergeron won his Mr. R.O.U. title a couple of years ago, which I also judged.

Originality is the key to Victoria Valentine's talent presentation. The number she did, "Over the Moon" from Rent, is one of the most dynamic and original I've ever seen performed in a talent category. She was perfection in this setting, and her star quality is on the rise. Watch out for this one. I see many more titles in store for her. She is a rare and dignified beauty with a sincere quality that makes her stand out where ever she goes. I watched her throughout the evening, and she didn't demand attention. She commanded it. She was always in control, and that is a trait that many hope for but never attain.

Flawless is not adequate to explain the talent presentation of Robin Guidry. She was absolutely breathtaking in all respects and could have won her category if there had been six other candidates in the field. She just really has what it takes, and R.O.U. members should be very honored to have her as their new Ms. R.O.U.

I also see lots more titles for Savannah Leigh, who currently holds the title of Miss Emerald City, which she won recently at OZ in New Orleans. She did a Cher routine in her talent category, which was quite good, but it was her blue gown that made her so breathtaking. The very essence of this beauty is in the way she handles herself with such style and class, much like the fabulous Raquel Chavallier.

Another beauty who could well be called the star of tomorrow is the beautiful Victoria Blake. Her modeling technique was perfect, and the gown was gorgeous. Dominique Dubois, a beauty who has several titles to her credit, made a comeback with her appearance, and Chelsea Paige came out with a dynamic gospel number in her first-ever contest outing. Watch out for Miss Paige. She's got what it takes to win some titles.

I had seen Jamal Synclaire when he tried for the Mr. National Apollo title last year in Lafayette. He is on the verge of stardom, be that in the form of titles or in the entertainment area. I think he has what it takes to win, and he should try again. John Woods is very attractive and has a nice body, but people in the audience were turned off by his talent, which involved a live kitten. Staying away from animals and strutting his stuff will make him a title holder if he so desires.

Entertainment for the evening was the best you are going to find anywhere. The presence of the dynamic Stephanie Stevens, currently Queen R.O.U., made for a lively evening. She performed as well as emceed.

Of course, Chris Terro was in fine form as he always is. This sexy and talented little man just knows how to capture an audience. He was the reigning Mr. R.O.U. and relinquished his title at the end of the show. He was also one of the movers and shakers described in a "Hot Tails of Red Stick" column a couple of issues ago.

Other notable entertainers were Kesha Sons, Effie Marie, Taylor Stevens, and Cartier. For a look at other notables in the audience and comments concerning them, check out the current "Hot Tails of Red Stick," also in this issue of Ambush.

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