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SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
A
IN TEE GLOW
Current and former Detroiters navigate the world of celebrities.
Barri Singer and
Stacy Aronoff of
Nykole Lynn
0 Talent: Building a
career in the world
of celebrities.
New York preteen knew exactly
what would make her bat mitz-
vah party perfect — an appear-
ance by a new celebrity,
American Idol competitor Vanessa Olivares.
The .girl's dad searched the Internet to
find ways that could make that happen,
and he came up with Nykole Lynn
Celebrities in Southfield. Owners Barri
Nykole Singer and Stacy Lynn Aronoff
accepted the challenge, contacted Olivares
and made all the arrangements.
Booking stars — seasoned and new in
many fields that come to public attention
— is one of the everyday tasks of these
business partners, both 28. Their services
include placing appropriate luminaries in
event and endorsement work, negotiating
contracts for guest performers and making
travel arrangements for visiting stars.
These two are among a small group of
young adults who have grown up in the
Detroit Jewish community and gone on to
build careers in the world of celebrities.
Mara Reinstein meets them every day as a
reporter for Us Weekly, while Michael
Charach writes about stars to promote TV
shows.
Satisfied customers of Nykole Lynn
spread the word about commercial services
they've experienced and thereby help'
expand the client list at the Southfield
agency, the two explain. The firm's Web
site, www.nykolelynn.com, also has helped
draw customers, especially building the
out-of-state and out-of country clientele.
"We had known each other when we
were kids taking classes at Temple Israel,
but we became friends just a few years ago
after meeting up at a bachelorette party for
a mutual friend," says Aronoff, whose
career has included modeling and acting in
Michigan and Illinois as well as writing and
reporting news for radio and television.
"We learned that we both had been
thinking about going into business for our-
selves, and after someone asked about
celebrity endorsements and the ways they
are arranged, we got the idea for this
agency.
Singer, who holds a bachelor's degree in
journalism from Michigan State .
University, recalls the first booking they
made after_ opening their doors in 2002.
They arranged for the appearance of
Detroit Lion Cory Schlesinger at an
anniversary party planned by the Detroit
Regional Chamber.
"We were Chamber members and on
their roster when organization staff looked
5,
for people who could help with the event,
recalls Singer, who has worked as an associ-
ate producer for The Jerry Springer Show,
talent director for a modeling agency and
account manager for a company that con-
tracts for entertainers and athletes. "We've
gone on to place talent at a variety of
events, including shopping mall openings
),
and women's expos.
The list of celebrities Singer and Aronoff
have placed keeps growing and reaches
from Bachelor Bob to William Shatner.
Sometimes, they deal with the celebrities
themselves, and other times, they go
through managers and agents, gaining
access information through people known
in their work.
"While it can be fun to be around
IN THE GLOW on page 39
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2/ 6
2004
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