YONKERS, New York — REGGAE artiste Noddy Virtue brought the curtains down on the fifth staging of the Miss Dream Castle Pageant with a scintillating performance in the Diamond Room of the Royal Regency Hotel on Saturday.

Hosted by businesswoman Gwen Nicks-James, it was the singer’s second appearance at the show since 2002. And, just as his debut performance, he shared the stage with American R&B group Ray, Goodman and Brown.

The 37-year-old St Elizabeth native, who was a runner-up in the local TV talent show Digicel Rising Stars, began his set with Marc Anthony’s You Sang to Me. With some sharp ‘footwork’, he then launched into Jimmy Cliff’s Rebel in Me much to the delight of the fair-sized audience.

He closed his set by serenading the pageant’s eight contestants with rousing rendition of Bon Jovi’s Bed of Roses and then presented them with roses.

Ray, Goodman and Brown also gave a splendid performance. The group, resplendent in black suits, began their set with Love on a Two Way Street, then eased into Look at Me (I’m in Love), as they mesmerised the gathering with their slick moves and velvet voices.

They also belted out several other hits including Inside of You, A Part of You, as they mingled with members of the audience, before closing with their monster hit Special Lady.

The group Blue Magic featuring Ted Mills also performed creditably. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Gyllian Dunkley was crowned Miss Dream Castle 2014 in the keenly contested pageant.

Her prizes include a scholarship valued at US$2,000, a trip for two to Noddy Virtue performs at the Miss Dream Castle Pageant at the Royal Regency Hotel on Saturday. Noddy Virtue performance closes pageant Jamaica and a seven-day stay at Dream Castle Villa in Ironshore, St James.

Dunkley, who is of Jamaican and Cuban parentage, told the Jamaica Observer that she was happy to be the new queen. “I am very ecstatic right now.

I worked very hard and I believe it was a team effort. I could not have done it alone, so I am very thankful for the persons who helped me to be able to accomplish this beautiful opportunity,” said Dunkley, who is a journalism student at Buffalo State College in New York.

Dunkley, who is looking forward to her trip to Jamaica, commended Nicks- James for staging the pageant which showcases the talents of young women of various backgrounds and giving them the opportunity to reach new heights.

Shaun Shenelle of Trinidad descent was named first runner-up, while Deidri Wilson, a Jamaica native was third.