BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
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Not familiar with the Spice crew, here's a quick rundown:
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 Emma Bunton a k a Baby Spice. The blond one in pigtails or ponytails with a fondness for pink. Baby won our popularity poll with an overwhelming...
155 votes.
Melanie Chisholm a k a Mel C. or Sporty Spice. The one with the gold tooth who wears the athletic gear. Sporty was the first runner-up with...
72 votes.
Victoria Adams a k a Posh Spice. The glamour girl with the perpetual pout. Posh earned...
60 votes.
Melanie Brown a k a Mel B. or Scary Spice. The only Spice of color. She wears finger-in-an-electrical-socket corkscrew curls, tummy-baring tops and shows multiple body piercings. She received...
20 votes.
The extra 21 respondents wouldn't single out a specific Spice, insisting they like them all.
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Are the Spice Girls last year's flavor teetering on the brink of oblivion?
Not according to the 328 who responded to our "Name Your Favorite Spice Girl" write-in. Our mail box was stuffed and the fax machine churned with letters gushing praise and unyielding devotion for the British quartet.
(There were only two prickly anti-Spice detractors in the bunch, while six lamented the absence of flame-haired Ginger Spice, who defected from the group a few weeks ago.)
The Spice Girls burst onto the U.S. scene in January 1997 and became an instant sensation with prepubescent girls with infectious pop tunes, such as their debut Wannabe, their funky fashions and "Girl Power" mantra.
When the four hit the stage tonight at Riverbend, one stop on a 40-city North American tour, the group likely will look out at a sea of Spice Girls "wannabes" dressed in their spiciest garb in tribute to their favorite member.
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Pack earplugs
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Parents, you may want to be prepared for the loud music of the Spice Girls and screams from adoring fans.
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We asked some of the Spicettes who participated in our write-in to give us a preview of the outfits they plan to wear to tonight's show.
From left, Jenny Ketzer, 10, of Grosbeck, as Posh; Candace Kirksey, 8, of Forest Park, as Scary; Mandy Matosky, 9, of Loveland, as Sporty, and Brie Gabrielle Baldrica, 8, of West Chester, as Baby. "Posh is the best," says Jenny, in her black mini dress and heels. "She dresses really nice. I'll be Posh for the night."
Adults are getting into the act, too. Mom Sherry White (far left) will dress as Posh and her sister Emily White (far right) as Baby. "I just thought it would be fun," says Sherry. "My daughter Ashley got me into them." The rest of the group is Alex Smith, 10, second from left, as Scary, and Sherry's daughter Ashley Warner, 10, as Sporty. All are from Milford.
R.J. Sontag, 18, (Yup, he's a guy) and Erin Schauer, 18, both of Milford, use wigs to complete their Baby and Posh looks. He spice-cified his platforms by adding the Union Jack to the tops. The recent Milford High School graduates and co-presidents of a local Spice Girls Fan Club will be seventh-row center at tonight's show. "The Spice Girls are truly the hottest thing going," says Erin. "Being dressed as Posh, my favorite, will add more fun to the phenomenal evening we will have." R.J. adds, "I love the Spice Girls because they are so fun. I went into mourning for a day when I heard Ginger was quitting the group."
Two Scarys are double the fun: Lauren Huddleston, left, 11, of Covington and Brittany Brown, 12, of Milford. Tonight the duo will don Scary favorites: animal and camouflage prints. "The Spice Girls are wild, fun and wacky. I can't go one day without singing one of their songs," Lauren says. Brittany adds: "The Spice Girls are hot because of their music and taste in clothing."
The Spice Girl's sports quirky shoe fashions. Towering platforms or Skyscraper heels are must haves.
For more information on the Spice Girls check out Yahoo's index of Spicy sites.
