Miss America- The Final Night

We finally have a new Miss America!!! This has been an amazing week full of excitement and insightful tips for the future. Here is the rundown on how the final night at the Miss America Pageant went (just in case you missed the TV airing):

TOP 15 (Swimsuit Competition):

Miss Oklahoma, Taylor Treat
Miss Arkansas, Sarah Slocum
Miss Kentucky, Mallory Ervin
Miss Tennessee, Stefanie Wittler
Miss Colorado, Katie Layman
Miss California, Kristy Cavinder
Miss Indiana, Nicole Pollard
Miss Hawaii, Raeceen Woolford
Miss Louisiana, Katherine Putnam
Miss District of Columbia, Jen Corey
Miss New Mexico, Nicole Miner
Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron
Miss Texas, Kristen Blair
Miss Nebraska, Brittany Jeffers
Miss Oregon, CC Barber

TOP 12 (Evening Wear Competition):

Miss Oklahoma, Taylor Treat
Miss Kentucky, Mallory Ervin
Miss Tennessee, Stefanie Wittler
Miss Colorado, Katie Layman
Miss California, Kristy Cavinder
Miss Hawaii, Raeceen Woolford
Miss Louisiana, Katherine Putnam
Miss District of Columbia, Jen Corey
Miss New Mexico, Nicole Miner
Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron
Miss Texas, Kristen Blair
Miss Nebraska, Brittany Jeffers

TOP 10 (Talent Competition):
Miss Kentucky, Mallory Ervin

Miss Tennessee, Stefanie Wittler

Miss California, Kristy Cavinder

Miss Hawaii, Raeceen Woolford

Miss Louisiana, Katherine Putnam

Miss District of Columbia, Jen Corey

Miss New Mexico, Nicole Miner

Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron

Miss Texas, Kristen Blair

Miss Nebraska, Brittany Jeffers

Top 7 (On Stage Question):

Miss Kentucky, Mallory Ervin

Miss Tennessee, Stefanie Wittler

Miss California, Kristy Cavinder

Miss Hawaii, Raeceen Woolford

Miss Louisiana, Katherine Putnam

Miss New Mexico, Nicole Miner

Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron

Based on the total scores of the competitions and the final ballot, the judges determined who could do the job of Miss America. This was the end result:

4th Runner-Up: Miss Kentucky, Mallory Ervin

3rd Runner-Up: MissLouisiana, Katherine Putnam

2nd Runner-Up: Miss Tennessee, Stefanie Wittler

1st Runner-Up: Miss California, Kristy Cavinder

And the new MISS AMERICA is..... Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so happy for Caressa because she has been working towards this goal her whole life. She has been developing and promoting her platform, Real Talk: Aids in America, since she was thirteen years old. This is the same platform she had when we competed at Miss Teen America in 2005 (I competed at the pageant as Miss New York Teen America; Caressa was Miss Nation's Capital Teen America). She is such an inspiration to all of us.

THEN: Caressa and I at the Miss Teen America Pageant with a few other contestants

NOW: Caressa Cameron at her first appearance as Miss America 2010

We cannot forget about Miss New York. I am so proud of Alyse for everything she has accomplished this year. She is doing a wonderful job representing all of us. I wish her continued success as Miss New York.

All you need is LOVE

My Mom and I finally got a chance to leave the Planet Hollywood Hotel and see all that Las Vegas has to offer. Since we had the day off from pageantry, we walked down the Vegas strip to the Mirage Hotel. The plan for today was to spent some time with my performing arts teacher Maria Militair. She was the Head of the Performing Arts Department at Moore Catholic High School for many years. She moved to Las Vegas right after my senior year of high school to work for Cirque du Soleil. She is such an amazing woman who is committed to the arts. Her productions were always at a professional level. FAME, Gypsy (I played Dainty June), and Footloose (I played Urleen) are just some of the many productions I performed in under her direction. Just watching these shows on video reminds me that she constantly took these high school productions to a new level. Her legacy still remains that she turned the Moore Catholic Performing Arts Institute into the best high school performing arts program on Staten Island.

One of my mentors: Maria Militair

Ms. Militair works in the costume and wig departments for the Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show. She took my Mom and I on an exclusive backstage tour. It was incredible seeing all the departments, props, costumes, make-up, and the actually stage up close and personal. I could not believe how HUGE the backstage area was! New York City theatres cannot compare to the amount of space the area has. There is so much room for quick chances of costumes and props. We were taken to the basement of the theatre where there was another backstage area! There were cushions all over the place, which are used when the performers fall through the stage during the show. There is even a gym and dance studio for the performers to practice their craft. After the tour, we stopped at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace for some much needed shopping. We headed back to the Mirage that evening for dinner with Ms. Militair.

The night could not be completed without seeing the show. We had the best seats in the house compliments to Ms. Militair. The show was outstanding! The dancers and acrobats were incredible. The stamina these performers have is extraordinary. It was great to see this concept of the Beatles' influential music come to life. Well, the night sadly is over and it is back to pageant world. Remember to tune in to TLC at 8PM tomorrow night to see Katie Stam crown the next Miss America!

Miss America Preliminary Night Three

My mom and I decided to kick off the day by watching the contestants rehearse for the final night of Miss America. Well...they mainly sat around while the technical crew worked out all the lighting and music cues. However, we did get to see them walk through their blocking for Top 15 Swimsuit Competition and Top 10 Evening Wear Competition. It was an insightful experience to get a chance to see what happens behind the scenes at Miss America.

Tonight's preliminary competition was the best night out of all three preliminaries. That is due to the exceptional hosting skills of Dena Blizzard, Miss New Jersey 1995. The last time I saw her host a pageant was at the Miss New Jersey Pageant this past June. She is absolutely hysterical!!! She created her own little pageant for the judges that turned out to be the highlight of the whole night. She judged them on their ability to "connect with the people" with the waving competition. Next, she judges them on their ability to answer questions. The final competition was based on their dancing abilities. The first runner up was Vivica A. Fox, who received a Las Vegas picture frame with a cut out picture of herself and Dena Blizzard. And the winner was....Rush Limbaugh due to his fantastic dance moves and fist pumping. He could not be crowned Miss America, so he was named Mr. New Jersey instead. Also during the night, Sam Haskell, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Miss America, honored Lynda Mead, Miss America 1960, on her momentous fiftieth anniversary of being crowned Miss America.

Alyse performed her talent tonight and did a great job. She performed a Ballet en Pointe to Christina Aguilera's "Fighter". She looked amazing in her black tutu and pointe shoes. It was a powerful routine that showed off her technique. However, Nicole Blaszczyk, Miss Michigan, won the preliminary talent award for her contemporary dance performance to the song "Lifetime". It was one of the greatest talents I have ever seen grace the Miss America stage. The technique she had during her routine was effortless, especially with her turns, flexibility, and leaps. It was truly a talent you would want to see again (I know I did). CC Barber, Miss Oregon, was the preliminary swimsuit winner. That is a wrap on the 2010 Miss America Preliminaries. Can't wait until Saturday night to see who will be the new Katie Stam!!!!

Claire Buffie, Miss Jubilee 2009 and fellow Miss New York Class of 2009 queen

Kara Jae Kowalski, Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2009 and Brenna Weick, Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2009

Ashley Shaffer, Miss New Jersey 2009

CC Barber, Miss Oregon 2009

Nicole Blaszczyk, Miss Michigan 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS NEW YORK! Miss America Preliminary Night Two

Did you know I was suppose to be on EXTRA tonight??? Ok so here is the rundown of my very interesting morning...I was on my way to the gym when an EXTRA reporter stopped me and asked me if I watch American Idol. At first, I thought he was some crazy guy but I realized he was legit when I saw the camera and EXTRA microphone. I responded, "Yes?" (not sure what he wanted). He was shooting a segment that dealt with what happened on American Idol last night. Apparently, Katy Perry and Cara got into a heated argument and wanted people who were at the Planet Hollywood to comment on it. I decided to go with the flow and went with him to Starbucks in the hotel to shoot my response. Here is a little inside scoop: the question segments are all staged! There was a list of answers that had to be said. So I picked "Katy looked genuinely annoyed with Cara, and plus I think Cara is a little annoying to me." I had fun with the segment. The reporter told me he had to find three more people before a certain deadline in order for the segment to air....well it looks like he did not find three other people because my family from New York told me they showed the fight from American Idol but never showed the questioning piece. Oh well =( ...at least I can say I have been interviewed by EXTRA.

Andrea Plummer, Miss New York 2001

Back to Miss America! My Mom and I spent some time at the Miss America Trade Show. Everything pageantry is at the trade show. This gives contestants an opportunity look for gowns, shoes, jewelry, accessories, etc. Some companies present at the trade show were Red Carpet Pageant and Prom Gowns, Regalia, Crown Clips, and Aliz International.

Kara Jae Kowalski, Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2009

Tonight was the second night of preliminaries and I knew it was going to be a great night. Alyse competed in swimsuit and evening wear (her strongest phases of competition). And she did not disappoint. She looked INCREDIBLE in both competitions. Her body looked amazing in swimsuit. Her confidence was so dominant over the other contestants. And her evening gown...S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G!!! She wore a purple couture gown that looks amazing on her. She worked that gown so well. It was definitely the most unique out of the whole pageant thus far.

RaeceenWoolford, Miss Hawaii 2009

Finally, it was time to announce the winners...."and the swimsuit preliminary winner is....Miss New York Alyse Zwick!" I just remember screaming my head off when her name was announced. I am so happy for her! Also, Miss California, Kristy Cavinder, won the preliminary talent award for her Ballet en Pointe to the Slave Maiden Variation from "Le Corsaire". It was a technical and powerful routine. However, it was hard to pick a winner because all the talents tonight were on point.

Alyse Zwick, Miss New York 2009

Kristy Cavinder, Miss California 2009

Finally, I want to wish Alyse a very Happy Birthday!!! What a great birthday present: Swimsuit Preliminary Winner!

Miss America Week Begins! Preliminary Night One

I am finally in Las Vegas!!!!! Early this morning my Mom and I flew five hours to Las Vegas for Miss America week!!!! We arrived in Las Vegas around 11:30 AM (if you are following me from New York then it was 2:30PM). We are staying at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, where the pageant will take place. The hotel is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It even has it's own mall right in the middle of the casino. There is definitely no need to leave the hotel because everything you could possibly need is right here. We were so excited to be a part of pageant week for numerous reasons. This is my first time in Las Vegas so it is extra special to be here for Miss America. The last time I was at the Miss America Pageant was in 2004 when it was still in Atlantic City. Erika Dunlap was crowned with the prestigious title. So it was awesome that she was the first Miss America I saw at the hotel! I got a picture with her and her husband Brian Kleinschmidt, which most of you know came in third place on the CBS Emmy-Award winning reality competition The Amazing Race. We then stopped for a late lunch at Ocean One, one of the many restaurants in the hotel.

Erika Dunlap, Miss America 2004, and her husband Brian Kleinschmidt

After lunch, we got ready for the first night of preliminaries. The pageant is being held at the Theatre of the Performing Arts right in the hotel. Alyse looking phenomenal in the opening number dancing away front and center. She only competed in on-stage question tonight, which all the contestants are being asked questions related to their platform. She did a great job! The ALPHA Group performed their talents and I was very impressed. The pageant actually began with half of the group performing and the second half went after the on-stage question portion of the competition. The SIGMA Group competed in lifestyle and fitness (aka swimsuit competition) and evening wear. Let me just say that ALL the contestants have fantastic bodies! They are wearing black bikinis designed by Winn Wear, official Miss America sponsor. Some bikinis have a rhinestone broach on the bottoms which looks really cute.

My Mom and I at visitation

At the end of the night the preliminary winners were Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron, for Talent (singing "Listen" from Dreamgirls) and Miss Puerto Rico, Mimi Pabon, for Swimsuit. I was extremely happy for Caressa Cameron because we competed together at the Miss Teen America Pageant in 2005. It was great to see her again.

Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia

Mimi Pabon, Miss Puerto Rico

Alyse Zwick, Miss New York

When the competition was over we all headed to the ballroom where visitation was taking place. Visitation is when you get a chance to talk to the contestants for about twenty minutes. It was so great to finally get a chance to talk to Alyse. She looks amazing and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for her.

Briar Rose

This month has been pretty busy for me with work, getting my application ready for Graduate school, and starting my preparation for Miss New York. But last night I got to enjoy some down time with my family in New York City. My sister, Kaitlyn, performed in an Off-Broadway production called Briar Rose at the Roy Arias Theatre Center. It is based on the tale of Sleeping Beauty (the Brothers Grimm version). The PipeDream Theatre Company first premiered this musical in Staten Island, which my sister was involved with as a cast member of the original cast. In this version, my sister was part of the ensemble as a featured dancer. She was also the Dance Captain and one of the Choreographers. She did an amazing job!!! I am so proud of her.

Kaitlyn with Sal Pavia (Vice) and Lisa Ann Wetzel (Versa)

Speaking of busy I spent the whole day packing because on Tuesday morning my Mom and I are flying to Las Vegas for the Miss America Pageant! Best of luck to the beautiful and genuine Miss New York Alyse Zwick! We can't wait to cheer her on as she competes for the title of Miss America 2010. I will be posting how the week goes so make sure you check it out. Make sure you also tune in the the Miss America Pageant LIVE on TLC on January 30th at 8PM.

"Smoking" in the Ratings

Every Thursday the Staten Island Advance produces the AWE: Advance Weekly Entertainment. It is exclusive to what's going on in film, television, and theatre for the week. I was reading through the AWE that was published on Christmas Eve when I came across a movie review for 'Nine'. First of all, let me just tell you how excited I am that Rob Marshall has directed another movie musical! You know him best for his work on a little movie called 'Chicago'. As I was reading the review, I happened to notice the rating box. Here is what it said: "RATED PG-13 FOR SEXUAL CONTENT & SMOKING." Smoking included in the ratings? I have never seen that before. Of course, this grabbed my attention because of my platform. So I decided to do some research about my discovery.

The Motion Picture Association of America made a news release on May 10, 2007 stating on-screen smoking has been added to its movie rating system alongside sex, violence, and language. CEO Dan Glickman states that movies that "glamorize smoking or movies that feature pervasive smoking outside of an historic or other mitigating context may receive a higher rating." Movies that include smoking are given a PG-13 rating.

It is about time smoking was included in the ratings. I have also believed that the influence of Hollywood affects many people, especially with our teens. Teens admire Hollywood celebrities as their idols. Many of them imitate what they do just to be like them. This includes smoking. If they see their favorite actor or actress smoking a cigarette, then they believe it is okay to do because a celebrity is doing it. I appreciate the rating board acknowledging the public health dangers to children associated with smoking.

Last night I got the chance to go to the movie theatre to see 'Nine'. I completely understand why smoking was incorporated in the rating. The main character Guido, played by Daniel Day Lewis, is a chain smoker! Every time you see him he is smoking a cigarette. He is constantly asking for another cigarette even if he already has a lite one in his hand. There are other characters that smoke throughout the film but they are nothing compared to the amount of toxins Guido is inhaling. It is important for teens to know that although many famous actors are smoking in this film IT IS NOT HEALTHY! Still, definitely go see this film. The musical numbers are exciting and entertaining (especially Be Italian) and the cast does a brilliant job with this Tony Award winning musical.