Ventriloquists

Row, row, row your boat, ROW, gently, ROW, down, ROW, the stream, YOUR BOAT...

As entertainment and performance, ventriloquism is a 250+ year-old art form. As a religious practice, it has been around for thousands of years.

Let's consider the women who have brought a "friend" or two onstage with them in talent at Miss America.

Ventriloquism at Miss America peaked during the 1970's with seven contestants performing it as their talent and four of those making Top 10 (including TWO in 1971, the only year that two ventriloquists have made Top 10).

Vonda Kay Van Dyke

Miss Arizona 1964

Miss Congeniality

MISS AMERICA 1965

Together from GYPSY

Paige Phillips

Miss Alabama 1980

1st Runner-up & Prelim Talent winner

Rock-a-Bye Your Baby,

Swanee, & Mame

Patricia Brant

Miss Louisiana 1987

1st Runner-up & Prelim Talent winner

Row, Row, Row Your Boat & 

Arizona Yodeler

Alyse Eady

Miss Arkansas 2010

1st Runner-up

I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart

Stacey Peterson

Miss Arizona 1975

4th Runner-up

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Cynthia Cook

Miss Georgia 1971

Top 10 & Prelim Talent winner

Impersonations of celebrities

Sandy Rings

Miss Kansas 1971

Top 10 & Prelim Talent winner

Toyland

Marie McLaughlin

Miss Pennsylvania 1976

Top 10

Together

Maria Wynne

Miss Pennsylvania 1990

Top 10

Together

Mackenzie Bart
Miss Ohio 2014
Top 10 & Prelim Talent Winner
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Gloria Gilbert

Miss Texas 1982

Non-Finalist Talent

I've Been Everywhere

Barbara Crandall

Miss Michigan 1984

Non-Finalist Talent

Auctioneer's Song

Cheryl Hirst

Miss Rhode Island 1961

Non-Finalist Talent-Best Variety Act

Ventriloquism & Organ

This Can't Be Love

Pam Long

Miss Alabama 1974

selection unknown

Darby Moore

Miss Alaska 1974

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Sharon Pelc

Miss Nebraska 1974

Those Were The Days

Angelina Johnson

Miss Tennessee 1981

Laverne and Shirley

Sandra Dornak

Miss Nevada 1992

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Heather Dupree
Miss Louisiana 1998
Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)

Did I miss anyone?  Updates, corrections, and additional information may always posted on Facebook on the Crowned page or by sending me an email at crownedmissa@gmail.com.

Non-Traditional Talents in Top 10

Did you ever see Miss So-and-So's talent? Has anyone else ever done that?

Most Miss America talents fall into the traditional categories of vocal, dance, instrumental, drama/speech, and variety acts such as baton, ventriloquism, or gymnastics.

Here are eleven Miss America Contestants whose talents don't quite fit the traditional categories and, as far as I know, have only been performed at Miss America only one time (by these women):

JUMP ROPE

Lauren Cheape
Miss Hawaii 2011
Prelim Talent and Non-Finalist Talent awards
Photo from NBC.com

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Including ribbon, ball, and hoop

Christy Neuman

Miss Florida 1997

Top 10 & Prelim Talent

ROLLER SKATING

Tammy Kettunen

Miss Arizona 1989

Non-Finalist Talent award

KARATE

Including strength moves, stomping on broken glass, and breaking cement slabs

Alicia Rae Masalkowski
Miss Michigan 1985
Top 10

There's a Miss America "urban legend" that the red on the glass was blood from her foot.
It was probably a reflection from a red/pink lighting gel or coloring to make the glass stand out on television.
Whatever it was, it sure makes a great story, right?

MIDDLE EASTERN DANCING
This was fairly controversial back in 1978!
You can find her talent performance on YouTube

Sher Lynn Patrick

Miss Ohio 1978

3rd Runner-up

PARALLEL BARS

Maggie Walker

Miss Pennsylvania 1970

4th Runner-up

TRAMPOLINE

Judith Ford

Miss Illinois 1968

MISS AMERICA 1969 & Prelim Talent & Prelim Swimsuit

ICE SKATING

Mary Haglund

Miss Indiana 1967

Top 10 & Prelim Talent

*Special note: Jill Rankin, Miss South Carolina 1981, was also a figure skater.

ORCHESTRA CONDUCTING

Combined with singing

Jane Jayroe

Miss Oklahoma 1966

MISS AMERICA 1967 & Prelim Talent

MELODRAMA

Sure, we've had plenty of monologues and speeches over the years, but, come on, Debbie Bryant had an entire set when she performed The Miserable Miserliness of Midas Moneybags!

Deborah Bryant

Miss Kansas 1965

MISS AMERICA 1966 & Prelim Swimsuit

DRESS DESIGN

Nancy Fleming

Miss Michigan 1960

MISS AMERICA 1961 & Prelim Talent & Swimsuit

And as an added bonus:

TRICK ROPING & BOLOS

Sonna Warvell

3rd Runner Up & Prelim Talent at Miss Texas 1985

4th Runner-up & Prelim Talent at Miss Texas 1983

And, YES, we've all heard about the Miss America contestant whose talent was giving a speech on ... "How To Pack A Suitcase," but if you haven't read Frank Deford's There She Is, The Life and Times of Miss America, you probably haven't heard this story:

"Now this one time," a lovely lady judge from the South admits, "I won't tell you where, because I think they're still looking for me, I came into this little town and as soon as I got there, I knew there was trouble because the Jaycees already had their winner picked out.  We judges were merely there to confirm it, you see."

"They were already discussing how she'd do at State.  I said, 'Well, what does this little angel do for her talent?' And now, if you can believe this, they told me that she fly casted.  I said, 'Do you mean to tell me ... fish?' They said yes indeed, she fly casted, and Lord, they said, if she ever got to Atlantic City fly casting on that huge stage where she didn't have to concern herself with hooking anything--that alone was enough for me. And let me tell you honestly, she was the prettiest girl there, she was darlin' in swimsuit, she was easily the smartest, and to tell you the truth she fascinated me to death flickin' that big ole pole around once I was assured that there was no hook on it."

"But I don't mind telling' you that if it's the Virgin Mary herself that I'm judging', if she is a fly caster honey, I just can't bring myself to vote for her in any Miss America Pageant.  Luckily, I found a couple of the other judges felt as I did, and we stuck together and voted for a little singer, bless her heart, and gave the fly caster, poor thing, first runner-up. Well there was such a hue and cry after that that the Jaycees said we judges had better not go to the after-party.  In fact, they took us out to some deserted railroad station and held us there for a few hours till the heat was off.  They told us, honest to goodness, that the fly caster's father and his friends were irate.  But I just can't vote for any fly caster.  I'm sorry, but I just can't, lovely as she was."

Although it's out of print, this book, published by Viking in 1971 after the 50th Anniversary competition, can be found on Amazon and eBay.  Buy yourself a copy.  It's a great book.  I own several copies, although I've never found a copy of the revised version he published in the later 1970's with updated information.  Frank Deford judged Miss America several times in the mid-1970's.

What other non-traditional, unusual talents have been performed at the local, state, or national level?  Comment on Facebook at CROWNED or email me at crownedmissa@gmail.com.

Opera singers in Top 10

Who sang that aria? You know, the one with all the high notes. 

Here's a look back at the 60+ women who have sung a classical selection on the Miss America broadcast as a finalist. A more complete list to include Non-Finalist Talent award winners and opera selections by all contestants will be a great post-Miss America project, so, let's call this Part I.

What States have had the most Top 10s with opera singers?

In the last 57 years, 30 different states have seen their opera-singing titleholder make the Top 10. Alabama, Louisiana, New York, and Ohio have 4 each.

The South has 27, the West has 15, the Midwest 12, and the Northeast 8.

In 40 of those 57 years, at least one opera singer has made Top 10, with 1995 holding the record with 4 classical vocalists in the Top 10.  Years with 3 include 60, 61, 65, 75, 81 & 96.

What aria(s) have been sung most often by classical singers?

Over the years we've had several (2 or 3) of these arias

'Adele's Laughing Song' (DOROTHY BENHAM) from Die Fledermaus

'Caro Nome' from Rigoletto

'Habanera' (ERIKA HAROLD) from Carmen

'Il Bacio' (LAURA KAEPPELER) by Arditi

'Italian Street Song' from Naughty Marietta

'The Jewel Song' from Faust

'Ou va la jeune Hindoue' (The Bell Song)(TARA HOLLAND) from Lakme

'Che il bel sogno di Doretta' from La Rondine

'Sempre Libera' from La Traviata

'Un Bel Di' from Madama Butterly

'Visi d'Arte' from Tosca.

And the arias sung most often by finalists are:

"Una Voce Poco Fa" from Barber of Seville

Myra Barginear, Miss Mississippi, 1997, 2nd RU

Michelle Kline, Miss Pennsylvania 1989, Top 10

Lori Kelley, Miss Oklahoma 1988, 2nd RU & Prelim Talent

Tommye Glaze, Miss Indiana 1960, 4th RU & Prelim Talent

Lori Kelley
Miss Oklahoma 1988

"Ah, Je Veux Vivre" from Romeo and Juliet

Kerri Rosenberg, Miss Iowa 1990, Top 10

Dawn Smith, Miss South Carolina 1986, 2nd RU

Deborah O'Brien, Miss Massachusetts 1971, 2nd RU

Joan Vine, Miss Hawaii 1961, Top 10 (as a medley with "Thou Swell")

Dawn Smith
Miss South Carolina 1986

"Quando m'en vo" from La Boheme

Amy Keller, Miss Kansas 1995, Top 10

Rebecca Blouin, Miss Mississippi 1994, Top 10

Maureen Wimmer, Miss Pennsylvania 1971, 3rd RU & Prelim Talent

Karen Johnson, Miss Maine 1970, 2nd RU

DONNA AXUM, Miss Arkansas 1963, MISS AMERICA 1964 

(sung by Donna as a medley with "I Love Paris")

Karen Johnson
Miss Maine 1970

Three well-known arias that have never been sung by a finalist include 'Die Holle Rache' (Queen of the Night's vengeance aria) from The Magic Flute and 'Art Is Calling For Me' (I Want to be a Prima Donna) from The Enchantress, although both have been sung by contestants over the years.

Visit YouTube to see Tony and Emmy-award winning Kristen Chenoweth singing 'Art Is Calling Me' in competition at Miss Pennsylvania 1992 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAdsZ2R6tGg

and Miss Oklahoma 1991

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GYSVO2WFjk

Kristen Chenoweth
sorry for the blurry YouTube screen grab

Selections of our other opera-singing Miss America's

KATIE HARMAN, Miss Oregon 2001, MISS AMERICA 2002 & Prelim Talent  

"Oh Mio Babbino Caro" from Gianni Schicchi

SUSAN POWELL, Miss Oklahoma 1980, MISS AMERICA 1981 & Prelim Talent

"Lucy's Aria" from The Telephone

Susan Powell
Miss Oklahoma 1980
MISS AMERICA 1981

Here's an anecdote about one of the most famous opera-singing Miss Americas:

YOLANDE BETBEZE, Miss Alabama 1950 and MISS AMERICA 1951

from Frank DeFord's "There She Is, The Life and Times of Miss America"

"When she sang 'Sempre Libera' from La Traviata, she and the Miss America orchestra, basically a jazz band, began playing against each other.  After a trumpet player cut in on a high trill, Yolande froze the man with a stare, stopped singing, and snapped, 'I'll finish alone,' which she did. For the finals, she located a piano accompanist in Philadelphia and switched to 'Caro Nome' from Rigoletto, an even more difficult selection. 'You're not supposed to switch talent' Yolande says, 'but at that point, rules were the last thing I was interested in.' She and the accompanist practiced no more than twenty minutes. 'She was very good,' Yolande says, 'but I did the hell out of that number.' As she finished, Deems Taylor [blogger's note: Deems is the narrator in Disney's 1940 Fantasia] one of the judges, slapped his loose-leaf book shut, and in the silent moment before the applause began, could be heard plainly to say, 'Ladies and gentlemen, that's it.' For perhaps the only time in the history of the Pageant, a performer was called back for two curtain calls."

Yolande Betbeze
Miss Alabama 1950
MISS AMERICA 1951

Questions? Comments?  Suggestions?  Corrections?  email me at crownedmissa@gmail.com or comment on the Facebook page for Crowned.

Does Prelim Placement Really Matter?

With today's lottery for competition order, there is probably much angst among those states that didn't get to select their spot until after 40 other states had chosen, and there was nothing left but the first slots in each group.

Does preliminary placement really matter?

NO.

If you are a strong contestant, the judges will find you no matter where you are in the line-up.

I've analyzed the preliminary competition orders going back to 1992, when Miss America instituted  "composite scoring." Unfortunately I only have results for 21 of those 22 years.  The 2004 program book does not list competition order for prelims, and I didn't attend that year.

If anyone has those records, please email me so I can update the list.

First, everyone should know that since 1992, at least one Top 10 Finalist has come from EVERY spot (except one---and even that spot has made Top 15 twice, Top 20 once, and has a Non-Finalist Talent Award in a fourth year).

So, I'm sure you might be interested in knowing who got the sweet spots, the spots that do better than others in making Top 10.

For comparison, check out this lineup from 1978, back in the days of ballots (before every contestant got points from every judge in every category).  Half of the Top 10 came from the five final talents seen in preliminary competition on Friday night.

1978 SIGMA Group

Here's the list:

# 1 - MU 13 (Minnesota) - This spot has made the Top 10 ten times since 1992 with one of those contestants placing as 4th Runner-up. It also has four Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and three Non-Finalist Talent (NFT) awards.

# 2 - SIGMA 15 (Kentucky) - Eight Top 10s, including  a 3rd RU, three 4th RUs, and a Top 7 placement, as well as a Talent win and five NFTs. 

# 3 - SIGMA 9 (Arkansas) -  Eight Top 10s, including a 1st, a 3rd, and a 4th RU, as well as four Talent wins, two Swimsuit wins, a Top 15, and three NFTs.

# 4 - ALPHA 12 (Iowa) - Eight Top 10s, including KIM AIKEN, a 1st RU, a 2nd RU, two 3rd RUs, a 4th RU, and a Top 8, as well as a Top 15 and three Swimsuit wins.

# 5 - SIGMA 16 (Tennessee) - Seven Top 10s, including HEATHER FRENCH, ANGELA PEREZ BARAQUIO, and LAUREN NELSON, as well as three Swimsuit wins, two Talent wins, and an NFT.

# 6 - ALPHA 11 (New Jersey) - Seven Top 10s, including a 1st RU, a 2nd RU, and a 4th RU, as well as two Top 15s, a Top 20, three Swimsuit wins, two Talent wins, and three NFTs.

# 7 - ALPHA 9 (District of Columbia) - Seven Top 10s, including SHAWNTEL SMITH, two 1st RUs, a 2nd RU, a 3rd RU, and a Top 8, as well as two Top 15s, a Top 20, three Swimsuit wins, three Talent wins, and three NFTs.

# 8 - ALPHA 10 (Georgia) - Seven Top 10s, including KATE SHINDLE, as well as a Swimsuit win and three Talent wins.

# 9 - SIGMA 14 (Indiana) - Six Top 10s, including two 2nd RUs, and a Top 7, as well as a Talent win and six NFTs.

#10 - ALPHA 1 (Maryland) - Six Top 10s, including LAURA KAEPPELER, a 1st RU, and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 20, two Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and two NFTs.

# 11 - SIGMA 11 (South Dakota) - Six Top 10s, including a 2nd RU and two 4th RUs, as well as two Swimsuit wins and two NFTs.

#12 - ALPHA 15 (New Mexico) - Six Top 10s, including a 1st RU, two 3rd RUs,and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 12, a Top 20, a Talent win, and an NFT.

#13 - MU 9 (Michigan) - Six Top 10s, including  two 2nd RUs and a 3rd RU, as well as a Talent win and two NFTs.

#14 - MU 1 (Wisconsin) - Five Top 10s, including a 2nd RU and a 3rd RU, as well as a Top 16, three Swimsuit wins, two Talent wins, and three NFTs.

# 15 - SIGMA 17 (Texas) - Five Top 10s, including TARA DAWN HOLLAND, as well as two 1st RUs and a 4th RU, as well as four Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and four NFTs.

#16 - SIGMA 1 (California) - Five Top 10s, including a 1st RU and two 2nd RUs, as well as a Top 15 and a Top 20, two Swimsuit wins and an NFT.

#17 -  ALPHA 6 (Utah) - Five Top 10s, including CARESSA CAMERON, a 2nd RU and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 12, three Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and an NFT.

#18 - ALPHA 17 (Ohio) - Five Top 10s, including KATIE HARMON and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 16, four Talent wins, a Swimsuit win, and an NFT.

#19 - MU 11 (Oklahoma) - Five Top 10s, including two 1st RUs and a 3rd RU, as well as two Swimsuit wins, three Talent wins and three NFTs.

#20 - ALPHA 3 (Virgin Islands) - Five Top 10s, including two 3rd RUs and a 4th RU, as well as two Top 15s, two Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and two NFTs.

ERICKA DUNLAP and TERESA SCANLAN came from MU 10 (Connecticut)
ERICA HAROLD came from ALPHA 8 (West Virginia)
KATIE STAM came from SIGMA 5 (Rhode Island)
MALLORY HAGAN came from SIGMA 6 (Oregon)
NINA DAVALURI came from SIGMA 7 (North Carolina)
JENNIFER BERRY came from SIGMA 12 (Florida)
KRISTEN HAGLUND came from MU 7 (Alabama)
LEANZA CORNETT came from MU 8 (Nevada)
NICOLE JOHNSON came from MU 12 (Pennsylvania)
HEATHER WHITESTONE came from MU 14 (Virginia)

Any 2014 State Titleholder reading this information should remember what I said before, the judges will find you no matter where you are in the group.  Don't sweat it, just do your best in every category!

Locals winning State most often

Now that all of the state pageants are completed for 2014, let’s honor the local pageants whose winners have won their state most often.

These cumulative numbers only go back to 1960.  Records are not consistent for local titles winning states prior to 1960.

So…over 55 years, let’s congratulate the volunteers who have worked on these local pageants and the women who represented these locals.

In general, it seems that large city locals do well, even though smaller towns seem to support the program more than the larger urban areas.

# 1. Las Vegas (NV) – 14 times winning Miss Nevada

STACEY JAMES
Miss Las Vegas
Miss Nevada 1987
2nd Runner-up & Preliminary Talent Winner at Miss America

# 2. Chicago (IL) – 11 times winning Miss Illinois

(Miss Chicago competed at Miss America separately from Miss Illinois thru 1962)

Jade Smalls

Miss Chicago

Miss Illinois 1999

1st Runner-up at Miss America

# 3. (tie) Omaha (NE) – 10 times winning Miss Nebraska

Brittany Jeffers

Miss Omaha

Miss Nebraska 2010

Top 10 Finalist at Miss America

# 3. (tie) White River (AR) – 10 times winning Miss Arkansas

Elizabeth Ward

Miss White River Water Carnival

Miss Arkansas 1981

MISS AMERICA 1982 & Preliminary Swimsuit Winner

# 5. (tie) Twin Cities (MN) - 9 times winning Miss Minnesota

Lauren Green

Miss Twin Cities

Miss Minnesota 1984

3rd Runner-up & Preliminary Talent Winner at Miss America

# 5. (tie) Portales (NM) - 9 times winning Miss New Mexico 

(including five out of six years between 1988-1993)

Karen Maciolek

Miss Portales

Miss New Mexico 1968

Miss Congeniality at Miss America

The Best of the Rest
Grand Forks (ND)-8 wins

Tri-Valley (OR)-8

Portland (OR)-8

South Dakota State Univ (SD)-8

South Dakota State Fair (SD)-8

Scott Co (IA)-8

Anchorage (AK)-8

Denver (CO)-8

Seattle (WA)-8

*New York City (NY)-8 (or 17)(see below)

*Los Angeles (CA)-8 (or 5)(see below)
*Providence/Pawtucket (RI)-10 (see below)

Pierce Co (WA)-7 (96, 98-01 – 5 years out of 6)

Brandywine (DE)-7

Manatee County (FL)-7

Albuquerque (NM)-7

Madison-Capitol City (WI)-7

Greater Portland (ME)-7

Wichita (KS)-7

Special congratulations to New Mexico, Oregon, and South Dakota.  Each state has two locals with exceptional records of winning at State.  Tri-Valley and Portland in Oregon and South Dakota State Fair and South Dakota State University in South Dakota have 8 wins each.  Portales and Albuquerque in New Mexico have 9 and 7 wins respectively.

And now, how to consider New York City and Los Angeles?

New York City has either 8 wins at state or 17 depending on how you call it.

Are we purists and only count exact titles or do we count the boroughs too?

New York City/Greater New York City/Metropolitan New York City – 8 wins

Manhattan – 5

Staten Island – 3

Brooklyn – 1

Same with Los Angeles.  It’s either 5 or 8:

Los Angeles County – 5 wins

Culver City – 1

Hollywood – 1

West Los Angeles – 1

And what do we do about Providence/Pawtucket (RI)?

It could be 10 wins.

Providence County – 3

Pawtucket – 3

Providence/Pawtucket – 1

North Providence - 2

Providence – 1

Do any of you have first-hand knowledge of the history of the locals in the New York City, Los Angeles, and Providence & Pawtucket areas?  If so, contact me with more details, please, crownedmissa@gmail.com. 

Comments?  Opinions?  Input?  Email me at crownedmissa@gmail.com

Welcome & Blog Explanation

Welcome to Crowned, a blog dedicated to trivia, history, information and statistics about the Miss America Organization, and to providing the bragging rights backup for states, locals, volunteers, and contestants (current and former).

I have no connection to Miss America nor the Miss America Organization. My affiliation with the program is only as a long-time fan and volunteer on the local and state levels.

For all information regarding Miss America, the upcoming competition, and links to the state organizations, please visit www.MissAmerica.org

(a luggage tag for a State winner from the 1970's)

(the image reminds me of Laurie Lee Schaefer, Miss America 1972)

As we approach the 2014's Miss America competition, I'll be sharing statistics and trivia on these subjects among others:

• Locals that have won their state pageant most often
• A comparison of the average ages and the talent types of Miss America contestants over time
• An analysis of preliminary competition order and whether any spots are better than others
• What states have the most preliminary swimsuit and talent wins
• What states have made Top 10 most often
• What states have made Top 5 most often
• What states have won any competitive award most often
• Using a weighted scoring system that rewards higher placements
• A look at "Eras of Influence"
• How to predict the Top 10 based on statistics
• What talent selections have been performed by Top 10 finalists most often

You may email me with comments, questions, suggestions, additional information, and corrections at crownedmissa@gmail.com