Singers - Opera, classical, and semi-classical

Opera singers, Classical singers, and Semi-Classical singers, another staple of the Miss America Talent competition.  At least one made Top 10 in each of the first 25 years the competition has been televised (1954-1978).

What is "semi-classical singing" you might ask?  Well for many years it simply meant that you were singing And This Is My Beloved from the musical Kismet (the same show that gave us Baubles, Bangles, and Beads & Stranger In Paradise).  The melodies in Kismet were adapted from the works of the 19th Century Russian composer Alexander Borodin (classical music used for a Broadway show, that was originally commissioned by the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera).  Think of songs sung with an operatic approach but which are not from the traditional opera canon.  Some contestants have listed their talent as semi-classical when singing from The Phantom Of The Opera (which I chose to put on the Broadway list instead of here).

We've seen the most in Top 10 during the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 90s - with noticeably fewer in the 80s, 00s, and 10s.

The selections performed most often by Top 10 Finalists have been:

• Quando me'n vo (La boheme) (5 times)
• Ah, Je veux vivre (Romeo & Juliet) (5)
• Una Voce Poco Fa (The Barber of Seville) (4)
• Habanera (Carmen) (4)
• And This Is My Beloved (Kismet) (4)
• Summertime (Porgy and Bess) (4)

I did a blog about opera singers that includes an anecdote about Yolande Betbeze, Miss Alabama 1950/Miss America 1951 in July, 2014.  Scroll back thru the blog posts and read it.

The women who have performed Opera, Classical, or Semi-Classical in Top 10 (1954-2014)
54-Linda Weisbrod (District of Columbia)-Top 10-O Mio Fernando
54-Barbara Quinlin (Ohio)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Habanera (Carmen)
55-Florence Gallagher (Chicago)-2nd Runner-up-Love is Where You Find It (The Kissing Bandit)
55-Patricia Huddleston (Alabama)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Pace, Pace Mio Dio (La Forza del Destino)
57-Judith Hansen (Oregon)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Mi Chiamano Mimi (La boheme)
58-Sally Miller (Arkansas)-Top 10-Caro Nome (Rigoletto)
59-Sharon Vaughn (Washington)-2nd Runner-up-Habanera (Carmen) & I Cain't Say No (Oklahoma)
59-MARY ANN MOBLEY (MISSISSIPPI)-MISS AMERICA 1960 & PRELIM TALENT-Un Bel Di (Madame Butterfly) & There'll Be Some Changes Made
60-Suzanne Reamo (California)-1st Runner-up-Love is Where You Find It (The Kissing Bandit)

60-Tommye Glaze (Indiana)-4th Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Una Voce Poco Fa (Barber of Seville)
60-Teresa Rinaldi (Alabama)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Addio (La boheme)
60-Marlene Coleman (Idaho)-Top 10-If I Were On The Stage (Mlle Modiste)
60-Brenda Crovo (Massachusetts)-Top 10-Bill & Can't Help Lovin Dat Man (both from Show Boat)
60-Marian Walker (Utah)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-The Waltz Aria (Mireille)
61-Linda Loftis (Texas)-3rd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Sempre Libera (La Traviata)
61-Joan Vine (Hawaii)-Top 10-Je Veux Vivre (Romeo & Juliet) & Thou Swell (A Connecticut Yankee...)
62-Patricia Anderson (Hawaii)-2nd Runner-up-Un Bel Di (Madame Butterfly)
63-DONNA AXUM (ARKANSAS)-MISS AMERICA 1964-Quando me'n vo (La boheme) & I Love Paris (Can-Can)
63-Wendy Douglas (California)-Top 10-Summertime (Porgy & Bess)
63-Dorcas Campbell (Virginia)-Top 10-Pres des ramparts de Seville (Carmen) & West Side Story medley
64-Vickie Powers (Alabama)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Habanera (Carmen)
65-Carol Blum (Florida)-3rd Runner-up-Il Bacio
65-Linda Folsom (Alabama)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Caro Nome (Rigoletto)
65-Lynda Ferguson (Louisiana)-Top 10-Italian Street Song (Naughty Marietta)
66-Sharon Phillian (Ohio)-3rd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue (Lakme) & This Is My Country
67-Genevieve Del Gallo (Louisiana)-Top 10-Un Bel Di (Madame Butterfly)
68-Patricia Burmeister (New York)-Top 10-Ou Va La Jeune Hindoue (Lakme)
68-Cherie Davis (Virginia)-Top 10-Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix (Samson & Delilah)
69-Pat Brummett (New Mexico)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Caro Nome (Rigoletto)
70-Karen Johnson (Maine)-2nd Runner-up-Quando me'n vo (La boheme)
71-LAURIE LEA SCHAEFER (OHIO)-MISS AMERICA 1972-And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
71-Deborah O'Brien (Massachusetts)-2nd Runner-up-Je Veux Vivre (Romeo & Juliet)
71-Maureen Wimmer (Pennsylvania)-3rd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Quando me'n vo (La boheme)
72-Debby Robert (Louisiana)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-The Art of Beguiling
73-Andrea Hanson (Oklahoma)-Top 10-The Homeland Aria (Die Fledermaus)(w/piano)
74-Barbara Guthmiller (South Dakota)-Top 10-Summertime (Porgy & Bess)
74-Kathleen Moore (Washington)-Top 10-Italian Street Song (Naughty Marietta)
75-Susan Banks (Ohio)-3rd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Sempre Libera (La traviata)
75-Cynthia Anthony (South Carolina)-Top 10-Chacun le Sait (Daughter of the Regiment)
75-Mary Ellen Richardson (Texas)-Top 10-The Jewel Song (Faust)
76-DOROTHY BENHAM (MINNESOTA)-MISS AMERICA 1977 & PRELIM TALENT-Adele's Laughing Song (Die Fledermaus)
76-Sonja Anderson (New York)-4th Runner-up-And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
76-Pamela Polk (Virginia)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Mi Chiamano Mimi (La boheme)
77-Mary D'Arcy (New Jersey)-Summertime (Porgy & Bess)
78-Teresa Cheatham (Alabama)-1st Runner-up & Prelim Talent-And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
78-Phyllis Kelly (Louisiana)-Top 10-Italian Street Song (Naughty Marietta)
80-SUSAN POWELL (OKLAHOMA)-MISS AMERICA 1981 & PRELIM TALENT-Lucy's Aria (aka The Telephone Aria) (The Telephone)
81-Sandra Truitt (Illinois)-1st Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Pres des ramparts de Seville (Carmen)
81-Suzanne Alexander (New York)-Top 10-Vissi d'arte (Tosca)
81-Jonelle Smith (Utah)-Top 10-Sempre Libera (La traviata)
82-Gwendolyn Witten (Kentucky)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
86-Dawn Smith (South Carolina)-2nd Runner-up-Je Veux Vivre (Romeo & Juliet)
88-Lori Kelly (Oklahoma)-2nd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Una Voce Poco Fa (Barber of Seville)
89-Michelle Kline (Pennsylvania)-Top 10-Una Voce Poco Fa (Barber of Seville)
90-Kerri Rosenberg (Iowa)-Top 10-Je Veux Vivre (Romeo & Juliet)
91-Marisol Montalvo (New York)-1st Runner-up & Prelim talent-Tu che di gel see cinta (Turandot)
91-Mary Allison Hurdle (Mississippi)-4th Runner-up-Chi il ben sogno di doretta (La Rondine)
93-KIM AIKEN (SOUTH CAROLINA)-MISS AMERICA 1994-Summertime (Porgy & Bess)
93-Titilayo Adedokun (Ohio)-2nd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-The Jewel Song (Faust)
93-Michelle Sexton (New Jersey)-Top 10-Vissi d'Arte (Tosca)
94-Rebecca Blouin (Mississippi)-Top 10-Quando me'n vo (La boheme)
94-Yvonne Dehner (Montana)-Top 10 & Prelim talent-One Kiss (The New Moon)
95-Emily Orton (Oregon)-1st Runner-up-Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante (Carmen)
95-Amy Keller (Kansas)-Top 10-Quando me'n vo (La boheme)
95-Helen Goldsby (New York)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Chi il ben sogno di doretta (La Rondine)
96-TARA HOLLAND (KANSAS)-MISS AMERICA 1997 & PRELIM TALENT-Ou va la jeune Hindoue (Lakme)
96-Patricia Lienes (Oregon)-2nd Runner-up & Prelim Talent-Chacun le Sait (Daughter of the Regiment)
96-Melissa Short (Hawaii)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Je Veux Vivre (Romeo & Juliet)
97-Myra Barginear (Mississippi)-2nd Runner-up-Una Voce Poco Fa (Barber of Seville)
97-Jennifer Sauder (Florida)-Top 10-If We Were In Love (Yes, Giorgio)
98-Joslyn Tinker (Alaska)-Top 10-Adele's Laughing Song (Die Fledermaus)
99-Victoria Paige (New Jersey)-Top 10-Non so pi cos son (The Marriage of Figaro)
99-Mary-Louise Kurey (Wisconsin)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Il Bacio
01-KATIE HARMON (OREGON)-MISS AMERICA 2002 & PRELIM TALENT-O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi)
02-ERIKA HAROLD (ILLINOIS)-MISS AMERICA 2003-Habanera (Carmen)
04-Kristin Elrod (North Carolina)-2nd Runner-up-Love is Where You Find It (The Kissing Bandit)
04-Christina Ellington (New York)-Top 10-My Man's Gone Now (Porgy & Bess)
05-Erika Powell (South Carolina)-Top 10 & Prelim Talent-Time To Say Goodbye
06-Jacquelynne Fontaine (California)-Top 10 & Prelim talent-Visi d'Arte (Tosca)
07-Melissa Chaty (California)-Top 8-The Jewel Song (Faust)
09-Jennifer Corey (District of Columbia)-Top 10-O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi)
09-Kristen Blair (Texas)-Top 10-Chi il ben sogno di doretta (La Rondine)
10-Kathryn Bulkey (Arizona)-Top 10-Nessun Dorma (Turandot)
11-LAURA KAEPPELER (WISCONSIN)-MISS AMERICA 2012 & PRELIM TALENT-Il Bacio
13-Theresa Vail (Kansas)-Top 10-Nessun Dorma (Turandot)

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