Oh my gosh, kids, I don’t know where to begin! I have so much info to spread around that I don’t know if we can fit it all in this time. Seriously!
I’ll start off with a correction to the Mar. 22 issue when I mentioned the benefit in Miami. The “drag connection” was totally left out. I know people were wondering what it had to do with anything without one queen’s name, a guest star Elaine Lancaster, mentioned.
Where to begin? National pageants, of course! Ha ha! Miss Continental PLUS and Elite were just held in Chicago over a snowy Easter weekend. We have new members to the Continental family. Tajma Hall crowned Mercedes as Miss PLUS. Her RUs were Kofi, Sandra Lopez (Go Virginia diva!), Roxxy Andrews, Ivy White and Evelyn Forest. The next night, Danielle Hunter relinquished her crown to Angel Sheridan. Angel’s RUs were LaWanda Jackson (our reigning Miss Scorpio), Fantasya Dior, Amber Nixx and Franchesque Richards.
The first Miss Gay USA Unlimited was just held in Hickory at Club Cabaret. Shana Nicole was giving it up! Ole girl served up the old school drag that night, from big hair, good paint, well-made costumes and a Phyllis Hyman mix to seal the deal. Finalists included Kristin Collins, Jessica Jade, Q (formerly known as Quindyn Campbell), Mystique, Tenisha Cassadine, Destiny Storm, Monique LaMoore and Jennifer Alyce. Kristin Collins won talent and got 2nd RU, as she lay a clogging down like I’d never seen before. She also gets the award for the prettiest smile in the contest — wow! First RU was Jessica Jade. She tied for Gown. Tenisha Cassadine is your new Miss Unlimited — she won Interview, Sportswear and tied for Gown. Congrats to all ladies involved and hats off to Jeff Reeves for a superb contest.
Prelims to other national level contests include Mr. and Miss Virginia Renaissance, which Kendoll Bonet and Sandra Lopez won, with RU’s Devon Dickerson Diamond and Sheena Hawkins Devine. Former Miss America Luscious just won Miss Southeast Atlantic national at PT’s Cabaret in Columbia, S.C. Alexis Claiborne is the new Ohio Valley EOY. Miss West Coast FL EOY is Camille Simpson with RU Daphne Ferraro and Mr. West Coast is Antonio Edwards with RU Tariq Luv DuPree. Miss FL EOY is Kitty Litter. Miss Wisconsin is Sabin. The first prelim to Miss Gay America was Mid-America and the lovely Sasha Nicole won. Her RU was our Miss NC FFI at-Large, Sasha Leigh Chambers. Miss Keystone America is Tiffany Devaraux with RU Victoria Barrera Jaymes. Karyn Thomas is Miss Delaware.
Arabia Knight-Addams just relinquished her title of Miss NC U.S.ofA. in Charlotte at Scorpio and Malaysia K. Black won. Malaysia took Interview and Talent. Her RUs include Cierra Nichole (who tied for Evening Gown), 2nd RU Mo’Nique Chanel; 3rd Raven Wood and 4th, a gorgeous Nicole Sanchez who tied for Evening Gown. Formers in the house included Jessica Jade, Ebbony Addams and Tiffany Bonet. CoCo Couture, our Miss NC U.S.ofA. at Large was also present, along with former Miss U.S.ofA., Layla LaRue, who will be back to work in Charlotte again!
Everything else is good local stuff — like Miss Shamrock, which Cierra Nichole won at O’Henry’s in Asheville. Her RU was a blast from the past, Monica Mitchells, who now makes her home in Duluth, Ga. Roxanne Rage won Q & A, and Cierra won Talent and Gown. Cierra’s on a roll — she also just won Miss Aries at Night Owls in Gastonia, same categories, and her RU was Ava Starr, who won Q & A.
Miss Apple Blossom was just held in Myrtle Beach and Alexis Chanel won that contest. Paris LeFaris recently won Miss Time Out Sweetheart, with Britney Fontaine relinquishing the title. Miss Dickinson Avenue, formerly held at the Paddock in Greenville, N.C., was just held at the Great American Mining Company, and Anjelica Dust won all categories. Her RU was Cherries Jubilee. The new Miss Scandals is Tyra Couture. Her RUs were Seduxion St. James and Celeste Starr. Winners of Mr. & Miss Charlotte Black Gay Pride were Monica Lovette and Taraj Frantz.
In closing, some cool info to part with, — like did you see Las Vegas’ Hot Chocolate on the contents page in the March Advocate or Candis Cayne in the most recent Out? Have you seen Stasha Sanchez and a red-dressed Mimi Marks in Janet Jackson’s “Rock With You” video? A big shout-out for Dorae Saunders who recently won the Audre Lord Community Leadership Award from the Carolinas Black Pride Movement. Also, the “Pageant” movie got it’s first review by John Garcia, Jr. from The Column Theater Awards who saw it at the AFI Dallas Film Festival — he says it deserves an A+!
info: Drop me a line, OK? . The TeaMissD@yahoo.com
here! here! Max & Bill