October 31, 2013 11:07 AM
There she iiiis...
Ms. Senior Sweetheaaart...
Yes, the 35th annual Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant came to BMC Durfee High School Oct. 27, proving once again that pageantry is not just for the young — or even the middle-aged.
A dozen women, ages 58-87, sang, tap-danced, wore tight-fitting, sequined, spandex one-pieces, kicked their legs in short skirts and smiled for the judges and a packed house.
For the first time in the pageant's history, tickets were free, and the Robert J. Nagle Auditorium was a veritable sea of white and gray hair.
After hours of singing and dancing, the seven judges awarded the coveted crown to 86-year-old Rita Battram of Washington state, who is blind in one eye and has poor vision in the other.
"This is just a miracle," Battram said when she received her crown from outgoing Ms. Senior Sweetheart Celina Dilbert of the Cayman Islands.
Battram is a mother of five, grandmother of 12 and great-grandmother of 26. A volunteer dance teacher at her local YWCA, the octogenarian produced, directed, choreographed and performed in a variety show called "The Recycled Teens" earlier this year.
She wowed the judges — Mark Costa, Carole Fiola, Elaine Lima, Bernadette Driscoll, Jamison Souza, Cara Solomon and Alex Stylos.
Longtime host Lenny Kaplan, 83, proved he's the Regis Philbin of the Fall River pageant; this was his 35th year as host, and he's still a card on stage and charming with the ladies. Kaplan was in his 40s when he came up with the idea that was supposed to be a one-time Lion's Club fundraiser.
"Boy, this band is good. They know everybody's song," he joked of the sound system.
"Contestant No. 9 is only 62. A young one. I remember when I was 62," Kaplan quipped when Athena Milewski of Michigan took the stage in a long sequined gown to dance.
Francesca Piscottano of Connecticut wore a fruit hat and pink and purple floor-length gown for her talent as a Carmen Miranda impersonator.
Sharon Maloney, 75, danced to "Let's Misbehave" in a black dress.
When 58-year-old Diana Bombardier of Rehoboth took the stage, Kaplan called her the "baby of the group." Bombardier wore an Army-green outfit to tap-dance to "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."
She and her mother, MaryLee Pompeii, 87, who sang, were the first-ever mother-daughter duo to compete. They received recognition at the end of the pageant.
"It was her dream for us to do it together and I wanted to make her dream come true," Bombardier told The Fall River Spirit several days before the pageant.
Tamara Ann Swihart of Michigan wore a Parisian dancer's outfit to spoof Marlene Dietrich as the man-loving "Marlene Cheap Trick."
The 12 contestants arrived in the city Oct. 17 from all over the globe for practice and rehearsals. In addition to talent, group numbers and an evening gown competition kept the crowd entertained.
Many have done this before. This was 74-year-old Swihart's 14th try for the crown. Ida White, 78, competed in her 13th pageant; Ruth Berkel was here for her 12th attempt.
Swihart, a 74-year-old longtime Betty Boop impersonator, also was featured in a documentary about Ms. Senior Sweetheart, "Pretty Old," which was released in 2012. White also was featured.
Last year, "Pretty Old," a feature-length documentary on the colorful contestants and Kaplan, was released at the Nantucket Film Festival. Produced by California filmmaker Walter Matteson, it won first place at the 2012 Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February.
Lauren Daley is a freelance writer. Contact her at ldaley33@gmail.com.
Not sure how to add your comment? Here's how
0 comments:
Post a Comment