Sam Haskell, Chairman of the Board of the Miss America Organization, announced today that the 2012 Miss America Pageant will return to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for a week of preliminary competitions, culminating in a live telecast on ABC, Saturday, January 14.

"The 90th anniversary Miss America Pageant on ABC was a tremendous success, taking the ratings crown as the most-watched non-sports program on Saturday night on ABC," stated Sam Haskell.   "With the success of our re-branding of Miss America, we have attracted a new audience and look forward to working with ABC and Planet Hollywood to make the 2012 broadcast event even more memorable for our viewers.”

The three nights of preliminaries will take place on January 10, 11 and 12 at Planet Hollywood's Theatre for the Performing Arts. Tickets for the preliminaries, as well as the Miss America Live Event will be available soon.  For information on all ticket sales visit www.missamerica.org.

"We are thrilled to be returning to Planet Hollywood again for our 7th consecutive year," said Art McMaster, President & CEO of the Miss America Organization. "While other cities have pursued hosting Miss America, Las Vegas along with Planet Hollywood and Caesars Entertainment have exceeded our expectations, and we will continue to build on the traditions created in Las Vegas."

Miss America has called Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino home since moving to Las Vegas from Atlantic City in 2006. Teresa Scanlan, of Gering, Nebraska is the 90th Anniversary Miss America.
 
For information on Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, please visit 
http://planethollywood.com.

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Applications are currently being accepted for the 2011 Miss Wayne County Scholarship Pageant, an official Miss America preliminary.

Any woman age 17-24 who lives, works full time or attends school full time in Wayne County is eligible to apply. Contestants will compete in the following categories: interview, lifestyle, swimsuit, evening gown, talent, and on stage question.

The winner will receive a cash scholarship and will represent Wayne County at the 2012 Miss Michigan Pageant to be held in Muskegon. The application deadline is Aug. 21. To apply online, visit www.misswaynecounty.org.

For more information, call (734) 367-0560 or e-mail SheilaMae116@aol.com.

Applications are also available for the Miss Wayne County Princess Program, a noncompetitive pageant experience open to girls ages 4-12. Visit www.misswaynecounty.org to apply.

The pageant is set for Sept. 10 at Livonia Churchill High School, 8900 Newburgh, Livonia.

Source:  HometownLife.com

By Ashlee Baracy

The clock is ticking as intensity starts to rise. Preliminary competition is officially over and as I write this entry, the judges are sitting in a room down the hall discussing the top ten finalists. It is almost like a secret society meeting. This is all part of the judging process where each judge will score the top ten contestants that are given to them by the auditors a composite score that will carry over into the Saturday night final competition.

In the meantime, the contestants have to try to relax and let fate ride its course, but it is easier said than done. Tomorrow night will be the final pageant for the Teen contestants and that means a night off for the Miss contestants, which also means even more time for the nerves to fester internally since their finals are not until Saturday.

IMAGES: Behind The Scenes Countdown To The Miss Michigan Crown

Thursday was an incredible showcase of a wide variety of talent ranging from impeccable vocalists and dancers to original performances with the saxophone, marimba, bass guitar and drums! If boy bands were able to become a craze why not a Miss Michigan girl band? It doesn’t hurt that they are beautiful as well as talented. I just may have to work on managing that!

By Ashlee Baracy

The music is cued and the spotlights are up. Cheers echo off the historic walls of the Frauenthal Theater in Muskegon as friends and family of each contestant wave signs and noisemakers cheering for their favorite girl. As the curtains rise, it is at that moment that the butterflies let loose and we are that much closer to crowning a new Miss Michigan.

Each one of these young women have worked their whole lives at sculpting their intellect, morals and talent making them incredible contenders for the crown. As I look around backstage, I can see a wide range of emotions from nervous jitters to beaming smiles. I remember being in those shoes a few short years ago and this year I am honored to soak it all up again as the emcee.

Logistically, all the contestants participated in a ten minute private interview with the judges on Tuesday where they were drilled on questions about politics, current events, community service and more. It is nothing short of a nail-biting press conference. Wednesday and Thursday nights are the preliminary competitions where each contestant takes the stage competing in talent, swimsuit, evening gown and onstage question. After the 31 contestants compete in all phases of competition the field will be narrowed to ten who will re-compete in all of the onstage components of the competition, ultimately being narrowed down to five, then one… Miss Michigan 2011.

The question of the week is: Who will she be?

By Rachel Iovan | The Muskegon Chronicle

MUSKEGON — The Miss Michigan 2011 competition continued Thursday night at the
Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, with three more contestants picking up scholarship money and a few extra points into the final round.

Half of the Miss Michigan and Teen contestants competed in the active wear, talent, evening wear and onstage question categories Wednesday night. The other half competed in the preliminaries Thursday, with the teen finals set for today (FRI) and Miss Michigan’s crowning Saturday.

It was another good night for Miss Southwest, Elizabeth Wertenberger, who won both the preliminary talent round Wednesday and the preliminary swimsuit event Thursday.

Wertenberger’s winnings so far have reached $1,000, split evenly across both competitions.

The other “Miss” winner of the night was Kelly Oles, who took the top spot in the talent preliminary round with her Broadway vocals number, earning $500.

On the “Teens” side, dancer Brooklynn Lambert, Miss Spirit of the State, won the preliminary talent event and garnered a $200 savings bond.

The new Miss Michigan will receive a $10,000 college scholarship and the chance to compete for the title of Miss America. She also will be expected to promote her platform and the pageant’s sponsors.

Source:  MLive.com

The Miss Wayne County Scholarship Program sends our sincerest condolences to the Haglund family on the passing of their beloved mother and grandmother, Iora Hunt.  She will be greatly missed.

Local 4's Ashlee Baracy Tells Her Story of Gowns, Glitz

The smell of hairspray mixed with a variety of gowns, glitz and of course a line-up of outstanding young women and we have got ourselves a pageant!

Three years ago, I was in Muskegon at the Frauenthal Theater as a Miss Michigan contestant, two years ago I was on the same stage as the reigning Miss Michigan, last year I was there for the first time as a former titleholder and this year another dream is coming true for me as I take the stage tonight as emcee.

Preliminary competition to the Miss Michigan Scholarship pageant starts Wednesday for the Miss and Teen contestants and will go through Saturday, June 18, when we crown Miss Michigan 2011. Who will she be?

Follow my blog as I update you every night on the preliminary competition winners and give you a behind the scene peak at what it takes to make it to Miss America!

In the meantime, while I take to the road to the westside of the state, you can see pictures of all the contestants at MissMichigan.org and enjoy some photos right here of our own Local 4 family with the authetic Miss Michigan crown! I think there is a little bit of pageantry in everyone’s heart!

IMAGES: Local 4's Ashlee Baracy Crowned Miss Michigan 2008

Ashlee Baracy
Miss Michigan 2008

Source:  ClickonDetroit.com

Local 4's Ashlee Baracy Tells Her Story of Gowns, Glitz

The smell of hairspray mixed with a variety of gowns, glitz and of course a line-up of outstanding young women and we have got ourselves a pageant!

Three years ago, I was in Muskegon at the Frauenthal Theater as a Miss Michigan contestant, two years ago I was on the same stage as the reigning Miss Michigan, last year I was there for the first time as a former titleholder and this year another dream is coming true for me as I take the stage tonight as emcee.

Preliminary competition to the Miss Michigan Scholarship pageant starts Wednesday for the Miss and Teen contestants and will go through Saturday, June 18, when we crown Miss Michigan 2011. Who will she be?

Follow my blog as I update you every night on the preliminary competition winners and give you a behind the scene peak at what it takes to make it to Miss America!

In the meantime, while I take to the road to the westside of the state, you can see pictures of all the contestants at MissMichigan.org and enjoy some photos right here of our own Local 4 family with the authetic Miss Michigan crown! I think there is a little bit of pageantry in everyone’s heart!

IMAGES: Local 4's Ashlee Baracy Crowned Miss Michigan 2008

Ashlee Baracy
Miss Michigan 2008

ClickonDetroit.com

By Megan Hart | The Muskegon Chronicle

MUSKEGON -- For 21 years, one West Michigan family hasn't missed a Miss Michigan pageant.

Betty Lallo of Whitehall and her daughter, Nicole Damuth, of Ada, said they make the pageant an event to remember every year by dressing up and going out to dinner, where they make their predictions about who will be the next young woman representing the Wolverine state. And now Damuth's daughter, Lucy Damuth, age 5, is joining the tradition.

There were a few years when they knew a contestant, Nicole Damuth said, but watching strangers compete is fun, too.

“Out of 20 years, we're probably been right about six (predictions),” she said. “It's just been so much fun for us. We love the example it sets for women.”

Most of the audience that filled about half of the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts Wednesday night was clearly partisan, however, and came equipped with buttons and ribbons sporting their favorite contestant's face – and some even brought noisemakers and cowbells.