Las Vegas Weekly

April 19, 2009 · 3:21 PM

Live Blog and Photo Gallery: Miss North Carolina is crowned Miss USA 2009

By Robin Leach

Miss North Carolina USA Kristen Dalton is crowned Miss USA 2009 at Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Miss USA Organization

3:15 p.m.: The green carpet, because NBC Universal is all about being environmentally conscientious, is over, and many of the pageant VIPs -- Donald Trump, Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart, My Name Is Earl star Nadine Velazquez, Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey, Perez Hilton, KVBC entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs, Deal or No Deal's Claudia Jordan, Kelly Monaco, Holly Madison and Eric Trump, among others -- posed for photos.

Seen and heard on the green carpet:

*Perez Hilton brought up his recent spat with Believe magician Criss Angel, whose show Perez described as "unbelievably bad."

*Holly Madison apologized for the overblown drama with Alicia Jacobs during Hugh Hefner's 83rd birthday weekend at the Palms, and Alicia asked her if she looked OK tonight.

*A few of the photographers egged on Donald Trump, telling him, "You're fired!" The Donald fired back: "No, you're fired!"

4:08 p.m.: The show is on! Seven thousand supporters of 51 beautiful girls are packed into Planet Hollywood's Theatre for the Performing Arts. They are armed with posters and large blowup photos of their state favorites.

Holly Madison, a last-minute replacement judge, has high-fived with local TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs and patched up their supposed feud. Perez Hilton has been blogging and laughing at the celebrity behavior here.

The biggest cheers are reserved for Miss Nevada USA Georgina Vaughan and Miss Texas USA Brooke Daniels during the roll call, as the pretaped opening shot in and around the Planet Hollywood forecourt, lobby, casino, Heart Bar, Prive nightclub and escalator to the new Peepshow theater cuts right to the disco-themed live opening by the Veronicas. The glamour girls are center stage in their sparkly short shorts and cleavage-baring bras.

Co-host Nadine Velazquez is dazzling in her emerald green gown escorting Billy Bush down the staircase to start the show. Says Nadine: "We are in for an awesome night!"

4:18 p.m.: In random order, the Top 15 semifinalists are Miss Kentucky, Miss Arkansas, Miss California, Miss West Virginia, Miss North Carolina, Miss Connecticut, Miss Tennessee, Miss Idaho, Miss Arizona, Miss Georgia, Miss Utah, Miss Minnesota, Miss Texas, Miss South Carolina and Miss Virginia. Alas, Miss Nevada Georgina Vaughan did not make the Top 15.

4:22 p.m.: Next comes the swimsuit portion of the competition. The betting has now shifted to a showdown between the anticipated top two of California and Texas. If Texas wins, it would be the second consecutive year that a titleholder from the Lone Star State has won.

4:32 p.m.: The judges have been introduced, including last-minute replacement Holly Madison. The 15 finalists are now stepping into their Jessica Simpson swimsuits. I've spotted former Miss USA Shanna Moakler in the audience leading the cheering squad from California. The separated wife of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker now heads up the Miss California USA and Miss Teen USA pageant organizations.

4:37 p.m.: Nadine has changed into a red and white floral dress. The first of the all-around-Las-Vegas video packages rolls with the Crystle Stewart "cut in half" saw illusion with Monte Carlo magician Lance Burton and a visit to the Liberace Museum. The first rock performance of the night from Kevin Rudolf brings a wild and upbeat party attitude to the swimsuit presentation.

4:45 p.m.: The semifinalist bathing beauties in their white two-piece swimsuits appear from behind matching huge white showgirl feather fans. Inside the theater, the loudest cheers are now for Arizona, California, Texas and Utah. Right after this, five more of the contestants will be cut, leaving 10 to battle on to the crown.

4:53 p.m.: The internal cameras pan on the 15 girls standing on the left stage staircases. They smile and wave, but it's obvious that several are really nervous. Here are the 10 finalists in random order as picked by the judges and announced by co-hosts Nadine and Billy: Miss Arizona, Miss California, Miss South Carolina, Miss Kentucky, Miss Utah, Miss North Carolina, Miss Arkansas, Miss Texas, Miss West Virginia and Miss Tennessee.

4:58 p.m.: Now into the commercial break that precedes the evening gown competition. The girls will parade while the Australian teen sensations the Veronicas perform their hit "Untouched."

5:13 p.m.: It's a frenzy of backstage insanity as the 10 finalists change rapid-fire into elegant evening gowns in just four minutes of the commercial break. They even have to describe the gowns, but I note it seems a little awkward for the pageant princesses strutting to the beat of "Untouched" in their floor-length fashions.

Some are cut thigh high on the outside legs -- and some surprisingly in between. All seem to shine with Swarovski crystals! Miss Utah says she selected a yellow creation to stand out in the crowd. The big wow in the crowd went for Miss Arkansas in a bare-midriff red wonder. It's an extraordinary kaleidoscope of color as they circle the stage, although the majority of evening gowns are white and silver.

We are less than 50 minutes away from the new Miss USA, as the judges prepare the next cut down to a final five -- and those girls will face a double round of questions to determine the ultimate winner.

Our Peepshow cabaret co-star Kelly Monaco says that despite the contestants' beauty, the judges are looking for the girl who has the most confidence and can be a role model for women out there.

5:21 p.m.: It started with 51 contestants, and then it was cut to 15. Then there were 10, and now with 40 minutes remaining, there will be just five. It's down to the crunch -- and the period of the show that Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart fears each time. Click HERE for our one-on-one interview with Paula from Friday when she explains why it all makes her nauseous.

First, though, the vote of the 51 girls for Miss Congeniality is Miss Wyoming and the Miss USA Web site viewer vote for Miss Photogenic is Miss West Virginia. We'll be right back with the five after the NBC commercial break to pay some of the bills.

5:32 p.m.: In random order yet again: Miss North Carolina, Miss Kentucky, huge applause for Miss Arizona, Miss California and Miss Utah. Now they face the grueling questions. What makes you beautiful is the first question for Miss North Carolina. Miss Utah explains her worldwide children's charity ambitions. Miss Arizona has to explain her "Daddy Long Legs" nickname. Miss California talks of her basketball experience, and Miss Kentucky wraps it up.

One question from each of the judges will follow after Donald Trump plugs Celebrity Apprentice, which follows the pageant. He tells the audience that he'll be firing two contestants tonight.

5:40 p.m.: Miss North Carolina is first. Kelly Monaco asks whether taxpayer money should be used to bail out struggling companies. She says no, and it gets huge applause in the audience when she says the money should be used for education. Miss Arizona is next. Kenan Thompson asks if the U.S. should have universal health care. She answers saying integrity is the deciding factor in that debate. Miss Utah is third: Claudia Jordan asks if the U.S. should still be supporting Afghanistan even when we are in a recession. She says yes; it's a duty and a responsibility.

Miss California is fourth. Perez Hilton asks about same-sex marriage and should it be available in every state. She says it should be between a man and a woman. There's an uproar in the theater over her answer. Brian Graden asks Miss Kentucky about domestic violence in light of the Chris Brown-Rihanna incident and if she would report domestic violence. Miss Kentucky answers an affirmative yes.

5:57 p.m.: We are down to the nail-biting final moments. The questions have been asked -- and answered. The judges make their last deciding calculations while video of the five finalists in their swimsuits and evening gowns runs again as the last reminder.

Once the winner is announced, I will go down to the stage to meet her after the official coronation photos have been taken. First, though, all the contestants are back onstage as Crystle Stewart takes her last walk as Miss USA 2008.

One more commercial break, and then bedlam breaks out as fourth runner-up is Miss Kentucky, third runner-up is Miss Utah, second runner-up is Miss Arizona, first runner-up is Miss California, and the new Miss USA 2009 is Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton.

"My favorite girl won!" Holly Madison told me. "She looks like a Disney princess! She was so sweet when I congratulated her. She gave a great answer regarding government bailouts, too."

Tonight's judges were Kelly Monaco, Kenan Thompson, Claudia Jordan, Brian Graden, Holly Madison, John Miller, Alicia Jacobs, Perez Hilton, Shandi Finnessey, Eric Trump, Willie Geist and Robert Earl.

Check back in the morning for Kristen's first one-on-one interview after winning, in which she says she knew she would win the moment she landed in Las Vegas!

Additional reporting by VegasDeLuxe.com Editor Don Chareunsy.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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