Las Vegas Weekly

January 23, 2009 · 12:27 PM

Photo Gallery: Former Miss Americas gather for luncheon at Neiman Marcus

By Robin Leach

From left, Judi Ford Nash, Vonda Van Dyke, Shawntel Smith Wuerich, Heather French Henry, Ericka Dunlap, an unidentified Neiman Marcus rep, gift basket winner Jennifer Berry Gooden and Lauren Nelson.

Photo: Miss America Organization

As the final 48 hours tick down to the crowning of Miss America 2009, the pre-show highlight this evening is the “Dinner of Dreams” with entertainer Marie Osmond as the special guest. Miss America 1981 Susan Powell will play host along with two Las Vegas winners of the title, Kirsten Haglund (the reigning Miss America from Michigan) and Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007. Miss America 1965 Vonda Van Dyke, who won the talent contest as a ventriloquist, may even pull a surprise dummy out of her luggage!

I will join the ladies to make a couple of special toasts from the stage before look-alike entertainers including Celine Dion, Tina Turner and Tom Jones from the Imperial Palace belt out the sound-alike hits, too. Then the dance floor action heats up with the Miss America Dance Party -- and it’s a case of the hair coming down as the beauties kick up their heels. We’ll have those photos right here tomorrow, along with our interview with two-time Miss America Pageant host Mario Lopez.

Yesterday at the former Miss Americas luncheon at Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show, I asked the women who we should be on the lookout for as top contenders Saturday night. Remember that Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry Gooden predicted that Lauren would be her successor, and Lauren accurately picked Kirsten as her successor.

“It’s not quite as simple this year around,” Lauren told me. “There’s some last-minute wrinkles because of the reality-show nominations,” Jennifer explained. However, they put their minds to work and said it would all come down to a battle among Miss California, Miss Georgia, Miss Indiana, Miss Michigan, Miss Mississippi and Miss Oklahoma! Tonight, they agreed to huddle with Kirsten and come up with their collective winner that we’ll reveal in tomorrow’s pre-show coverage.

Lynn Weidner, who is married to The Venetian and the Palazzo’s chief executive Bill Weidner, is a former Miss New Jersey in the Miss America Pageant. She now serves on the Miss America board of directors and works with the scholarship fundraising programs. Lynn hosted the luncheon and introduced 13 former Miss Americas: Bebe Shopp Waring (1948), Lee Meriwether (1955), Maria Beale Fletcher (1962), Donna Whitworh (1964), Vonda Van Dyke (1965), Judi Nash, who won for her talent on a trampoline (1969), Rebecca Dreman (1974), Shawntel Smith Wuerich (1996), Heather French Henry (2000), Ericka Dunlap (2004), Jennifer Berry Gooden (2006), Lauren Nelson (2007) and Kirsten Haglund (2008).

While in Las Vegas, the former winners have dined at both Sushi Samba in the Palazzo and at Delmonico’s in The Venetian. Meantime, the judges, who are under close security watch, have dined as a working group at Postrio and Bouchon in The Venetian, Alize at the top of the Palms, Trader Vic’s at Planet Hollywood and Piero’s opposite the Convention Center.

Tonight after the “Dinner of Dreams,” there’s a reunion for a roster of other Miss America participants over the past two years at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone inside Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops. Among those expected on the 11 p.m. red carpet are Elyse Umemoto (second runner-up, 2008 Miss America Pageant, Miss Washington), Caleche Manos (Miss Nevada 2007), Molly Hazlett (Miss Texas 2007), Jessica Jacobs (Miss North Carolina 2007), Kate Wismer (Miss North Dakota 2007), Katie Bailey (Miss Arkansas 2007), Maggie Ireland (Miss Colorado 2007), Elisabeth Baldanza (Miss New York 2007), Amanda Joseph (Miss Louisiana 2007), Hannah Kiefer (Miss Virginia 2007), Melissa Chaty (Miss California 2007), Ashley Layfield (Miss Hawaii 2007), Tara Allain (Miss Maine 2007), Kaitlynne Postel (Miss Kentucky 2007), Kylie Williams (Miss Florida 2007), Alyssa George (Miss Kansas 2007), Jenn McCafferty (Miss Wyoming 2007), Roberta Camp (Miss Ohio 2007), Ashley Bickford (Miss Rhode Island 2007) and Rachel Barker (Miss New Hampshire 2007).

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