Las Vegas Weekly

January 27, 2009 · 3:37 PM

Final Miss America Pageant notes: Mario meets the president, and the judge with a ‘hole in her heart’

By Robin Leach

Host Mario Lopez during the 2009 Miss America Pageant's opening number.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

This year’s Miss America Pageant host Mario Lopez is one really busy guy! In addition to his daily hosting duties on Extra, Mario’s continuing on with hosting MTV’s highest-rated series America’s Best Dance Crew. When I talked with him backstage during Miss America Pageant duties, Mario told me he also will be returning to his role on FX’s Nip/Tuck, too!

And if that’s not enough on his plate, Mario’s also writing a children’s book, Mud Tacos, with his sister Marisa. His recent book Knockout Fitness is a best-selling guide of his own intense workout regimes. Now Mario tells me that he’s going to enter the Los Angeles Marathon!

“I’m very serious about being in top physical shape,” Mario said. “That’s one of the reasons I enjoy being a commentator on HBO’s worldwide boxing broadcasts. I talked recently with President Obama about fitness. He is one of the fittest presidents we’ve had. Both of us allocate the time every morning early.

“I am very much in favor of his call for everybody to volunteer for public service. I work with Big Brothers and the Boys & Girls Clubs. If the president wants to keep kids off the streets, out of trouble and stop them from becoming overweight from junk food, I’m going to support that. I’ll run the marathon to raise awareness for that!”

From my file of interesting coincidences

*At the “Dinner of Dreams,” I sat beside the mother of judge Laura Bell Bundy, the Tony-nominated actress for her role on Broadway in Legally Blonde: The Musical. She is now on tour with the production. Previously, Laura starred on Broadway in Hairspray, Wicked and in Marie Osmond’s national tour of The Sound of Music. Her mom reminded me that Laura was just 9 when she began her career, and on the very first day she was featured in a Radio City Music Hall Rockettes show, I had interviewed Laura -- back in 1985! They still have a copy of that videotape all these years!

I remember the story because Laura had been born with a rare “hole in her heart,” and doctors at first said she’d never be able to sing or dance. Miraculously, the heart defect nearly closed itself without surgery. To this day, there’s still a miniscule gap, but Laura never let it interfere with her showbiz stardom. You can check out a YouTube interview with Laura from Legally Blonde below.

From my reporter’s notes

*Newly crowned 2009 Miss America Katie Stam is into her second day of a New York media blitz of TV appearances. I’m told she’s winning fans with every appearance; as a result, TV show stops have been added to her schedule. Singer-songwriter Marvin Hamlisch hopes to meet up with her to lend support to her mission to get Americans to stop smoking. He’s hoping she’ll sing a new song he’s composed for next year’s pageant.

*When 2004 Miss America Ericka Dunlap appeared on Hollywood Squares years ago, her partner was magician Lance Burton, who headlines at the Monte Carlo. Lance invited Ericka and husband Brian to be his guests at his show. After several delays, they finally worked it out to see the illusionist after last year’s pageant. But, as you know, the roof of the resort caught fire back then -- and Lance’s show was put on hold! So Ericka didn’t get to see it then, either. Finally, it all came together this year -- after four years of trying, Ericka and Lance reunited! She and her family watched the show and then went backstage afterwards to meet Lance.

*2006 Miss America Jennifer Berry Gooden, who was the first winner in Las Vegas after the pageant moved here from Atlantic City, made me laugh with one story. She said that it was impossible to always look and be the glamour queen expected of Miss America -- particularly for early morning flights. She told me that she was dressed down in a sweat suit, hidden behind sunglasses and hair pulled up in a baseball cap. “Nobody would have recognized me,” she laughed. “Except the pilot announced before we took off that Miss America was on board. Everybody looked for the girl in the tiara, and the flight attendant actually apologized to me for the captain’s bad joke!”

*Former beauty queens held a Miss America reunion at Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Planet Hollywood. More than 20 former contestants enjoyed a night of dancing and fun. They included Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto (second runner-up last year) and a group of 2007 contestants: Miss Nevada Caleche Manos, Miss Texas Molly Hazlett, Miss North Carolina Jessica Jacobs, Miss North Dakota Kate Wismer, Miss Arkansas Katie Bailey, Miss Colorado Maggie Ireland, Miss New York Elisabeth Baldanza, Miss Louisiana Amanda Joseph, Miss Virginia Hannah Kiefer, Miss California Melissa Chaty, Miss Hawaii Ashley Layfield, Miss Maine Tara Allain, Miss Kentucky Kaitlynne Postel, Miss Florida Kylie Williams, Miss Kansas Alyssa George, Miss Wyoming Jenn McCafferty, Miss Ohio Roberta Camp, Miss Rhode Island Ashley Bickford and Miss New Hampshire Rachel Barker.

Departing words from 2008 Miss America

Last year’s Miss America, Kirsten Haglund of Michigan, is one smart thrift store shopper! She told a group of former Miss Americas at a Neiman Marcus Fashion Show luncheon that when she had entered the Miss Michigan Pageant that won her the right to compete in Miss America, she’d bought a $5 dress from the Salvation Army to sing in the talent competition!

“I was on such a budget back then, I even had to reuse my senior prom dress. I splurged on my first business suit when I was 17 years old from JC Penny, and it was really scary to be dressed up and having to speak at a podium. I had no expectation of winning. I only entered to learn some wisdom from other older girls. When I won, I was incredibly scared and nervous about upholding the tradition. In order to be the best, I just had to be myself. I couldn’t try to be any other Miss America before me.”

Kirsten, who once dressed as a Miss America for Halloween when she was 6, told me she is moving to Hollywood to pursue an entertainment career and finish her advanced college business classes in order to run her own children’s foundation.

“Even though it’s the end of my reign, this is just the beginning of my life,” she told me.

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