Las Vegas Weekly

January 27, 2010 · 9:58 AM

Photo Galleries: Miss Puerto Rico, Miss Virginia win preliminary rounds

By Robin Leach

Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron and Miss Puerto Rico Mimi Pabon at the 2010 Miss America Pageant preliminary competition at Planet Hollywood on Jan. 26, 2010.

Photo: Miss America Organization

Gorgeous Miss Puerto Rico, representing the island commonwealth for the first time in more than 50 years at the 2010 Miss America Pageant, won a $1,000 scholarship on the first evening of the 2010 preliminary competition last night.

Mimi Pabon, who strutted the stage in a black Winnwear bikini, was named the winner of the first Lifestyle & Fitness category at the Theater for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood.

Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron was named preliminary Talent winner for her vocal performance of Beyonce’s “Listen” from Dreamgirls. She receives a $2,000 scholarship.

The awards for both ladies bode well as an indication of how they might fare in the two upcoming TV specials this weekend. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue shot last night’s first preliminary excitement for our photo gallery.

The celebrity judges who voted last night are actress Vivica A. Fox, Olympic champion Shawn Johnson, jazz instrumentalist Dave Koz, 2002 Miss America Katie Harman, American Idol finalist Brooke White and conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. They were seated in two short rows of three apiece flanked on both sides by a changing security detail. Additional security guards blocked each aisle leading to the stage area where the judges were seated.

The first one-hour special, Miss America: Behind the Curtain, airs at 10 pm. PST Friday on TLC. We’ll have our interview with Brent Zacky, TLC’s VP of program affairs, later today about the reality show that for the first time features what goes on in the four days leading up to the crowning of Miss America 2010. More than 95 percent of the show is being filmed here in Las Vegas.

Then watch Saturday as host Mario Lopez at the pageant airing live on TLC from here crowns the new Miss America at 5 p.m. for broadcast at 8 p.m. EST and 7 p.m. CST. The 2010 Miss America Pageant will be tape delayed to air at 8 p.m. PST and 9 p.m. MST.

Photo: Miss America Organization

Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron sings during the Talent portion of the 2010 Miss America Pageant preliminary competition at Planet Hollywood on Jan. 26, 2010. Caressa was crowned the 2010 Miss America.

Photo: Miss America Organization

Miss Puerto Rico Mimi Pabon competes in the Lifestyle & Fitness portion of the 2010 Miss America Pageant preliminary competition at Planet Hollywood on Jan. 26, 2010.

Sam Haskell III, chairman of the Miss America Organization, said: “As the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation’s leading achievement programs, the Miss America Organization last year made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance. The Miss America Organization provides young women with a vehicle to further their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of nationwide community-based programs.”

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

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Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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