We might have done a double-take when the 55th annual Miss USA came calling for another year in Baltimore. But everything old was new again with this production’s newfound sense of humor.

By Fred Abel.

on equal footing: (Above) With a platform to stand on, Drew Lachey reaches the same stature as co-host Nancy O’Dell as the pageant begins.

History repeats itself, and that old adage seemed true at first glance this year as the Miss USA Pageant traveled back to Baltimore for its 2006 pageant finals. But even though the live NBC telecast returned to “Charm City” this past April, the 2006 competition would definitely be a return engagement that never felt like a rerun of last year’s telecast.

The live finals presentation, which was held last year at the historic Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, for 2006 moved to the 1st Mariner Arena to accommodate the large demand for tickets and ensure a different production visually from 1995, when Miss North Carolina and former Pageantry and PromTime Fashion Showcase model Chelsea Cooley rose to the challenge and earned the title Miss USA 2005. After spending her year immersing herself in the Miss USA role as an international celebrity and a national advocate for breast and ovarian cancer education, research, and legislation, Chelsea would crown her successor as the finale of the primetime NBC telecast.

As history would have it, each contestant from all 50 states and the District of Columbia once again would be judged in three categories: Swimsuit, Evening Gown, and Interview, and only one young lady would be deemed Chelsea’s worthy successor. But along the way, some spry commentary by both Chelsea and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Kressley lent the proceedings some lighthearted moments and gave viewers at home a refreshingly alternative point of view, with Carson declaring at the start: “I told them I would be classy and dignified, but now that I’m here I can’t promise anything, so good luck, ladies.”

Miss Universe President Paula Shugart said that last year’s contestants, friends and families, commented positively on the hospitality and sense of community they found in the state of Maryland and the city of Baltimore, and the Miss Universe Organization decided that a bigger venue such as 1st Mariner Arena was one way to accommodate the increasing pageant popularity. “We are excited to show our audience, for the second year in a row, more of why Maryland is a fabulous travel destination,” said Ms. Shugart.

Both the city and the state shared in the limelight of the NBC telecast, a showcase that state officials were happy once again to benefit from. Like last year, the three-week pageant period began in early April, as friends, family members, and fans began arriving at the Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel, which served as the pageant’s official host hotel, for the numerous public appearances and the all-important rehearsals and preliminary competitions prior to the Friday night live NBC telecast of the finals, which would be distributed to more than 90 countries and territories and be viewed by an estimated worldwide audience of 250 million. Returning once again at the Miss USA production helm were Executive Producer Donald J. Trump and the Gurin Company, led by veteran television writer and Executive Producer Phil Gurin.

If there was any doubt that this year’s change of venue to the larger 1st Mariner Arena was a step up from last year, that doubt was vanquished right from the start of the show. When co-hosts Nancy O’Dell (of Access Hollywood) and Drew Lachey (season two’s Dancing With the Stars winner) appeared side-by-side at the start of the telecast, a stagehand presented Mr. Lachey with a small platform to allow the 5-ft.-6-in. Mr. Lachey to stand as tall as the 5-ft.-9-in. Ms. O’Dell. From that deft piece of comedic stagecraft, the two hosts relaxed and threw themselves into their jobs of guiding the excitement of a national competition to its dramatic conclusion some two hours later. Said Lachey, “They’re beautiful, they’re unstoppable, and they’re ready for the biggest moment in their lives.”

TOP 15: (Above) The 15 finalists compete for the title as they appear in matching outfits. They are (L-R) are: Cristin Duren, Miss Florida USA 2006; Lauren Grissom, Miss Tennessee USA 2006; Stacy Offenberger, Miss Ohio USA 2006; Brenna Katheleen Sakas, Miss Arizona USA 2006; Tamiko Nash, Miss California USA 2006; Katee Stearns, Miss Maine USA 2006; Lisa Wilson, Miss Georgia USA 2006; Lauren Paige Scyphers, Miss Nevada USA 2006; Lacie Lybrand, Miss South Carolina USA 2006; Catherine Warren, Miss Illinois USA 2006; Candace Allen, Miss District of Columbia USA 2006; Haleigh Stidham, Miss Alabama USA 2006; Lauren Lanning, Miss Texas USA 2006; Leeann Tingley, Miss Rhode Island USA 2006; and Tara Elizabeth Conner, Miss Kentucky USA 2006.

What would it take to win the 55th annual Miss USA Pageant? Well, some 36 women would never find out, having been already eliminated in preliminaries. Ultimately, the remaining 15 semifinalists would have to impress the front row of celebrity judges.

Audibly complementing the pageant finals was the ongoing live musical performances of The East Village Opera Company, an electronic instrumental and vocal ensemble with a modern and energetic eclectic sensibility. The contestant introductions also opened things up by capturing the 51 hopefuls at numerous historic buildings and sites. The cameras cut between the taped intros and the live on-stage dance ensemble made up of 51 Miss USA hopefuls.

Next, Miss USA 2005 Chelsea Cooley received a warm reception with her introduction and chat with the hosts, after which she would join Mr. Kressley at the back of the arena to fill their roles as commentators. In another new feature, video scenes and still photos from a Miss USA fashion photo shoot gave the audience one more chance for a beauty close-up of all 51 contestants before the Top 15 were announced. When that time came almost 25 minutes into the telecast, these were the 15 U.S. geographic locales that were allowed to keep hope alive: Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas, Alabama, District of Columbia, Illinois, South Carolina, Nevada, Georgia, Maine, California, Arizona, Ohio, Tennessee, and Florida. Immediately following these revelations, Carson quipped, “I’m more excited than they are. Where was that ‘Come on down’ enthusiasm?” he implored, while Chelsea pointed out the girls who’d made a positive initial impression on her.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Miss Congeniality: Miss Minnesota Dottie Cannon

Miss Photogenic: Miss Florida Cristin Duren

After a videotaped travelogue of scenes from Havre de Grace, Dorchester County, Annapolis, Garrett County, and Ocean City, competition commenced with Swimsuit, a departure from last year’s production, when Evening Gown preceded the choice of the Top 10. This year, appearing fit in sparkling gold bikinis with matching sheer wraps, all 15 semifinalists descended from the three-step center stage to stage-front, which brought them up close with the judges and boom-mounted TV cameras, after which they walked off-stage until they all reappeared for one final “wow.” Carson Kressley excitedly fanned his face for visual comic effect, while Chelsea dabbed the sweat from his brow and gave a nod to Miss Alabama for having “a rockin’ body.” Their banter continued with Carson commenting on the difficulty of avoiding disaster on a stage that presented three steps and a water feature to navigate in high heels. “They did great,” Chelsea reassured. “They hit every mark.”

Only a select 10 were going to move on. The Top 10 were: Misses California Tamiko Nash, South Carolina Lacie Lybrand, Ohio Stacy Offenberger, Kentucky Tara Elizabeth Conner, Florida Cristin Duren, Texas Lauren Lanning, Alabama Haleigh Stidham, Districtof Columbia Candace Allen, Georgia Lisa Wilson, and Rhode Island Leeann Tingley. Carson’s excitable comments continued to be played for laughs, while Chelsea delivered solid reportage with sophistication, introducing the video clips that would allow the audience to hear first-person accounts from each of the Top 10 prior to the Evening Gown competition. Those pre-taped close-ups would be followed by the second segment looking at many of Maryland’s attractions, this time with Carson and Chelsea leading viewers through Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and other sites.

Evening Gown, featuring fashions chosen by the competitors themselves and showcasing each woman’s poise, elegance, and grace, began with an appearance by all 51 contestants, before the Top 10 provided the judges, the audience, and the millions of viewers around the world with images of breathtaking female beauty and grace featuring some of the finest designer gowns in the world. Difficult as it may always be, the judges would soon end the competition for five of the 10. Before that decision, though, Carson and Chelsea traded barbs, with Carson calling one competitor’s earrings “bigger than toasters” and Chelsea noting that Miss D.C. changed gowns after preliminaries. They threw the conversation back to Drew, who gave the judges a chance to name favorites. All demurred. “Prime location, they’re all great,” Donald Trump Jr. told the cohost.

A backstage look at the Baltimore-based Covergirl makeup factory was followed by the presentation of Special Awards: Miss Congeniality (voted on by all the contestants) went to Miss Minnesota Dottie Cannon and Most Photogenic (voted online at NBC.com) was awarded to Miss Florida Cristin Duren. Appropriately, Carson and Chelsea followed up by introducing viewers to the new official beauty book of the pageant system, Universal Beauty: The Miss Universe Guide to Beauty, which debuted the previous week.

Once back from a commercial break, we learned the Top 5 spots were awarded to Ohio, Kentucky, California, Georgia, and Florida.

TOP 5 IN EVENING GOWN: Tara Elizabeth Conner, Miss Kentucky USA 2006; Tamiko Nash, Miss California USA 2006; Lisa Wilson, Miss Georgia USA 2006; Stacy Offenberger, Miss Ohio USA 2006; and Cristin Duren, Miss Florida USA 2006.

The next on-stage comments by contestants weren’t judged, and came in response to prompts regarding personal experiences brought up by Nancy and Drew. The Final Questions, however, did count in the standings, and resulted after each of the Top 5 chose a judge’s name out of a fish bowl. Miss Ohio gave one of the most cogent answers to Jillian Barberie’s request for Miss Ohio to give her younger self advice, saying, “To breathe. Life isn’t as complicated as it sometimes seems.” Nicole Linkletter asked Miss Kentucky whether today’s pop stars are positive role models for young people, and heard her say, “I think they’re getting to be a little too edgy.” James Hyde wanted to know how we can keep families together, to which Miss California replied, “Spending time together I think is the key.” Hines Ward asked Miss Georgia what men can learn from women, and she seemed taken aback. “From women? Oh wow!” she said. “We are a strong creature, let me tell you. … Just to believe in yourself, and stay strong in everything you do.” Donald Trump Jr. lobbed a tough one for Miss Florida to handle: “Are we as a society getting a little too politically correct?” “Hmmm, actually I’d probably have to say maybe so,” she replied, using the removal of religion in public schools as an example. Carson’s reaction, once more, was to pose the funny question for Chelsea: “Have you ever lost your focus and then thought, ‘Let’s just talk about my shoes?’” Chelsea, like the experienced competitor she is, gave kudos to both the judges for their tough questions and the contestants for doing their best to handle the pressure.

IN TOP FORM: Tara Elizabeth Conner, Miss Kentucky USA 2006, participates in the swimsuit portion of competition.

As the judges recorded their final scores from the Final Question round, the gift package was revealed: a Mikimoto crown and tiara; a NYC apartment; a personal appearance, shoe collection, and swimwear wardrobe; professional performance representation from personal and modeling management agencies; a $3,000 cash prize; a two-year training scholarship to The School for Film and Television; a guest role on the NBC soap Passions; and numerous other prizes from sponsors.

After all the strong performances and with no apparent frontrunner, all the Top 5 stepped confidently to center stage once more, as the final dramatic moments about to be revealed had the entire audience buzzing with excitement. During her final walk, Chelsea voiced her appreciation for her biological and pageant families, leaving young women everywhere with this advice: “Always try and matter, be a positive person, and never stop believing in yourselves.”

Saying “All right, ladies, this is it,” Nancy O’Dell began the countdown from fifth to first by calling 4th Runner-up Cristin Duren of Florida; Drew next named 3rd Runner-up Stacy Offenberger of Ohio; and 2nd Runner-up Lisa Wilson of Georgia. Facing each other, California and Kentucky embraced just a brief moment before Drew brought the final news to 1st Runner-up Miss California Tamiko Nash. A shocked Miss Kentucky Tara Elizabeth Conner stepped back and placed both palms over her face, turned on her winner’s smile and helped Chelsea lay the crown on her head, symbolic of the Miss USA 2006 title, and composed herself to receive a standing ovation.

?ANTICIPATION: (Above Left) Tara Conner hugs Tamiko Nash seconds before being crowned Miss USA 2006. (Above Middle) Outgoing titleholder Chelsea Cooley places the crown on her head, and as the news sinks in (Above Right), Tara flashes a winner’s smile and holds up a fist in triumph.