Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 16, 1993 TAG: 9309300281
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That exclamation will mean that the first Ms. Virginia Senior Citizen Pageant, taking place at the Roanoke Airport Sheraton Inn on Friday and Saturday, was the success she fully expects it to be.
Talbott - herself the winner of the 1991 Ms. National Senior Citizen title - organized the pageant for women over age 55 last fall and is its chairwoman. A retired business professor at New River Valley Community College and volunteer in numerous church and civic activities, she had plenty of background in organizing events and people.
"I've got to emphasize that this is not a beauty pageant," Talbott says. "It's not about what the contestants look like but what they're doing with their lives and what's inside of them."
It's an explanation Talbott has given numerous times during the past few months to businesses and individuals as she and a dedicated 15-member committee competed with the Hotel Roanoke renovation project and other budgetary priorities for funds.
The explanation also often was given to the 13 contestants from across the state to assure them that the pageant is neither a fluke nor a con and that they would not be silly or vain for entering it.
Talbott says a lot of hard work as well as cooperation and support from businesses, individuals the city of Roanoke and others, has gone into pulling off this show.
Bob Thomas, the pageant's producer/director, will have a major role. Because the contestants won't begin rehearsal until Friday morning for that night's show, then do the same thing on Saturday, only with a different show, Thomas expects to have his work cut out for him. Including breaks for lunch, dinner and rests, the veteran pageant producer estimates he'll have about six hours of rehearsal time per day.
Thomas, who owns B&B Media Inc., a small advertising and public relations agency in Radford, and is also director of news, public affairs and promotion for Radford AM/FM radio stations WRAD and WRIQ, has years of experience in pageant direction, but this is his first experience with senior women.
"The best part of this job is meeting and working with all the different people," he says. "The worst is always wishing after it's over that I could have done more or done it better."
Master of ceremonies Lowell Hill also will play a major part in a smooth production. Hill is probably best-known as co-owner/manager/maitre d' of the Library Restaurant in Roanoke. But, he says, aside from the restaurant, one of his his biggest loves is singing. Hill will sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Unforgettable" during the pageant.
A special gift of his that has been an asset during his 20-plus years emceeing pageants is his photographic short-term memory.
"I don't want to brag too much, but I take great pride in memorizing the contestants' names, so there is no chance of error. I also memorize the scripts, so I don't have to read them, " he says.
The best part of the pageant for him is seeing the participants improve and gain confidence, which he says they invariably do.
And, of course, there will be the contestants themselves, who will be judged on talent, their appearance in daytime and evening wear and their spontaneous responses to judges' questions.
"I personally am amazed at the breadth of talent and inner beauty that will be displayed," Talbott says.
The grand-prize winner will receive a $300 prize, a trophy and tiara, two airplane tickets to anywhere in the continental United States. She also will be sponsored at the national seniors paegant competition in October in Joliet, Ill.
The first runner up will receive $200; second runner up $100; and trophies will be awarded for outstanding talent and also oldest contestant. Already, Talbott and her fellow pageant planners are thinking of how they'll expand on this next year.
\ The pageants begin both nights at 8 p.m. Tickets for Friday are $5; for Saturday $10, or $14 for the two nights. They are available at The Convention and Visitors' Bureau administration offices, 114 Market Street; at the Roanoke Airport Sheraton Inn; Salem Senior Center, 110 Union St., Salem; or Ogden Senior Center, 2932 Ogden Road S.W., Roanoke. For information, call 342-2763.
by CNB