It's been about 30 minutes since they crowned Jackie Geist, who's pictured here, the new Miss California at Saroyan Theatre. Here's what happened after the crowning. A group of Geist's supporters gathered near the stage and waved homemade signs made in the shape of stars.
Geist was then ushered off to do media interviews. Clutching a bouquet of flowers, she faced the TV cameras and described the pageant competition as "intense." She also said: "it's been the most amazing week of my life. This is such a blessing for me." Her father, David Geist, stood nearby in a tuxedo, ready to escort his daughter to a big party across the street for all the contestants. He described the evening this way: "It's nerve-wracking. It's tense. It's exciting and rewarding all at the same time."
Inside the theater, crews began breaking down the set where the contestants competed. They took down the big screens that showed close-ups of the contestants during the pageant. The sounds of the talent competition -- classical music, an operatic aria and violin solos -- were replaced by the echoes of workmen and their tools.
The Top 5 are being announced in the Miss California Pageant. They are:
Miss City of Los Angeles Megan Lyne
Miss Sonoma County Sara Choi
Miss Hollywood Jackie Geist
Miss Los Angeles County Jolie LaCroix
Miss Pasadena Kristen Cavinder
Intermission is almost over at the Miss California Pageant finals.
Darius Chen, 19, of Orange County gives a young person's view of the evening. He is a friend of Miss Lake County Amanda Betat, who is not a finalist. Chen calls the talent competition "the classy" part of the show.
"You don't normally see opera, ballet and classical piano all in one night," he said. But then there are the big-production numbers with all the contestants dancing around, which he said are cheesy.
"A lot of it is catered to the older generation, definitely," he said. "Most young people are here to support their friends."
People in the audience at the Miss California Pageant take turns being boisterous when a favorite contestant appears.
The blasts of air horns have echoed through the theater. People wave pompoms and glow sticks, and some hold up homemade signs.
Miss Santa Clara Erin Bolhurst has supporters who took her photograph, put purple garland around it and attached it to sticks. Patti Bowling of Santa Clara, who holds one of the signs, said before the show started that she could feel excitement in the building. Nerves, too.
Miss Northern Counties Maggie Stewart is doing a monologue about a woman who gets her hand stuck to her cheek with Crazy Glue.
The Top 12 includes two violonists, two ballerinas, a classical pianist and an opera singer. All of them will perform tonight. Someone going for the laughs stands out.
Former Fresnan Jillian Stout is the opera singer. She sang in church as a girl and did musical theater at Clovis West High School. Fresno voice teacher Dean Rhodus suggested she try opera. Now Stout wants to become a professional opera singer.
Finally, the finals are about to begin at the Miss California Pageant. A crowd of hundreds is finding seats in the Saroyan Theatre.
Fathers of some contestants are in tuxedos. Some women are wearing fancy dresses. Many people sport campaign-style buttons bearing the smiling faces of their favorite contestants.
John Coate of Atwater has one of the buttons on his tux. His daughter is Miss Central Valley Sarah Coate.
"It's really exciting, but also nerve-wracking," he said. "You're watching your daughter conquer her fears. It's really neat to see her grow right in front of you."
The public might have largely dismissed pageants, but the people here care about the crowning of a new Miss California because itʼs personal. They are rooting for their daughters, granddaughters, sisters and nieces.
They finished up preliminary competition Friday night at the Miss California Pageant at Saroyan Theatre in Fresno. Miss Hollywood Jackie Geist, who's pictured here, won the talent competition. She portrayed a dying swan in a ballet number that was graceful and fluid.
Miss City of Orange Emily Brandenburg won the night's preliminary competition in evening wear. Friday's audience was filled with family and friends of the 55 contestants. One audience member, 20-year-old Ryan LaCroix, was there to root for his sister, Miss Los Angeles County Jolie LaCroix. Earlier in the week, Ryan made a late-night run to Denny's and got a grilled cheese sandwich and some French fries for Jolie. "That great grease. I was achin' for it," she said.
Saturday night, they pick a new Miss California. I'll be blogging live during the show, starting about 7 p.m.
Melissa Youssef, Miss Culver City in the Miss California Pageant, played a kid sister's role on the FOX reality show, "The Moment of Truth," earlier this year.
That's the show where contestants are hooked up to a lie detector and asked embarrassing personal questions. Grand prize is $500,000.
Melissa Youssef, who's pictured here, was not the contestant. Her older sister, Christie Youssef, was the one playing the game. But Melissa was on the show, too, with the TV cameras catching her reactions to her sister's answers.
At one point, Christie was asked: Do you think you're prettier than your sister?
She answered "yes" and the lie detector said that she was telling the truth.
Christie looked at Melissa and said, "Sorry." Melissa replied, "You can think what you like."
Christie, who is a former Miss California contestant, won $100,000 on the show.
Melissa said Friday that everything is good between her and Christie. "She's my best friend, but needless to say, we had an interesting conversation on the way home that day."
To see a clip of Christie Youssef being asked other personal questions on the show, click here.
Melissa performs tonight at Saroyan Theatre in the preliminary talent competition. She's a singer. She said Christie will be in the audience rooting for her.
A former Fresnan won the preliminary talent competition Thursday night at the Miss California Pageant at Saroyan Theatre.
Jillian Stout, who's pictured here, is Miss Northern California Regional in this year's pageant. Three years ago, she competed as Miss Fresno County.
Stout graduated from Clovis West and now lives in Malibu. Thursday, she sang an operatic number and beat out some tough competition. Miss Tustin Catherine Watters put on a crowd-pleasing exhibition of baton twirling and Miss City of Orange Emily Brandenburg captured the audience with a rousing violin performance.
Fresno State's victory in the College World Series has some contestants in the Miss California Pageant cheering.
Miss La Verne Jessica Ortega, who's pictured here, is a catcher on the softball team at the University of La Verne in Southern California. She heard the game being broadcast Wednesday night while backstage getting ready for the opening night of competition.
"I was getting my hair teased and I was like, 'I'm in a dressing room and I'm listening to a baseball game. That's great.' "
Ortega does her talent tonight. "I'm doing a monologue because I can't play softball on stage," she says. "I'd love to show people my throw down to second, but I can't. I think I have a pretty good arm."
Miss Tustin Catherine Watters went to high school with Fresno State pitcher Sean Bonesteele. Watters' brother texted her about the Bulldogs' victory.
"I thought it was so awesome," says Watters, who is a big baseball fan. "I was so excited."
The first night had one technical glitch. Something went wrong with the sound system when Miss San Mateo County Ruth Gonzalez was trilling her way through an opera number. She kept singing, but got a do over.
Best moment of the evening: Miss Fullerton Lexy Romano showed some humor when she was asked
what one issue she would address to make the world a better place. She paused, laughed as if to acknowledge she was about to serve up a beauty pageant cliche and answered, "I would love to say, 'World peace.' " The audience laughed with her, and then she gave another answer.
Miss Napa County Sarah Rutan, who's pictured here, might have the most interesting back story at the Miss California Pageant.
How many contestants didn't go to elementary school but instead roamed the state selling candy bars for $2 apiece in front of grocery stores?
Rutan says her father always was looking for the fastest way to make a buck. So he and his three children drove around in a motor home for three to four years hawking the candy. Rutan says she sold $40,000 worth of the sweet stuff.
She slept on a table in the motor home or on the dashboard.
When her parents split up, Rutan's days on the road screeched to a halt. Her mom took the kids to live in St. Helena in the Napa Valley
Rutan won the Miss Napa County title on her fourth try. She says she received $12,577 in her four tries, which has covered her tuition and books at San Jose State University.
Rutan performs tonight in the talent competition. She will sing about a SUV.
A cold Wednesday morning at Saroyan Theatre. Is there such a thing as air conditioning working too well?
Contestants waiting to practice their talent numbers are wrapped in blankets and sweaters.
A small group of pageant parents and officials sit in the darkened theater, shuddering, as they watch talent rehearsals. Susan Honaker of Oakley in Contra Costa County watches her daughter, Miss North Coast Nicole Honaker, who's pictured here. Nicole is running through a gymnastics routine to music from "Pirates of the Caribbean."
Susan Honaker says her vacation this year is attending the Miss California Pageant to support her daughter. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she says.
Best quip of the morning comes from Miss Fresno County Emily Cobb as she stands center stage while sound techies work to adjust the microphone level for her song. "I like to hear my voice," she says playfully. "I'm a big fan of myself."
The Miss California Pageant is back in Fresno for the 15th summer in a row. Fifty five women are trying to win a rhinestone crown, a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to Vegas in January to go for the Miss America title.
Consider this Pageant Central for the next few days.
First contestant in our spotlight: Miss Fresno County Emily Cobb, who's pictured here. She calls herself the "non-pageant pageant queen." Example: "I'm not the skinniest chick on the block," she says. "I love my Chipotle burrito like the next chick."
After speaking her mind, Cobb says, "I think the self-tanning lotion is getting to my brain."
Her best line comes when talking about family and friends deciding whether to shell out the money to watch her compete in the four-day pageant. "Honestly, I wouldn't come to see me every night."
The other top five are:
Miss Sierra Nevada Cheri Gorin, second
Miss Hollywood Kari Johnson, third
Miss Southwest Calif. Amy Yetasook, fourth
Miss Yosemite Valley Jennifer Lee, fifth
I'm blogging live from the finals of the 2007 Miss California Pageant at the Saroyan Theatre in downtown Fresno.
I'll be posting reports throughout the evening on the Top 10 finalists, the Top Five finalists and -- finally -- who wins the crown.
The announcement of the Top 10 should be in a few minutes. I'll be back with that news.
Lauren Howard's comedy sketch during tonight's talent competition at the Miss California Pageant had the crowd hooting and hollering in appreciation.
Howard, Miss Placentia, impersonated "SNL" character Mary Katherine Gallagher auditioning for "American Idol."
The applause went on so long that emcee Jacquelynne Fontaine, Miss California 2006, had to wait to introduce the next contestant.
Lauren Howard is funny, fresh and contemporary -- and she gets to cut loose tonight at the Miss California Pageant.
The audience should just sit back and enjoy what promises to be a wild ride.
Speaking of rides, Howard plans to make her entrance on the Saroyan Theatre stage pedaling a tricycle.
Amy Yetasook, Miss Southwest California, wins the talent award in Thursday's preliminary competition. She played a classical number on the cello. Hanford's Mallory Spoelstra was a crowd favorite with with a comedy monologue. Spoelstra goes to San Diego State and is Miss San Diego. Her sister, Michelle, is Miss Kings County in the pageant.
Cheri Gorin, Miss Sierra Nevada, wins the evening wear award in Thursday's preliminary competition. Gorin won a talent award Wednesday night.
Gorin and Yetasook were both in the Top Five at the 2006 Miss California Pageant. Melissa Chaty, Miss North Coast, also was in the Top Five last year. She performs her talent Friday night.
The judges pick a new Miss California on Saturday.
Tonight's talent competition is over. Hanford's Mallory Spoelstra was the crowd favorite. She delivered a comedy monologue about a single woman throwing herself a wedding shower so she could get some cool stuff. Spoelstra attends San Diego State and is Miss San Diego. Let's see if the judges agreed with the crowd. Results will be announced in about 30 minutes. I'll be back with the news.
Who was that man in the short black dress and stilettos at the Miss California Pageant on Thursday afternoon?
He was 19-year-old Spencer Ruell of Clovis, a dancer in the pageant's production numbers. He appeared on the Saroyan Theatre stage in the dress and heels as the pageant's 49 contestants rehearsed for Thursday night's show. The women seemed to appreciate Ruell's little joke.
They erupted in laughter and their delighted shouts of "Spencer!" echoed through the theater.
You had to be careful wandering around the Saroyan Theatre on Thursday. There were sleeping beauties everywhere.
Contestants snoozed in an out-of-the-way section of the lobby while talent rehearsals went on inside the theater.
Ten or so Miss California hopefuls were horizontal under four giant photos of William Saroyan and a Saroyan quote decorating the wall. The quote read: "In the time of your life, live -- so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it."
Cheri Gorin, Miss Sierra Nevada, wins Wednesday's preliminary talent competition. No surprise here. She's got a voice and pageant experience. Gorin's making her fifth try for the crown.
Melissa Chatty, Miss North Coast, wins the evening wear competition. I don't know what the judges look for in this category. Chatty also has pageant experience; she's competed in Fresno before.
The Miss California Pageant, which kicks off competition tonight at Saroyan Theatre, is like baseball.
Rookies sometimes make a big splash, but it's the experienced pros who often win the game. The point? If tradition means anything -- and boy, how they love tradition in pageant land -- the new Miss California will be a repeater.
In pageant-speak, that's a contestant who's competed before at the state pageant in Fresno.
A pro, if you will. There are a dozen or so repeaters among 49 contestants this year.
Comedy Central, it isn't. No, the Miss California Pageant -- underway in Fresno this week -- is more like a cup of "Fame," a dash of "Masterpiece Theater" and a pinch of "All My Children." But Miss Placentia Lauren Howard will do her best to give people some laughs.
Howard is a comedian with a dream of someday performing on "Saturday Night Live." In the pageant's talent competition, Howard will impersonate "SNL" character Mary Katherine Gallagher trying out for "American Idol." Turns out that Mary Katherine -- a wild and crazy Catholic school girl -- has a voice that only Paula Abdul could love.
It's baaaack.
Yes, the Miss California Pageant has returned for the 14th consecutive summer to Fresno's Saroyan Theatre. Competition is Wednesday through Saturday. The roll call of 49 contestants starts with Miss Anaheim and ends with Miss Yosemite Valley. News flash: They all don't live in the places they represent.
Miss Anaheim Chasta Nechvatal is from neighboring Buena Park in Orange County. Miss Yosemite Valley Jennifer Lee -- born in San Francisco and now at UCLA -- visited Yosemite once and burned her feet on some hot rocks.
Geography is downright confusing for some contestants. Take Miss Beach Cities Brieanna Harvey, who isn't sure which real estate she goes with.
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