HIGH GEAR, PAGE 10
CLUB CLEVELAND
"Warriors of the Gods"Tenth Annual Mr. Club Cleveland Contest
by JEANNETTE
The scenery for the 10th Annual Mr. Club Cleveland Contest, "Warriors of the Gods", was direct from the ancient Greco-Roman era. Marble-like statuary and benches were in use and added to the festive spirit of the occasion. New Dimensions was the site of this contest, held September 20th, and for the festivity the beglittered club was S.R.O.
It is hard to say what the real mainstay of the evening was. Was it Bobbie Callicoatte, Maggie Cole & Company, Tiffany Jones, or the contestants.? They were all so good and spectacular that they must all share, equally, in the glories of the night. Both Tiffany and Bobbie will be back again at New Dimensions on Sunday, October 18th in a show billed as "Together Again". Showtime is at 10:00 p.m., and cost of admission is $2.00 in advance, and $3.00 at the door. Reservations are strongly suggested at 621-6900.
The pre-contest show with Mr. Bobbie Callicoatte and Maggie Cole & Company provided an entertaining warm-up to the main event. Bobbie's selections, which included a Pearl Bailey medley, a patriotic medley, and "City Light/ New York, New York", overwhelmed the crowd with both choreography and expression. Bobbie's costumes, as usual, were big, bright, bold, and balanced. Maggie Cole's portion of the show, spaced between Bobbie's numbers, were performed "live" with electric piano accompaniment (George Foley) and included “All of Me", I'll Be Seeing You", and “Hard Hearted Hannah”. Her choice of songs was perfect for the audience and went over well. Her voice is pleasant and, even in a noisy club, comes across with meaning and emotion.
The contest, itself, began with a fire dance by Carlos, and a brilliant announcement on brass horn of the arrival of the contestants by Chuck. The twenty-one entrants paraded onto the stage wearing white togas and headbands. The sight, for a moment, was almost too much to bear! Tiffany Jones, the emcee for the pageant, appeared on stage in a flowing white gown and performed a Kay Steven s solo, "It's The Wrong Face". During her openings, Tiffany utilized the men as “props”, which provided a light-hearted comical touch to the song.
After Tiffany introduced all the contestants and had them present themselves to the audience and the judges, she explained that the preliminary judging would be in three categories: togas; self-expression through clothing; and swimwear. The six judges were assisted by a statistician and a volunteer assistant. In addition to the judge's scoring, I'm sure all members of the audience were keeping score on their own (I know I was).
In the self-expression category, each of the contestants presented himself in clothing that was exemplary of his personality, taste, and style. One, dressed in a supermantype cape with red tights, was outstanding, and another, in towels worn as a loincloth, was breathtakingly revealing.
For the third and final category of judging, swimwear, Tiffany reappeared wearing a shimmering black and green sequined gown with splashes of green osprey feathers and a black feather boa. The contestant's selections of swim suits was blinding, especially the "number" in the light blue boxers.
While the judges' scorings were being tabulated, Maggie entertained
again with "My Man" and "When You're Smilin'", and Tiffany received a standing ovation for her performances of Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Love This Way Again" and "Deja Vu". Both songs were dedicated to "Cleveland a town I really love to perform in." While tabulations continued, Tiffany called Mona Desmond to the stage to chat. Mona, wearing a gold and black lame skirt and black shiny top, was her normal, talkative self. She announced that she would be the emcee for the upcoming Mr. Club Akron Contest and was greatly looking forward to performing in the area again.
Ten finalists were then announced (8 of my 10 made it this far) and were then judged on the basis of their answers to questions about their personal lives. During one of the interviews, with a psychotherapist, who is now working in sex therapy, Tiffany threw herself on the floor and cried out, "I'm sick, help me."
Again, while the scores were being tallied, Tiffany, wearing a red sequined gown, performed from her vast repertoire. This selection, “Out Here On My Own", from “Fame”, wowed the crowd and brought tears to my eyes with the emotions that were expressed.
As tension mounted, the 10 finalists were brought out in their swimwear and the winners were announced. The Second Runner-Up and winner of a laurel, a trophy, a free 1-year membership to Club Cleveland, and $100 was contestant #5, Mic C; the first runner-up and winner of a laurel, a trophy, a free 1-year membership to Club Cleveland, and $200 was contestant #2, Ron P. The winner of the 10th Annual Mr. Club Cleveland Contest and recipient of a laurel, a trophy, a
trip to Florida, a trip to the North Washington Street Inn (Rochester, N.Y.) including airfare and $100 spending money, and $500 was Contestant #13, Andy B. Those who had picked Andy B. as their personal winner were cheering and wishing him the best.
Andy B. is a 25-year old, 6 foot, Virgo weighing 167 pounds with brown hair, and green eyes. Now living in Canton, Andy is working towards a degree in Business Administration and enjoys weight training, boating, and running. Andy has a lover of 5 years, whom he met in a bar in Akron. Congratulations Andy, and best of luck during your reign.
Sammie Gliozzi, manager of Club Cleveland, outdid himself with this Pageant. Next year's contest is, surely, already being planned and will, most likely, be a spectacular event that will even outshine this year's. Thanks to Sammie and everyone at Club Cleveland for a very entertaining evening.
TIFFANY JONES AND MR. CLUB CLEVELAND, ANDY B.
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