Organizers of the 2013 Miss’d America Pageant are gearing up to wow audiences next week with some big changes for the annual event. The drag pageant will be held Sept. 21 at the House of Blues Showboat Casino Hotel. Miss’d America was previously staged in Boardwalk Hall but, according to Larry Sieg, vice president of marketing for Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, the decision to change venues was a financial one. “The number-one reason why we put on the pageant is to raise money for charity and unfortunately in this economy, sponsorship dollars are not there like they used to be, so we had to make a decision,” Sieg said. “We contacted our partners and they came back with proposals for us to help absorb production costs. The most important thing is to raise money for charity. We hope to eventually bring it back to Boardwalk Hall.” The event, which is modeled after the Miss America Pageant, is expected to bring in up to 2,000 guests, and Sieg said he hopes it will raise more than $30,000 for local charities, which have not yet been determined. The show has traditionally been held in January, but was moved to the fall this year in part to coincide with the change in schedule of the Miss America Pageant, which is returning to Atlantic City, where it originally began. “It’s not only a great opportunity because of the Miss America Pageant, but we also decided to host the event in September so we are not dependent upon the weather,” Sieg said. “We dodged a bullet with the blizzard last year and it is just generally better weather.” Michelle Visage from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will be this year’s host, along with special musical guest CeCe Peniston. Sieg said Visage was a natural choice for host due to her support for the community. “She is a wonderful entertainer and extremely supportive of the LGBT community,” he said. “She is known for her witty tongue in drag and we thought she was a perfect choice this year.” The pageant will also bring back a live orchestra to play during the event. “This is the second year in which, instead of tracks, we have a live orchestra,” Sieg said. “The Melanie Rice Orchestra will perform and that went over really well last year, so we decided to do live music again because it adds so much to the event.” This year, 14 contestants will vie for the title of 2013 Miss’d America. They will compete in swimsuit, evening gown, talent and interview sections. Miss’d America will also stage two other events centered on the show. The pre-party will be held at 8 p.m. Sept. 20 at Pro Bar at Resorts Casino Hotel, and the post-party will immediately follow the pageant in the Harlem Ballroom. Sieg said the changes this year are expected to make the event a memorable one. “It is important for people to come out and support charitable causes and it is going to be a fun-filled night that you will never forget.” Tickets for Miss’d America range from $45-$100 and can be purchased at www.atlanticcitynj.com/missd-america.aspx. For more information on the pageant and contestants, visit www.acglbt.org/mainpages/missdamerica.asp.
