2013 Miss America Pageant Preview

All 53 of this year’s Miss America aspirants arrived in Las Vegas today for 10 days of intense competition that winds up with the live ABC telecast of the 92nd Miss America Pageant on Saturday, January 12.  The pageant will be held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino for the eighth consecutive year.

Among this year’s distinguished panel of judges includes Miss America 2009, Katie Stam Irk; designer Bradley Bayou; award-winning dancer and choreographer Cheryl Burke from Dancing with the Stars; “Good Morning America” Weatherman, Sam Champion; former host of Entertainment Tonight and 1970 Miss South Dakota, Mary Hart; Shark Tank entrepreneur Daymond John; and 2012 London Olympic gymnastics champion McKayla Maroney.

Brooke Burke-Charvet and Chris Harrison will be hosting the pageant for the third year in a row.

Producer Anthony Eaton promises surprises yet again to follow last year’s record ratings.  “Our 2012 telecast from Las Vegas was a tremendous success and took the ratings crown as the most-watched non-sports program,” said Sam Haskell, Miss America board chairman. “In our success rebranding Miss America, we have attracted a new audience. We are working to make the 2013 broadcast event even more memorable for viewers.”

The Miss America Organization is the world’s largest provider of scholarships for young women. Unlike Miss USA and Miss Universe also held here by Donald Trump’s organization, Miss America is not solely about glamour and shapely figures; it also combines talent with health and fitness, charity and interviews.

It’s expected that Allyn Rose representing the District of Columbia will be under tremendous media scrutiny in the next week as a front-runner certain to make the Top 10. The 24-year-old blonde stunner lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 16. She has partnered with organizations to raise more than $500,000 for Breast Cancer Research and Education.

Schedule of Events for Miss America 2013 includes the following:

THURSDAY, JAN. 3 – Official welcome at 4 p.m. at Planet Hollywood with regional President David Hoenemeyer and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

FRIDAY, JAN. 4 – An evening at the Mirage with performer, Terry Fator.

SATURDAY, JAN. 5 – Runway show at the Fashion Show Mall, an autograph and meet-and-greet session with fans, and dinner at Buca di Beppo for a celebration party.

SUNDAY, JAN. 6 – Rehearsals and start of the judges’ interviews.

TUESDAY, JAN. 8 – Night One of the Preliminary Competition.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9 – Night Two of the Preliminary Competition.

THURSDAY, JAN. 10 – Night Three of the Preliminary Competition and the announcement of the Quality of Life Scholarship and Fourpoints Award winners. .

FRIDAY, JAN. 11 – Rehearsals

SATURDAY, JAN. 12 – Live finals of Miss America 2013 on ABC at 5:30pm local time.