The annual Miss Cherry’s Pageant took place on August 3 and there were two winners, out of 11 contenders, taking two titles apiece: Tina Burner won top title Miss Cherry’s, as well as Audience Favorite, and Honey Davenport won both Miss Cherry Lane and Best Performer. Miss Cherry’s 2012 Ginger Snapt and past Miss Fire Island Entertainer of the Year Gusty Winds were the Mistresses of Ceremonies. Susan Levine served as DJ. Judges were Brian Clark and Troy Files, China, Miss Fire Island 1968 and Miss Cherry’s 1993 Charity, Cherry Grove Community Association, Inc. President Diane Romano, actor and filmmaker John Bianco, brother of Cherry’s co-owner Donna, behavior management specialist Evelyn, and salon designer Cory.
For her performance, Tina, as Dorothy Gale, did a mash-up that included “Over the Rainbow,” from “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Home,” from “The Wiz,” and her cast of characters included a Happy Little Bluebird, Glinda the Good, and the Wicked Witch of the West (Busted, in a costume made of trash bags), whom Tina doused and destroyed. For her winning entry, a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Honey sang “Summertime” and, assisted by two hunky male backup dancers, did a lively scatting number that drew on “Davy Crockett,” “The Christmas Song,” “The Angels Sing,” “Day-O,” and “That’s Amore.” Tina was crowned by Miss Cherry’s 2013 Sabel Scities, stepping down that day, whose final numbers of her reign were a mash-up, which included “Sweet Dreams” and “Missionary Man,” and “Here’s to Us.”
The other contestants were Li Li Heavenly (singing and dancing “Proud Mary” as Tina Turner), Anyman Willdo, elegant Erica LeDerion Knowles, Alexis Michelle (singing an emotional “Rose’s Turn,” from “Gypsy”), Miss Gamma Ray, Boxxa Vine, statuesque Ivana Black, Caracal Ana Richards as Celia Cruz, and Miss Sutton Lee Seymour.
There were also numbers by Gusty—the “that was the night the lights went out in Georgia” monologue from “Designing Women;” Charity—Mama Morton’s song from “Chicago;” Ginger—doing “Like a Virgin” as a very pregnant nun, giving birth to Dora the Explorer and ending with “You make me want to shout;” and Miss Cherry’s 2011 Logan Hardcore.