Miss Cherry’s 2016 took place at Cherry’s on the Bay on August 7 and four of the 12 contestants came away with new titles. Pataya Hart won both the Miss Cherry’s 2016 crown and the best performer prize. Sapphira Cristal was the runner up, given the title of Miss Cherry Lane. Holly Boxsprings was deemed best newcomer and Poly Cockit, the audience favorite. Contenders were judged on presentation; creative, innovative daywear; performance; eveningwear and Q & A about Cherry’s. Former Miss Cherry’s Tina Burner and Ginger Snap hosted, “Queen” Susan Levine was the DJ, and Tommy Branigan was the contest coordinator. Judges were Arts Project of Cherry Grove President and Invasion founder Thom “Panzi” Hansen, who received a standing ovation when introduced; Cherry Grove Community Association, Inc. President Diane Romano and her wife Pat Goff; past Cherry Grove Homecoming Queens Beach DeBree, YaNeeda Dunes and Donna Piranha; impresario Daniel Nardicio; and MAC Cosmetics’ Tim Tareco.
‘Dancing Queen’ Pataya Hart showed off vintage swimwear and daywear that could have come from “Grease;” performed the “Cellblock Tango” song-and-dance sextet from “Chicago,” solo, with quick costume and wig changes to become the different characters—one of them the image of Chita Rivera—complete with a split and stage blood; and was ravishing in a rose evening gown, though she could not name any of the Cherry’s DJs. Big-haired Sapphira Cristal fed cherries to the audience; was elegant in red and black daywear; began her performance in a straitjacket, attended by two grim attendants, sang a beautiful a cappella “Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child,” segued into “(Does that make me) Crazy,” ending with the pertinent message “Stop Hate Now;” appeared finally in blue net and beads and knew that one of Tina Burner’s shows is called “Oh, Deer.”
Southern Belle Holly Boxsprings revealed a long gown beneath her camouflage; gave a performance, with two assistants, which included “Nine to Five,” a murder, “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and “Who Run the World (Girls);” and offered a classic look, in red, with big blonde hair, but did not know that Johny Pool’s famous greeting is “Hello, Lady.” Popular Poly Cockit, whose fans in the audience carried signs in her support, gave us the military look; protested, in a country number, “(I ain’t) Pageant Material,” wearing a recreation of her mother’s 1973 Miss Georgia costume; wore a low-cut gold evening gown and carried a cute dog, but did not know that the name of Busted’s show is “Cherry Bombed.”
The other contestants were Lee Lee Heavenly, singing “Superstar” in memory of her mother; Angel Elektra doing “And I Am Telling You I Am not Going,” from “Dreamgirls;” Shay D. Pines, delivering a witchy and athletic number with a severed head; Grace Period, playing “O Danny Boy” on the accordion; Champagne Bubbles, segueing from “Why Don’t You Do Right?” into “Burlesque;” Jizza Bella, remembering her mother with “Wind Beneath Your Wings;” Annie Manildo—“any time, any place, any way, you want her”—creating balloon figures, some of them suggestive; and Heidi Haux, doing a Hillary Clinton impression, intercut with “Rose’s Turn,” from “Gypsy.”
For the opening number, Ginger and Tina interspersed “What Is This Feeling (loathing you),” from “Wicked,” with quotes from “Mommie Dearest,” with the audience reciting along. Ginger did “Proud Mary” with Ariel Sinclair and Brenda Dharling. Tina alternated contestant speeches—Miss South Carolina on the importance of education, but not geography; Miss Minnesota on St. Paul pork products; and “the night the lights went out in Georgia” speech from “Designing Women”—with “She Works Hard for the Money” and “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” Past Miss Cherry’s Sabel Scities made a welcome return to perform “Say Something” and sing “Wig in a Box,” from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Miss Cherry’s 2015 Honey Davenport sang a moving “I’m Here,” from “The Color Purple,” for her step-down number. Tina did “I Am What I Am,” dressed as a drag gladiator and collaborated with Ginger on “Take Me or Leave Me,” from “Rent,” for a final number before the winners were announced.