In perhaps one of the finest pageants ever presented in Baton Rouge, a dynamic and sexy Houston lad and
a beautiful and talented local lass ran away with the Mr. and Miss Mirror crowns. Keith Nappier and Alexis
Vanderhurst were simply excellent in all respects-talent, beauty, and intelligence.
Nappier was fantastically captivating and is a worthy successor to outgoing Mr. Mirror, Curtis Thomas, who performed his famous slip and slide routine. With that sleek body and handsome face, Nappier captured the audience's attention and apparently that of the judges too.
Alexis Vanderhurst never looked lovelier, and she too is a worthy successor to the outstandingly beautiful Miss Carrione Synclaire, who just recently relinquished her Miss Gay Louisiana and Miss Apollo Baton Rouge titles. (Both of these outgoing crown holders were originally sponsored by Hibiscus Bookstore, as were the new Mr. and Miss Apollo, Chris Terro of Lafayette and Yvette LeVeaux, when she was a candidate in the Miss Mirror pageant.)
Other candidates in this pageant were Maurice Sinclair Kennedy, Sean Michael Bonet, Krystal Kane, Shakia d'Black, and Syrea Sinclaire.
The surprise performer of the evening was the vivacious and beautiful Miss Rene Randall. This sexy creature completely elevated the audience to a standing ovation. Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! She belted out that number and gathered in those dollars. It was really a most enjoyable sight.
Miss D.D. DeMarco and Tasha Rae were also entertainers, and these lovely ladies are always winners in my book. They are simply two of the best performers to ever hit the Baton Rouge scene.
The Mirror owners, Jeff and Danny (aka Miss D.D. DeMarco) presented the dynamic emcee, the gorgeous and serenely beautiful Lady Rhonda with a plaque in appreciation for all her work not only on this pageant but for all her outstanding work at the Mirror and for local charities. She said that this award ranked at the top of her list of awards in importance and compared the honor to her title of former Queen Apollo Baton Rouge in importance as she clutched the plaque close to her heart. It was a fitting tribute to a classy, brassy dame who has done so much for the local community. Congratulations, sweetheart, on an honor that was well deserved, and thanks to Jeff and Danny for bringing it to fruition.
The Mirror was packed for this event, and it brought back so many memories of past performances and past audiences. As a showplace bar, there is no equal here in our capital city. Performing at the Mirror Lounge is like performing at the Apollo Theater in New York City-just a smaller version but with just as much gusto. Eddie did a great job in the dj booth, Ronnie (the master decorator) was running constantly to assist everyone, and Wayne and Jeff worked their little buns off behind the bar.
The wonderful king of R.O.U. was also in the audience. James is one of the finest individuals I know, and it is always so nice to see him. In fact, he's a libra boy, and we share the same birthdate. No wonder I like him so much. He's a caring and loving individual.
It was also nice to see the dynamic and charming Roger Dodger out again. This man has always been one of my favorite people and other than judging contests, I had not seen him for a while. We had a nice chat, and it was like old times again.
Others in the Mirror mood this evening were good friends Larry (owner of that magnificent floral palace, Four Seasons Flowers and Gifts), Gene R. (minus his Tom Tom), Keith D. (a master jeweler), the ever gorgeous Shane (late of George's, who has moved to another job), Randal (a local community leader), and scads of other important people.
It was a night to remember at the Mirror Lounge-a good place to be and getting better all the time.
