The Age of Elegance

Desiree Nigrelli, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011, and the ladies of the QUEEN'S COURT. Hello, and Greetings from the Great State of NEW JERSEY, the fabulous ladies of the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB, and the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT organization! We are reaching out to expand our readership to include our "sisters" nationwide through their State Pageant Directors. We hope that you will read our blog and website from time to time and catch up with all our latest news. Our blog is now in its 3rd year, and there have been many articles of interest published. If you want to read any story, just click on the title on the left. They are dated by month and year. The following article is an overview of the year's activities for your perusal. Enjoy! Remember to include our blog in your contact list: www.msnewjerseysenioramerica.blogspot.com. "Fast away the Old Year passes ... welcome in the New, lads and lasses!" So true are the words of the familia...

Cameras were clicking and flashing from several parts of the room .... It's no wonder .... these elegant ladies not only looked beautiful, but each one was at her peak performance level yesterday. Pictured from left to right are: Josephine Araniti, MSNJSA 2007, DIRECTOR, PUBLICITY/PUBLIC RELATIONS and GREAT DAMES CHORUS; Marge Wanamaker; Delores Puzio, MSDESA 2008 and NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB SHOWCASE DIRECTOR; Dale Maglia, PRESIDENT, NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB; Desiree Nigrelli, MSNJSA 2011; Rebecca Orsatti, MSNJSA 2010; Johanne Santori, MSNJSA 2006, and MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA STATE PAGEANT DIRECTOR; and Jo Ann Gordon, MSNJSA 2008, and VICE-PRESIDENT, NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB. Kudos to these beauties for a job well done! Most people view run-ins with the law with trepidation, but, for a group of ladies from the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB, yesterday's encounter turned out to be quite a pleasant affair. They were invited by the POLICE DEPARTMENT, CITY OF NEW YORK, JERSEY SHORE 10-13 ASS...

The stars shone brightly last night, to welcome the elegant ladies of the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB and other invited guests, as they gathered together for the 13th ANNUAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION, at La Bove Grande Restaurant in Lakehurst. It was a delightful evening, filled with fun, laughter, good cheer, and great music, and a delicious buffet dinner, complete with a mimosa fountain that flowed all night long. Enjoy the photo gallery from that fabulous evening! In the first photo above, Desiree Nigrelli, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011, entertains her " sisters" and guests with her soulful rendition of the popular balled, "AT LAST". Queen Desiree Nigrelli and husband Martin, move easily across the dance floor as they enjoy a slow ballad to the music of the ever so talented singer/DJ, Steve Berger. Why is Adeo so happy ... he is surrounded by a bevvy of beauties ... his lovely wife Johanne Santori, MSNJSA STATE PAGEANT DIRECTOR, and her friends from the MISS AMERIC...

Kudos to our directors for their foresight and vision, and for making the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT the best in the county! "SOMETHING'S COMIN' ... SOMETHING GOOD! ... AROUND THE CORNER ..." A long held dream of MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA STATE PAGEANT DIRECTORS, Adeo and Johanne Santori has been realized, the inclusion of a chorus as part of the entertainment during the pageants. Johanne enlisted the help of Josephine Araniti, MSNJSA2007, appointed her as director, and told her to come up with a plan. After a week of e-mails and phone calls, the idea was enthusiastically received by many NJCC members. The group is called, THE GREAT DAMES CHORUS, has 38 members and is still growing, the majority of whom are singers, and the rest are dancers, mimes, and specialty acts. Their debut performance will be at the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT 2012, in June, the exact date yet to be announced. THE GREAT DAMES CHORUS will do a number called "BR...

NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS, second on the left, DALE MAGLIA, President ; extreme left, JO ANN GORDON, Vice-President; second on the right, AGNES TRASCHETTI, Secretary ; and extreme right, JOAN KAPLAN, Treasurer. The members of the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB held their quarterly luncheon/meeting on Wednesday, October 25th, at the American Legion Post #166 in Lakewood. The agenda was full of items of interest to the membership. Some of the highlights of their meeting include: the introduction of the new Queen, Desiree Nigrelli, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011. She talked briefly about her experience at the MS SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT 2011, her written proclamations she received from local and State agencies, her philosophy of life and her vision about what she hopes to accomplish during this year of her reign. Another issue of concern was the growing number of ladies who were unable to attend the meeting due to serious and/or life threatening illnesses, many of whom have be...

The first time filing onstage, we announced our name and State ... I was #2. These next 2 photos are from The Opening Number which was a dance. We performed the same routine at the 2 Preliminaries and for the Final Pageant. The finale of our dance The PERSONAL INTERVIEW with the judges was held on the first day. The session lasted 5 minutes and I believe it went well. The judges made some favorable comments to me before I left. These 2 photos were from the TALENT PRESENTATION, one from the preliminary and one at the finals, in which I wore different gowns. I sang "Crazy" , and the audience gave me a warm applause for my performance. Another photo of me singing. After 2 days of Preliminaries, the day of the Final Pageant arrived, and my name had just been called for making the TOP TEN of the entire country! Here I am beaming with pride, holding onto my plaque. 3 contestants congratulating me after I won TOP TEN, and telling me that they hope I win the Crown! My 2 gran...

DESIREE NIGRELLI, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011 The MS SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT 2011 is now history. The event was held during the week of October 2nd to 6th, at Harrah's Resort and Casino, in the Concert Venue Theater. After two grueling days of preliminaries, a discerning panel of judges voted Desiree Nigrelli, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011, into the Top Ten. The Top Ten is the "inner circle", that includes the best "ladies of elegance" nationwide, who get one more chance to compete in the final competition. Preceded only by the actual Queen and her Court (which consists of the 4 runners up), the Top Ten is a most enviable place to be. As the delegate from New Jersey, Desiree looked beautiful and stylish, elegant, and charming, and her grace generated audience appeal. She performed effortlessly in the 3 catagories that were seen by the audience, that include: Philosophy of Life; Evening Gown; and Talent. The 4th, was the Private Interview with the panel...

Me and my dog "Bodacious Bogart" (Bichon), on our porch, after a NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB show. Soon after winning the title of MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011, Desiree was a guest on the Pinky Kravitz radio show. She is chaperoned by MSNJSA STATE PAGEANT DIRECTOR, Johanne Santori. At a 4th of July parade, Desiree stands proudly with Vietnam War veterans. Parades are always fun. Here, Desiree and last year's Queen, Rebecca Orsatti, ride in an antique car, on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Her winning smile wins over a crowd of approving fans. The NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB gave a show at Kennedy Mall on the boardwalk in Atlantic City in August. Desiree delivered a great performance that evening. At a recent show, Desiree removed her crown and banner to honor wounded Veteran's and to observe the 10th Anniversary of the World Trade Center Bombing. She sang, " Proud To be An American". Many warm thoughts are being sent to you, dear Desiree, as you prepare for the ...

The summer of 2011 was as hot as it was busy for the ladies of the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB. To paraphrase the motto from the US Postal Service, neither the excessive heat and humidity, nor the abundance of rainfall and other natural disasters, deterred our elegant ladies from "performing their expected rounds". The following is a recap of some of their summer activities. The ladies of the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB worked together with the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT organization, and helped State Director Johanne Santori to make the 2011 pageant a success. At the July meeting, they prepared a special luncheon and bought a cake to honor the new queen, Desiree Nigrelli. There were many NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB SHOWCASES during the 3 month period, and our great ladies gave dazzling performances for a variety of age-related audiences. The shows gave people the chance to meet and hear the current Queen, and to wish her well as she prepares for the National Pageant. The son...

The gracious women who make up the NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB lead busy and productive lives in their own communities, and, each in her own way, exemplifies the philosophy of the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT: which is, "to promote the positive aspects of aging". At the July meeting, they participated in an informal survey to discover what life is like once they had reached the "age of elegance", or, 60 years and over. The results are in, and can be summed up in the following categories: (1) have fun; (2) strive to touch someone every day; (3) continue to make your voice heard. Forty women participated, and although it is not possible to mention each one by name, the survey did show that most of the ladies are involved in these 3 aforementioned categories. HAVING FUN! This can be anything from: doing puzzles, reading, writing poetry, traveling, equestrian riding, going to sports events; keeping fit by playing golf, running, water aerobics, kayaking, ...

Members of the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT organization have been eagerly awaiting coverage of the 2011 pageant on the Style Network. Last night it aired on the popular reality show, "JERSEYLICIOUS". Since true reality is not that interesting, the producers of the show created a story line, a rivalry between 2 beauty consultants, Tracy and Olivia. Tracy's grandmother, Catherine Schroeder, had entered the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT 2011, and Tracy was determined to help her out to be the best that she could be. She presented the idea of doing hair and makeup for all 13 contestants to Gayle, the owner of the Gatsby beauty salon. Her idea was accepted and a crew of hair and makeup specialists were assigned to the pageant. Now, fast forward to June 2nd, the day of the pageant, and the scene is the contestants' dressing room at Harrah's in Atlantic City. After the crew meets the ladies, Olivia becomes partial to one contestant, Patricia Genoves...

The NEW JERSEY CAMEO CLUB held its quarterly meeting at the America Legion Post 166, in Lakewood, yesterday. The July meeting is always a special time, because the members get to meet and greet their new queen and the CLASS of 2011. Members were treated to a tasty luncheon buffet of fried chicken, several salads, Jo Ann Gordon's (MSNJSA 2008) famous vanilla brownies, and a huge sheet cake, with the words, WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2011 on it. Unfortunately, Desiree Nigrelli, MS NJSA 2011 was unable to attend, due to the unexpected passing of a family friend, and the funeral was at the same time. It seemed that yesterday turned out to be a surreal day for Desiree ..... a day that started out with sadness, then, later on, turned into a happy time. She was invited by Mayor Langford and the members of the Atlantic City Town Council to appear at City Hall at 5:00 pm, to receive a Proclamation of Achievement, for winning the title of MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2011. Congratulations! Mean...

Rebecca Orsatti, MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA 2010, won 1st place prize. She impressed the judges in many ways. One in particular, was the rhythmic complexity of her song, "Don't Rain On My Parade". They praised her for her looks, and showmanship, noting from Rebecca's biography, that she was truly born to sing. Sherri McGhie, won 2nd place prize. She aroused the judges and audience with her salty rendition of the country favorite, " Harper Valley PTA". She told the naughty tale with witt and humor, and possessed a rich earthy vocal tone which was noted by the judges. Sunday June 26th, was a proud day for the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT organization, when, 4 fabulous former Queens plus our very own Sherri McGhie, took center stage. Generous words of praise abounded from the lips of the 3 judges. Each elegant lady gave powerful, distinctive, and impressive performances, making it impossible for them to find anything to be critical about. Josephine ...

4 MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA QUEENS + SHERRI MCGHIE PARTICIPATE IN 3RD ANNUAL SHORE SENIOR IDOL CONTEST Now that pageant fever has calmed down, another exciting event is soon approaching, the 3rd Annual Shore Senior Idol Contest. Four MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA QUEENS + SHERRI MCGHIE made the finals, and will join with 13 other contestants, at the Algonquin Arts Theater in Manasquan, on Sunday, June 26th at 3:00 pm. Besides Sherri McGhie, the Queens are: Johanne Santori, MSNJSA 2006, and MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA STATE PAGEANT DIRECTOR; Josephine Araniti, MSNJSA 2007; JoAnn Gordon, MSNJSA 2008; and Rebecca Orsatti, MSNJSA 2010. The contestants met at the Algonquin Theater for the first time on Thursday, June 16th. Director Gina Lupi, gave a brief welcome and orientation speech, and rehearsed the opening number with the group. Afterwards, everyone got the chance to go over their solos with the sound crew. There was a feeling of excitement and anticipation in auditorium that day. ...

"The results are in and the winner is"..... This is the traditional phrase that ends most beauty pageants, and yesterday's MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT 2011 was no different. After a 3 hour long battle for the crown, Desiree Nigrelli, a resident of Atlantic City, emerged triumphant as this year's Queen. She convinced a panel of judges and a discerning audience that she is "the gracious lady who best exemplifies the dignity and inner beauty of all senior Americans." This beauty is more than just "skin deep," as is revealed in the following Q & A interview with Desiree, earlier today. JA: How did you hear about the MS NEW JERSEY SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT? DN: My daughter did some searching on the internet and found the national website. She called the office and was given the name, etc. of Johanne Santori, MSNJSA State Pageant Director, to contact. JA: Why did your daughter do this for you? DN: I shared my life in show business with my daugh...