Twenty years ago, the vision Shep Pettibone had for a large building in Asbury Park that would eventually become the entertainment complex now known Paradise included a pool, a nightclub, and eventually a restaurant and hotel, becoming the largest nightclub facility on the East Coast. What he did not know was that every year, he would have the distinct privilege of having a fiercely charismatic and tremendously talented performer be crowned as Miss Paradise.
From legendary New York City names Victoria Lace and Empress Vizcaya to now established names like Jolina Jasmine and Lea Sky, the crown of Miss Paradise is one of the most highly coveted titles a drag performer can achieve. This past year alone Miss Paradise 2018 Honey Davenport became the first Miss Paradise to be cast as a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11!
As Paradise turned twenty years old, the competition to become Miss Paradise this year was especially heated. With nine ladies vying for the Miss Paradise crown this year, the competition had everything from Sapphira Cristal showcasing her operatic talents live and amazing the audience with her octaves, and Fifi DuBois showing off those gams and her exquisite (and professionally trained) moves in an acrobatic dance routine. Ultimately, it was Mancie Mandell who, along with her stunning crew of backup dancers, that grabbed the crown this year with a reflective style number which showed both her previous cracks at the Miss Paradise crown, as well as an amazingly choreographed number this year, that helped her snag the title of Miss Paradise 2018!
With a packed crowd that started lining up for almost an hour before, this event is one of the most popular all season long. The season is ramping up and the weather warming up, and Paradise has some amazing events ready for Summer 2019, with announcements coming soon. Catch Mancie Mandell’s inaugural show as Miss Paradise 2019 on March 15th, 2019!
Continue checking out https://www.paradisenj.com/ for all details.
(All Photographs Courtesy of Crumbles Photography)
