Miss Puerto Rico-NPRP 2008 Cultural Pageant

Saturday, May 17th. A rush. With any show or performance the amount of stress involved is sky high all through out the planning process. After 5 months of intensive organizing, coordinating, follow up and etc. The day for the Miss Puerto Rico-2008 Cultural Pageant was here. With music and script changes the night before I was running on fumes having slept only 2 hours. Dress rehearsal. Stage is a lot smaller than stage practiced with. Who's next for make-up? Set designer prepping stage. Are the beach balls to be placed on stage sprayed with anti-flamatory spray? What? Technical Director checking sounds and lighting. No more food backstage for the participants! Send someone on a food run. Mistress of Ceremony prepping in dressing room 2 - whew. Judges in green room reviewing notes. Where is our Special Guest?! Car service call - what do you mean the passenger changed the pick up time?! 30 minutes to showtime. Guests arriving. Contestants dressing. Special celebrity guest arrives. 10 minutes past anticpated show time. Why are we not ready to go?! Contestants still dressing. Music quequing. Where is the MC?! And finally 20 minutes after the expected show time the show begins. Sigh. With beautiful, intelligent, cultured women performing to Puerto Rican folklore music, modern day bomba y plena, a parade of classy swim suits and elegant evening gowns followed by a q&a from the judges AND the winner of Miss Puerto Rico-NPRP 2008 is announced...Jenice Marie Diaz! The event is over. 5 stressful months and 8 hectic hours later and --- the curtains have closed. Guests are satisfied with the show. Contestants are pleased with their experience. MC and Special Guests are glad to have been a part of such a cultural event. As one of the event planners - I am relieved it is all over.

Congratulations to Ms. Jenice Marie Diaz - Miss Puerto Rico-NPRP 2008. We will see her on very own float at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 8th along 5th Avenue.