I’ve been asked to do and cover some pretty important things during my time at the Insider, but judging the Mr. Concord Pageant has to rank near the top of the list.
The list of contestants featured some of the more prominent and well-known business leaders and civil servants that this city has to offer in Chris Emond, executive director of the Concord Boys and Girls Club; Steve Caccia, vice president of student affairs at NHTI; DJ Nazzy; Brian Waldron, owner of Christian Michael Salon; Concord police Officer Dana Dexter; dentist Ray Orzechowski; attorney Jim Rosenberg; and City Councilor Byron Champlin. As you can see choosing the next Mr. Concord – to take the crown from inaugural winner John Cimikoski – would be no easy task.
But I, and fellow judges Steve Duprey, who is kind of a big deal around these parts, Miss N.H. 2017 Lauren Percy, who is fron Bow, and Cheryl Coletti-Lawson of the Lawson Group and Hope for N.H. Recovery, were ready for the challenge.
The format was pretty simple: Each contestant had to perform a talent of their choosing, before answering a pair of prepared questions from emcee Adam Sexton of WMUR. Each one was broken down into three scoring categories. For their talents it came down to originality, preparedness and outfit choice. As for the interview, the contestants were graded on confidence, delivery and how knowledgeable they were.
But it also came down to the eye test. You can have as many scoring departments as you want, but there’s no substitute for how a performed talent or answer makes you feel.
And in the end, after a stunning singing performance and passionate answer about how he would further the cause of the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire (the beneficiary of the evening) as Mr. Concord, Waldron edged out Dexter in a tight vote to become the most famous man in Concord.
I was told bribes, free drinks and gifts could be involved in an effort to sway my vote toward one of these eight fine gentlemen. And let’s just say this guy’s decision-making could be rented for the evening – if the price was right. It wasn’t as lavish as I expected going into the night, but it keeps from a scandal from popping up after the fact. Duprey didn’t hide his ability to change course as he held up a sign that read show me the money and ended up with an envelope filled with $2,000 for the Crisis Center.
Now you know that Waldron won, but if you weren’t there, here’s a little snapshot of how the night unfolded.
Waldron went last and killed it with his Les Miz rendition that had a number of the ladies in the crowd wiping away tears. You had to see this performance, it was incredible. He also sweetened the deal with a snickerdoodle cookie and big chocolate coin.
Dexter’s dance that followed the evolution of boy bands through the years was the most original and totally awesome, and let’s just say it likely, affected the ladies in a little different way than Waldron. Those performances clearly put the duo at the top of the list. But that’s not to say there weren’t some other highlights.
Nazzy put on quite the magic trick, making a banana disappear, which according to his ACME instructions was supposed to be a bandana (and I still have no idea what happened to it). Orzechowski showed off his cooking skills with Polish stuffed cabbage that he cooked ahead of time – and was delicious – singing the Polish birthday song Sto lat and bringing out some of the ladies of Granite State Roller Derby. He also provided me with my only free beer and a toothbrush.
Rosenberg’s non-roast, roast of his competitors, and constant jokes, had the crowd laughing and his threat of juggling fire sticks had Duprey backing up a little bit. Emond did 200 pushups and broke 10 boards with his bare hand in full Tae kwon do attire, Caccia had quite the knack for knowing what questions were in hermetically sealed envelopes. Champlin’s attempt at whistling left a lot to be desired.
In the interview, each got a not-so-serious question and then one about how they would spread the word about the Crisis Center’s work. Each one had a more than worthy of winning response, which is the whole reason we were all there.
Not only was it a fun time had by all, but it raised crucial money for the Crisis Center, an organization that places such a critical role in the area. The ladies of the Concord Contemporary Club did a great job putting on this pageant for a second straight year, and I was honored to be a part of it. This is quickly becoming an event that will be around for many years to come. So keep an eye out for it next fall – it’s a must see.
