Miss America 1991 Talent (Marjorie Vincent, IL)

[Plaisir09]

BEST MISS AMERICA TALENT EVER!!! and YES! SHE'S HAITIAN!!!!

[brynedney]

One of the best Miss America talent performances to date. Amazing!!!

[brynedney]

Compelling!!!!

[dbrel]

Best Miss America talent ever. She is the real deal. Glad she won.

[isaias1117]

ojala y esta clase de talento se pudiera mostrar en este tipo de concursos .... estoy seguro que a ningun juez le importaria la apariencia de la persona si escuchara este tipo de hermosura y talento

[isaias1117]

Esta es la prieba de que con el tiempo los concursos de belleza y la sociedad se basan mas en el fisico que en lo que importa que es un alma pura e inteligente

[dapipeman1]

GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT MAJORY VINCENT,TOBOU COMBO MADE A SONG ABOUT YOU FOR BEING GREAT@ WHAT YOU 'VE DONE.

[Parker528]

One more thought: It's a shame the talent from finalists in past never got the same exposure & attention by media outlets that this yrs Miss Ar got after finals night. The next am, it she was shown, like 4 times, on Morning Joe on MSNBC(all making fun of it), & how the next week, Letterman had her on to do even shorter version. Too bad Brandt, Helen Goldsby, Shani Nielson, Gretchen Carlson's Sarazat violin piece, & Spafford's (violin) & Jade Small's (99) Chopin piece got NO such attention.

[Parker528]

1 more thought on Patricia Brandt, & not getting many kudos except a talent prelim win: nowadays, talent is SO much shorter, & might prevent better talent performances than when they were 1 min longer.. This yr's 1st runner-up, who did ventriloquism, nothing against her act, but her yodeling, & how little she did it maybe b/c of the current time limit, along w/ some tone & pitch issues while yodeling, was, even tho popular, sad to say, far below the standard set by Brandt.

[daisneyful]

isn't she like a Haitian? :D

[Parker528]

@daisneyful I did read somewhere after she won that she IS of Haitian heritage.

[Parker528]

@sdhm1007 Speaking of when they had great talent, consider Helen Godsby who was a vocalist at Juiliard & at the 95 pageant when Shawntell Smith won & maybe even more of natural raw talent was Shani Nielsen in 96 pageant the yr Tara Holland won. Shani sang In His Eyes from Jekyll and Hyde, a piece Linda Eder was doing. Many pageant experts familiar with vocal talent & the pageant have commented on her perfect pitch and intonation in that song. Love to watch her often Sends chills down my spine

[DC205504]

@Parker528 Me too Parker ... major crush on Shani and sad when she didn't make top 5.

[Parker528]

@Parker528 The yr Kaye Lani won Ms Amer 88, 1st runner-up Patricia Brandt from LA did what I think is THE best vent. act ever. VERY complex, demanding voice changes btw her dummies. In 87 pageant; talent then had to last @3 mins, lot more than now; she did 2 or 3 songs, keeping each voice consistent & distinct. She sang 1st, then the male voice, & then female dummies' voice, & is without flaw. She end's w/ bout 30-40 secs of non-stop yodeling w/ males voice, to loudest applause all night.

[Parker528]

At around 2:30 and until the end is where I am just amazed at the fast hands and fingers and passion....If she had NOT won a talent prelim it would have been a travesty. She earned enough money from the state and national contest that she graduated law school debt free. She deserved that.

[Parker528]

As for my entries here, most of my info comes either from someone who knew about her in the NC pageants and what I have read online about her as a contestant and how well her performance is reviewed by experts at piano. I think she was known for being in big contests for piano before this night, and I thought I read they were well respected competitions on either a national or international level. The pageant just didn't get someone of this rare talent that often in top ten.

[Parker528]

She nailed her on stage interview final night in the gown competition, starting her response to a question on domestic violence w/o any hesitation rather than needing time on stage to contemplate her answer. She must have been on a debate team or took a debate class, b/c she was very comfortable during the answer w/ a lot of knowledge on the domestic violators & how to give them treatment to stop the cycle of abuse, as well as her advocacy for shelter & legal assistance for those abused.

[Parker528]

@ksCanada17 She did represent Illinois at nationals but struggled to win the North Carolina state pageant several yrs, while she was in law school at Duke. Once she switched to her home state, she had no trouble winning there. Her interpretation of this piece is outstanding, and its like she is making love to the piano. Even though it was shortened from the way Chopin wrote it to meet the time limit, it is nevertheless mesmerizing especially her skills on those keys at the very end!

[MarjorieJVincent]

Thank you for the kind comments! (Most of them anyway! LOL) I didn't know this video was on here until my husband mentioned it to me. Not my best performance. I had a few mistakes. I think that's acceptable considering the pressure I was under and the fact that I literally had tv cameras right in my face. I don't have my piano with me so I have not played in a while. However, the fingers are thankfully still in great shape!

[Parker528]

@MarjorieJVincent Wow, what an honor to tell you how much I enjoy watching the tape over and over your talent; I had only heard once before, but not with the same intensity and love for the piano. I tell friends that it was like you were making love to the piano. You rock it with your fast ends at the end. Listened to the original, longer piece the way Chopin wrote it, and it doesn't seen to have that special something. Your honest reaction at the announcement you won is such a joy to see.

[starmorisseau]

Long live our bloodline!

Your Queen,

Star Morisseau

[esquireyes]

Class

[sistalinda]

Wonderful performance. Beautiful, talented, smart and exemplary character.

Miss Americas' are no joke.

[MichG60]

Yes and she is of Haitian Decent. So Proud of My Haitian People

[k2canada17]

I remember watching this live when I was 12 years old and just being completely stunned by her talent. I was in my 7th year of piano lessons by that time and this performance completely changed my mind about beauty pageants. I remembered she was from Illinois (and guessed at the year). The power of google is unbelievable. I sure hope Marjorie is still playing !!!

[sdhm1007]

fognhaze, I really wish I could see a video of Charlene Dallas. It is great getting to see these older performances, when talent at Miss America was really "talent!" And before I get blasted for saying that, I am not talking about everyone.

[Parker528]

@sdhm1007 Not sure when Dallas was in the pageant, but finals nights are available on tape/DVD at Ms America website; recent years also include tapes of all prelims, so if she was in finals you can buy the tape. Was she there the year Kylene Barker won? The name sounds familiar as maybe a runner up back in the 70's.

[Parker528]

@sdhm1007 If Dalas WAS in finals you can by the dvd or vhs on the Miss America website. I think they run $50 each year, though. But the tapes are worth the cost.

[fognhaze]

sdhm1007 is right to think Marjorie was awesome-absolutely! But I go WAY back and Charlene Dallas,Miss California 1966 (and 1st runner-up) was every bit as awesome. FYI: Charlene won Both talent and swimsuit prelims

[Parker528]

@fognhaze . I've no tapes from 60's; pls tell me what Dallas' talent was? Must have been great. She is 1of rare dbl prelim winners to NOT win title. The yr Tara Holland won: 2 top 10 girls, Melissa Short (HI) & Patricia Leines(OR) won dbl prelim; Leines got 2nd runner up but Short's suit's drape got stuck & didn't break loose for like 10 secs; she recovered but may have cost her top 5). I know Dallas' name from my "crowning moments" VHS from 57-2004, w/ Parks announcing her as runner-up.

[sdhm1007]

She wasn't my pick to win but she is probably the most talented pianist ever on the Miss America stage. Stunning!

[Parker528]

@sdhm1007 I have not seen her talent (which I am almost certain was piano too) since didn't make it out of prelims, but I have heard that Lisa Bamford of North Caolina in '95 (Shawntell Smith's yr) is one of the best prelim piano talent ever displayed, along with this one

[Santalady101]

The moment she was announced back on may 17th 1991, I was born. Kind of crazy. Unfortunately none of those mind blowing talents magically transferred to me lol

[Parker528]

@Santalady101 She was NOT announced winner in month of May 1991; the pageant was ALWAYS held the 2nd Saturday after Memorial Day in Atlantic city, until the pageant had to move to Las Vegas and do it January as it is now. Also she was in the 70th anniversary pageant in Sept 90, which when she won, made her Miss America 1991. They started post dating the years around 1952 since most of the Miss America reign started the calendar year after the pageant wins.

[Juliaflo]

@Parker528 Excuse me, but the pageant used to be held after Labor Day, not Memorial Day.

[yooperchick15]

wow she is beautiful did she end up winning??

[gebuhay]

Yup.. she wont this year

[mrmeadows4u2no]

Damn she was awesome!~

[Juliaflo]

Anyone who thinks this pageant should return to Atlantic City, RAISE YOUR HAND.

[Parker528]

@Juliaflo Here here!

[greg2009]

I would like someone to post Debbye Turner's talent playing the marimba in 1989

[aaflyguy]

If someone cud tell me how to get vhs uploaded to youtube i can post MA 1990 w/ Debbye Turner, Virginia Cha Miss Maryland (1st RuUp) CNN Anchor & Jeri Ryan/Zimmerman Miss Illinois (3rd RuUp) 7 of 9; Star Trek: Enterprise.

[Planetmizik]

wasnt she haitian?

[latinoguy]

Her parents are from Haiti and Marjorie speaks fluent Haitian Creole.

[Parker528]

@Planetmizik Yes, she is of Haitian descent. Her parents came from there.

[xanagu69]

What a fantastic performance! She may not have been the most beautiful contestant that evening but Marjorie easily won the title due to that talent alone, along with her strong interview as well.

[77fois7fois]

To xana and all others who confuse miss america as a beauty contest...it is and has always been a *talent contest* and may I say marjorie is the best they've ever had....

[LiamForeman]

I met Marjorie the night she won. Although she wasn't a classic beauty, her talent and aura that night were out of this world. So whenever I think back and go "Marjorie Vincent Miss America WTF?!?!? " I just need to play this video. And that coat WAS out of this world. In person it looked very Liberace, but it's not showing as well on tv. The coat probably won her the title it made such an impact.

[Parker528]

@LiamForeman I feel that the raw talent as well as how well she did in the interview prelim. The interview is almost always how someone wins; it's like applying for a job. Under the scoring rules back then, the prelim totals were like 40 or 50 percent of the final score. Since she did so well in on stage interview, in a convinced she won the title based on her public speaking and that she got the extra points winning prelim talent.

[ahj71]

Marjorie was beautiful, poised & talented.  She FELT the piece as her fingers glided across the keys. And that coat was beaded & rhinestoned OUT OF IT'S MIND! = D

[jwannabe]

For me and my Mom, this was ABSOLUTELY THE MOST MEMORABLE Ms. America talent performance EVER!!! Marjorie played it beautifully. This song has been a favorite of mine since then.

Thanks for posting this -- I had not seen this since the original telecast in 1990. Love it! posted 1-30-2007

[pika23]

is'nt this song in Tetris? im being serious.

[musiciskey]

what is the name of this piece?

[jasuzu]

"Fantasie-Impromptu" by Frédéric Chopin

[sexytrannie]

for those that think they can play it better where the hell are yiu!?? give me a break! marjorie was fantastic!

[bek72149]

hey! :) That's the same piece I'll be playing at Miss Idaho in 2008!

[123BDG123]

I see the comments and wonder how can anyone criticize this. Please. Give the girl her due.

[gebuhay]

WOW GO GIRL...

[sexysnake44]

the interpretation is musically nice, but the technique is a little shaky...the piece should go faster

[Parker528]

@sexysnake44 Really? Do you mean the entire piece should be a lot faster, or just the parts when she slows it down during her unique interpretation? he recordings on CD I have heard of the chopin pice have always had slow parts; I thought Chopin was known for have rhythmic and complex style in his composition.. AND the way Chopin wrote it was even slower in tempo. Plus she prolly had to reduce the original piece to make it within the time limits for talent.

[latinoguy]

Talent was superb !!

She was a great Miss America.

[lorilynnoliver]

I used to perform this same piece when I competed. Thanks for posting it!  Brings back memories.

[datruzepp]

HAHAHAH DIZ IZ A WIKID ORIGINAL INTERP. n da tech iz zolid thru out. REZPEC DIZ BIATCH!!!!

[LilBrownieD]

That was amazing!