Columnist John Katsilometes: Visiting the Fashion Show mall to meet the 52 charming young women vying for the title of Miss America

Monday, Jan. 16, 2006 | 8:18 a.m.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach John Katsilometes at kats@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2327 or (702) 812-9812.

Art McMaster surveyed the scene -- 52 beautiful young women striding across the Fashion Show mall runway as a couple of thousand fans cheered and waved -- and said, "I will never complain about having three daughters again. Try having 52 and having to keep track of all of them."

In Las Vegas, no less.

"But they are great, great young ladies," McMaster, Miss America's president and chief operating officer, was quick to add.

The pageant's finale is set for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts (the show is sold out), marking the first time in the pageant's 85-year history it will not be held in Atlantic City. The host for the CMT broadcast is Wisteria Lane's nefarious fix-it man, James Denton.

The contestants' first weekend in Vegas was jammed with rehearsals and appearances. After the Fashion Show mall the troupe was off to the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. Saturday afternoon was the official welcoming ceremony hosted by Mayor Oscar Goodman and County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald in front of the Aladdin, where the throng of onlookers was so deep it spilled out onto the Strip.

On Sunday, the contestants were nearly an hour late for their Fashion Show appearance -- during which reigning Miss America Deidra Downs introduced each state rep in alphabetical order -- after conducting an impromptu rehearsal in the staging area beneath the runway.

That was quite a scene; as the contestants were ushered into the cramped quarters they instantly gravitated to the nearest mirror.

Unnecessarily.

As always, smiles were abundant as the contestants were taken through their paces for the afternoon appearance. Most were still dazed and amazed by their surroundings.

"We're blown away," is how Miss Idaho (my home state is a personal favorite), Tracey Renee Brown, put it. "It's a long way from Post Falls."

Our own Miss Nevada, Crystal Wosik of Las Vegas, who drew the afternoon's loudest cheers, said representing the pageant's current home has meant, "More attention, more interviews. It's time-consuming, but it's great."

The first time Wosik, a graduate of Bonanza High, sees a Miss America pageant will be from the stage. Growing up with four brothers meant, "We had none of that girlie stuff on. It was football and baseball."

Miss Nevada has never won the Miss America title. Wosik promised, "I just want to do my best. But I came to win. We all did."

NoteMart

Queer here! A contest of a somewhat different color was also held Sunday afternoon, at the Golden Nugget. A few hundred of Las Vegas' sloppiest men lined up to audition for an appearance on "Queer Eye."

One gentleman I observed giving a taped testimonial was nicknamed "Rocket." He owns a trailer in Boulder City, was clad in a denim jacket, old Dickie's pants and a shirt that read, "Big Toys For Big Boys" with a drawing of a big truck (a Chevy, methinks).

Note the change in the show's title from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." The show is now inviting gay men to be made over by the "Fab Five" -- as long as they have an interesting tale to tell. Las Vegas is a prime spot for the show to find contestants because there are so many compelling storylines to follow here (as well as a large supply of disheveled guys).

Anyone interested in being part of the show can call (818) 445-6753. Another open casting call is being planned for later this month ...

Club me: The latest cutting-edge nightclub to open in Vegas, Jet at the Mirage, held its grand opening Saturday night. The club was created by the Light Group and the grand opening was heavily populated by celebs (and in some cases, heavy celebs) including (brace for celeb names:) Leonardo DiCaprio, Shannon Elizabeth, Lance Bass, Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton with Kevin Connolly, David Foster with Alicia Jacobs (entertainment reporter for KVBC Channel 3), Enrique Iglesias, Sara Foster, Carmen Electra and Ethan Suplee (the brother from "My Name is Earl").

But the biggest red-carpet response was at the sighting of Jaleel White, once known as "Urkel," a muscular sort these days who looks like he can rock the house ...

Another sign of aging: The item last week reporting the out-of-date Las Vegas Silver Bowl sign on Eastern Avenue and Flamingo Road prompted this nudge from a coworker: A sign for Las Vegas Stadium can be spotted northbound on Maryland Parkway, just before Charleston Boulevard. That was Sam Boyd Stadium's original name in 1971.