This pageant became our 4th Runner Up for many reasons. First the spectacular aerial shot of Machu Pichu in the beginning, combined with a great theme song just gave the opening an amazing insight about the host country, Peru. The stage seemed small but but they somehow managed to fit all the delegates, hosts, entertainers and folkloric dancers in there. There's a sense of grandeur when you watch this opening number.
This pageant made our list because of it's uniqueness and because its a pageant of firsts. This is the first Miss Universe Pageant held across the Atlantic and was, up until Cyprus in 2000, the only pageant held in the continent of Europe. This is also the only Miss Universe Pageant that was held outdoors.
Well, as unruly as the Mexican audience was that year, PLP still chose this pageant because of two things. One, the theme song, Viva La Noche is one of PLP's most favorite opening song in Miss Universe's 55 year history. Second, the setting was very festive, the contestants just seemed to be having a great time and the stage was amazing and very spacious!
The concept of this opening sequence was very unique. They first did a shot of the Presidential Palace and then a horse-drawn carriage parking at the bottom of the stairs. Out of the palace comes 1976 Miss Universe, Rina Messinger, who then was escorted aboard the carriage. They went through the streets of Santo Domingo were they were met by men, women and children, throwing flowers at Rina and continued to follow her all the way to Teatro National where the pageant was about to begin. Rina walked into the theater where the live pageant started.
PLP's choice for the Best Opening Number is from the 1995 Miss Universe Pageant in Winhoek, Namibia. This was such an exciting pageant because for the first time the Miss Universe Pageant was being broadcasted live from the African continent. The sunrise shot in the Sahara dessert, Victoria Falls, the different faces and safari animals was just fantastic! The stage (even though it seem pretty small), the performers, the song just really captured the essence of Africa. It was also exciting to see the first candidate from South Africa since 1984 get introduced in this pageant. The production was phenomenal and will be hard to top.
MISS USA
To express our gratitude to all the website visitors that sent us e-mails and comments about PLP's Best of the Best, we are including a Viewer's Choice portion. With that said, based on the large amount of e-mails we received, here is the The Best of the Best - Viewer's Choice winner for Best Opening Number, Miss Universe.
If you want to send us your opinion on which Miss USA opening number should win the viewer's choice or any of the other categories we have outlined, please
We were not surprised that the viewers picked this opening number. One thing exciting about this pageant is the fact that this is the pageant's return to the Philippines after 20 years. Most viewer's probably don't even remember Miss Universe 1974, when the pageant went to Manila the first time. The opening sequence, the aerial shot of the Philippine International Convention Center coming in from Manila Bay generated quite an excitement. The introduction of two former Miss Universe winners from the Philippines was a repeat of the one from Bangkok in 1992. What is so unique about the stage (even though it seems small), is the fact that even though it was not as elaborate as it's predecessors, they made it unique by using photographs of the different amazing places in the Philippines, such as the Mayon Volcano and the Banaue Rice Terraces. Also, the theme song was awesome...it gave the opening number warmth and sense of the true Filipino hospitality.
