A Glorious Victory for the Klingon Empire

Konra, the glorious victor of Dragon Con's 2015 Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant, is a Klingon opera singer. You heard me right...a Klingon opera singer! 

Minus forehead ridges and horns, the magnificent Hannah Hoyt is a North Carolina-based composer who just so happens to also posses a phenomenal operatic voice. She's performed opera professionally, but I think this might be a Dragon Con-only kind of performance...but if she takes it on the road, I'm first in the ticket line!

Miss Star Trek Universe - Konora | Hannah Hoyt | Dragon Con 2015

Hannah Hoyt's rendition of an aria from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" (you'll know it when you hear it) was splendid...and in Klingon! You don't hear that every day.

As usual, all of the contestants (11 this year) were fantastic! But sitting there, hearing Konra perform, I knew immediately that she must win! The audience's reaction was thunderous AND we were treated to an encore immediately after she was crowned! 

Miss Star Trek Universe - Konora | Hannah Hoyt | Dragon Con 2015

This was the 6th Annual Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant, part of Dragon Con's Trek Track. We've had the great fortune of having Garrett Wang (Harry Kim in Star Trek: Voyager, my favorite series in the franchise) as the Trek Track Director. I think they should promote him to Trek Track Admiral...the man is amazing! 

This is a 2.5 hour event that includes an audience participation "Kahless Says" game (It's like the Simon Says game you played as a kid, but in this version there are no survivors); three segments of the pageant (introductions/costume, talent, and Q&A); and while the judges are deliberating, Garrett divides the audience into eight segments assigning each a sound, phrase or song. After a couple of practice runs he conducts one of the more unique performances I've ever heard...doors swooshing, "Kaaaaahn!", "Shut up, Wesley!" and the TOS fight song were a few of the elements this year. It's great audience-participation fun!

This year's panel of judges was again awesome. It included Emily Cook, Miss Georgia 2009; Terry Farrell (Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine); Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century); Jamie Higgins (2014 Miss Star Trek Universe, as Mother Horta); and other prestigious personalities. We're grateful for their time and the fun they bring to the pageant.

Read more about the pageant in Debbie Yutko's awesome article on Hannah Hoyt's crowning as Miss Star Trek Universe! I'll post more photos from the Con soon...

Miss Star Trek Universe Goes to the Romulans!

There would have been many disappointed Ferengi at this year's Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant...there were several contenders any of who could have taken the crown. Fortunately for one Romulan in particular, there wasn't a cloaking device in sight! Her (seemingly) Irish jig was seen by everyone!

Dragon Con 2013, Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant

The competition, immediately preceded by a Klingon-led series of games (I think he'd been nipping the blood wine), was fierce. Many of the contestants had obviously worked on their uniforms and routines for many, many months—if not the entire year—and others were solely relying on their womanly ways and lots of skin!

Dragon Con 2013, Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant

Each and every person who took to the stage—as well as all the folks behind-the-scenes—deserve a standing ovation for putting on a fantastic performance! This is one session that I always attend and will wait in line for an unrealistic measure of time to get a great seat!

Dragon Con 2013, Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant

This trio of Andorians graciously served as stage hands during the pre-show act...well, they got to light into gamers with Bat'leths, so it couldn't have been too horrible. They were pretty damned good, actually.

Dragon Con 2013, Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant

No, Scotty was not a contestant at this year's Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant...I can't believe you'd ask that! Actually, this event brings probably the largest number of Star Trek costumes of the Con, so it's a fantastic time to snap a few shots of Starfleet officers and others from around the known Universe.

Dragon Con 2013, Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant

This year's distinguished panel of judges included a very special local guest...Emily Cook, Miss Georgia 2009. She graciously posed for photos after the Pageant when I learned that you can't just give your camera to someone else who is holding a camera and assume they know how to use it. 

Fortunately, Emily looks gorgeous in the Star Trek dress that her mother made for her. Both her parents were at the Con. Garrett Wang, the Trek Track Chair and Harry Kim from Star Trek: Voyager, told us that he'd been trying to get her to the Pageant since he first took over the Track in 2010. He and everyone else there was grateful for her participation...especially a few guys probably could have used a whiff or two of oxygen.

Also on the judges panel were Dominic Keating, Cirroc Lofton, and Terry Farrell. All in all, it was another brilliant Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant! Looking forward to the next one!