Lake County >> Who wears platform shoes, makes balloon animals, and sports a bright green man-kini? If you guessed Sheriff Brian Martin, you’re right.
Aside from his day job, Martin is also the reigning Mr. Lake County. Martin competed against 13 other worthy opponents last September in Lake County Theatre Company’s (LCTC) first Mr. Lake County Pageant. This year’s pageant is coming up on July 18, and LCTC is searching for contestants. The pageant is a fundraiser for the Lake County Theatre Company’s building fund, and was an overwhelming success last year, bringing in over $10,000 for the cause.
The event is a light-hearted version of traditional pageants, and has all the same elements: formal wear, talent, swimwear, and interview, but with a lot less pressure, and a lot more shenanigans.
Last year for formal wear, contestants wore everything from tuxedo t-shirts to dresses. Dennis Fay, winner of the category, donned his military uniform.
“Where else but Lake County can a senior dude sing to the musical ‘Hair,’ have the moves like Jagger, and rock with his friends and family?” said Fay, when asked about his experience competing for Mr. Lake County.
The talent competition was quite the variety show. Phil Blair of Blair painting and Drywall climbed a tall scaffold and spray painted a heart and a peace sign on a piece of drywall. Daniel Roberts put together a bookshelf on stage. Roberts said being a part of Mr. Lake County was “more fun than a barrel of monkeys!”
Brian Martin wore a gorilla suit under his man-kini during the swimwear competition. Several brave men chose the less-is-more approach to the swimwear category, but just as many strutted their stuff in board shorts and t-shirts.
The questions for the interview portion were generated by audience members. A few of my favorites included “Describe your perfect date,” “Where is art in Lake County,” and “What would you do for a Klondike Bar?” I had the privilege of asking the contestants their interview questions last year, and I think my cheeks might still hurt from laughing so much.
In addition to competing in the four categories, contestants also performed a simple group dance to the song “Moves Like Jagger,” choreographed by Sarah Dutra.
Dutra, who has also done choreography for the Lip Sync, Night at the Speakeasy, Spamalot, and The Rocky Horror Show, said Mr. Lake County, “was the most fun I had all year! The contestants offered a wonderful variety that displayed the true heart of Lake County men: hard working, handsome, and all very talented, even while strutting around in a man-kini.” Dutra will be back to help with the group dance this year, and Brian Martin will help emcee the event.
“The Mr. Lake County Pageant was a great opportunity to make new friends, have fun, and most importantly raise money for the Lake County Theatre Company,” said Martin. “I would encourage any eligible man in the county to give it a try. It was much more fun than I expected.” Martin won the crown (actually, it’s a golden belt) because he earned the highest number of audience votes. Unlike traditional pageants that have a panel of a few judges, the Mr. Lake County Pageant has as many judges as there are seats in the audience. Each audience member submits a vote for their favorite in each of the four categories, and the contestant with the most votes overall earns the coveted title of Mr. Lake County.
Lake County men, ages 18 and up, who are interested in participating in this year’s pageant should contact Tim Barnes at 972-5787 or timbarneslctc@yahoo.com. An informational meeting for prospective contestants will be held Sunday at 7 p.m. at Cheese’s Pizza, located at 145 North Main St. in Lakeport.
