by Carl Dunn

A group runway performance

As the song states, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." For 40 years, the national MAAI Convention has trekked to the "Big Apple" (New York City) to offer the opportunity to tomorrow's aspiring models and actors of meeting the biggest names in the modeling and entertainment fields. The first and only non-profit convention of its kind, the MAAI brings talent agents and modeling scouts from all over the world to interview and search for the next big new face. Agents and scouts, from such household names as Ford Models, Elite Model Management, IMG, New York Models, and Wilhelmina Creative Management, annually convene at the MAAI Convention in the hope of finding their next new superstar. Unlike many people who travel to New York in hopes of an audition who travel from door-to-door, day-after-day, the convention allows the participant the envious opportunity to be seen by more agents within a week than many people see within a year. Thus, with this star-making opportunity available, the MAAI Convention was founded to give the future stars of tomorrow the avenue to pursue their dreams.

The first and only non-profit convention of its kind, the MAAI brings talent agents and modeling scouts from all over the world to interview and search for the next big new face.

From April 22-27, 2000, the annual MAAI Convention was held at its longtime home, the exquisite Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in the heart of the modeling capital of the world, New York City. Throughout the Easter weekend, hundreds of hopeful models and actors competed for contracts and the opportunity to hit the runways and stages of their dreams. In addition to participants from the United States, agents were given the opportunity to visit with promising talent from around the world, with schools traveling from such exotic locales as Greece, Guam, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Iceland, to name a few. Even with a diversity of culture, one thing held everyone's attention equally: the chance to be seen and signed to a contract while in New York. The stories of past participants now working in such places as Europe, Japan, and New York, added to the heady showbiz atmosphere that can only be found in New York.

Joseph Barbara, "Paolo Caselli" of All My Children, is a huge hit with his many fans.

During the competition, all aspects of the entertainment industry were visited, and the attendees had the chance of a lifetime to be auditioned in whichever fields they wanted to pursue. Along with the group and solo-modeling competitions, the convention offered other areas of performance opportunities, such as TV Competition, Monologues, Cold Reading (soap star competition), Musical Theater, and Voice Over Narration. From young children to adults, the MAAI Convention offered something for everyone who dreams of working in the spotlight. But not all the week is devoted to competition. Various seminars are conducted throughout each day covering subject matters as diverse as child-parent relationships in the industry, adult-acting seminars, runway, and petite/plus modeling seminars. Some of the industry experts, many of whom have contributed to Pageantry's own "How To Break Into Showbiz" series, imparted their wisdom and explained the realities of a career in show-business. Experts such as Marta Michaud of Wilhelmina Creative Management, Gary Dakin of Ford Models, actor and coach Ron Millkie, casting director Troy Skog, and author Eve Matheson allowed the participant to learn more about their chosen career and the chance to ask questions about what it truly takes to succeed either on the runway, the stage, or even behind the camera. (Eve Matheson offers more advice in Pageantry's upcoming Winter 2000 issue!)

With all the competitions and seminars, does one have time to relax? Of course! You're in New York! Throughout the week, many competitors and family members took advantage of a break in their schedule to "take in" a show. Only in New York and on Broadway can you see the world's premier shows. A few short blocks from the Waldorf=Astoria, the stage lights of Broadway beckoned to all who wished to experience the thrill of live theater. From Grease, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, and Swing, to the chance to visit the mecca of showbiz, was a bonus none would forget.

For a lifetime of devotion to young people and their dreams, Georgette Callas receives the Pageantry Spirit Award from Pageantry's Publisher Charles Dunn.

As the week and competitions drew to a close, the annual individual and school awards were presented before the participants were to meet with the agents during their call-backs. The memory-making banquet was expertly emceed by actor and talk-show host Richard Bey along with actress Brigitte Brooks.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of MAAI, Pageantry's publisher, Charles Dunn, flew into New York to present a special Pageantry Spirit Award to Georgette Callas, an original founder of the MAAI Convention. Due to her efforts and role as mentor to countless individuals, Pageantry magazine was honored to bestow this prestigious award upon such a deserving leader. As the awards were announced, the MAAI Convention inducted two new members into their Hall of Fame: Robin Mattson (Janet Green Dillon on All My Children) and Tokyo's World Top Agency talent-scout Hiromi Tashiro. These two outstanding women join such household names as Kim Alexis, Carole Alt, Susan Lucci, Christopher Reeve, Paul Sorvino and Christie Brinkley as Hall of Fame winners and friends of MAAI. Along with the presenters, daytime soap stars from All My Children, such as Joseph Barbara, Robin Mattson, Mark Consuelos, and Cameron Mathison, posed for pictures and treated the crowd to personal stories of making it in the business and what it takes to succeed. From early success to years of hard work, the stars amiably imparted their knowledge and insights of the runway model and television/screen actor.

After all was said and done, the competitions over, and the seminars complete, the moment that everyone dreams of, and dreads at the same time, had arrived. THE CALL-BACK! As excited participants received their call-back sheets, the dream of the runway and the stage became one step closer for those who had arrived at the MAAI Convention and New York City with nothing more than hope and a dream. For those who received contracts to such places as Milan (Italy), Tokyo (Japan), Spain, and of course New York, they made it in New York with the MAAI and their dreams which became a reality. As the MAAI Convention leads into their 5th decade, we congratulate them for fulfilling the dreams of many of the stars and models which we see today.

AWARD WINNING SCHOOLS AT THE MAAI CONVENTION:

Group Runway: John Robert Powers, Philadelphia Overall Male: John Robert Powers, Philadelphia Overall Female: John Robert Powers, Philadelphia Small School Excellence: Cleo Johnson School, Chicago Large School Excellence: D & D Talent & Models, Wilkes-Barre, PA Agency of the Year: D & D Talent & Models, Wilkes-Barre, PA School of the Year: John Robert Powers, Philadelphia

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