The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania is a 2005 documentary film directed by David Hunt and Jody Eldred about the fiftieth annual "Pennsylvania Bituminous Coal Queen" beauty pageant which took place on Sunday, August 17, 2003, at the State Theatre Center for the Arts (Uniontown, Pennsylvania). The film is produced by Hunt's wife Patricia Heaton, and prominently features actress Sarah Rush, who was herself a Coal Queen in her youth. Heaton describes the film as "an homage to small town America".Patricia Heaton on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, May 17, 2006
The film follows the past and present contestants and winners of the annual beauty pageant sponsored by the bituminous coal industry of Greene County, Pennsylvania and was shot over a 10-day period in August 2003. The film's budget swelled from $45,000 to $350,000 after the licensing for the various song snippets that appear in the contestants' acts.
A memorable character is the pageant's stage manager, who is easily offended when the contestants make requests and suggestions. He has since been fired.
+ Featured contestants Name Act Representing Dana Bukovitz Tap dance Frazier High School Alyssa Corfont Tap dance to "Fame" Waynesburg Central High School Elizabeth Gessner Piano and voice performance of "Change the World" Geibel Catholic High School Mary Hawkins Dance Jefferson-Morgan High School Christine Henry Dance Mapletown Junior-Senior High School Jessica Levo Voice performance of "I Enjoy Being a Girl" Carmichaels Area High School Abbey Lion Dance Laurel Highlands High School Ryann Over Dance/lipsync to "All That Jazz" Uniontown Area Senior High School Malana Piatt Baton performance to "All That Jazz" Bethlehem Center High School Michelle Tanner Voice performance of "The Rose" Albert Gallatin High School Laura Yost Xylophone Clay-Battelle High School
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