Performances have prepared dancers

     By Damon Hodge
     View staff writer
      Five members of the 25-member "Put on a Hat, Too!" cast made waves in beauty pageants and talent contests prior to delving into musicals.
      Anita Caselli won the Ms. National Senior Citizens crown in 1996-97, taking top honors in fashion, gown, interview, talent and queen categories -- the first contestant in 14 years to accomplish such a feat.
      In 1994, she was named most talented in the Ms. Senior Nevada competition. That year, she also captured the "Best of talent" category in the Ms. Senior Clark County contest. She was first runner-up and most talented in the 1992 Ms. Senior Clark County competition.
      Meg Wilson Brown was the 1992 Senior Clark County Pageant Queen and has graced countless films and movies.
      To some, she's Mrs. Whipple. Her husband Dick Wilson rose to fame as "Mr. Whipple," the bespectacled store clerk who urged patrons "don't squeeze the Charmin." An accomplished oil and ceramic artist, she has been commissioned by actress Sally Struthers to display and auction her art.
      Renee Lee took first place in the Ms. Silver Queen pageant in 1991 and added the Ms. Senior Clark County crown in 1995. Her resumŽ includes work on Broadway, dancing in Hallelujah Hollywood, Folies Bergere and Love over 40.
      Among the most notable of her television appearances were spots in the quirky Bartles & James wine cooler commercials and advertising spots for the Dating Game and Secret deodorant.
      Lori Sanchez was the first Nevadan to win the Ms. Senior America national title. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, she'd been a theater owner in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She toured with Bert Lahr in "Burlesque," Eve Arden in "Here Today" and with Richard Kiley in "Street Car Named Desire." She was assistant to Shirley MacLaine while the actress worked on films such as "Sweet Charity," "Two Mules for Sister Sara," and "Irma LaDuce."
      Rhonda Simmons, a former cheerleader for the NFL's Houston Oilers and the Las Vegas Posse, won the 1999 Ms. Black Nevada pageant which has resulted in media exposure in local newspapers and magazines. Simmons, who earned a dance degree from Sam Houston State University, has also won praise for teaching young girls about dance.
      Earlier this year, a group of young girls at her church staged a public performance and received good reviews. Simmons taught "praise" dance in a Houston church before moving to Las Vegas.
      "Not only are these ladies talented, they're beautiful, too," said Kim Russell, producer of "Put on a Hat, Too!"