Grandma’s still got it.
Southern Brooklyn celebrated the beauty of its most venerable ladies with the annual Your Highness Grandmother Pageant at the Kings Bay Y on Sunday and, while the contestants might have been long in tooth, there was no shortage of talent and guts.
“The way they present themselves coming onto stage gets a lot of credit,” said Alec Teytel, one of the three judges at the event. “Walking on to stage and showing off takes a lot of courage at that age.”
Nine stunning grandmas, most of whom hailed from Southern Brooklyn, showed up to win the Your Highness title and entertain the audience with song and dance.
Three judges officiated the event from their front row seats and, while not professional pageant judges, they all shared one quality that made them perfect for this event — they’re all grandpas.
All of the contestants charmed the audience and judges with their beauty and grace, but only two would ultimately finish the night wearing tiaras — one dubbed Adult Grandmother and another Young Grandmother.
The younger winner that evening was Tamara Kataeva, who stunned the judges with her beauty that has lasted into her golden years.
“Tamara, she’s beautiful, a beautiful woman, and she’s a former actress,” said Teytel. “So, she has a beatiful voice and is very talented.”
Sunday’s more well-aged winner was Leya Popivker of Sheepshead Bay, who charmed the judges and stole the show with her angelic voice.
“Leya, she’s over 70 and, for her age, she made a nice presentation,” Teytel explained. “She sang twice, an American songa and a Russian song.”
The Your Highness Beauty Pageant debuted in 2000, and was created by Reisa Chernina in honor of her own beautiful mother.
