LAS VEGAS — Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund, a 19-year-old aspiring Broadway star, was crowned Miss America 2008 yesterday in a live show billed as the unveiling of the 87-year-old pageant's new, hipper look.

Haglund, of Farmington Hills, Mich., sang "Over the Rainbow" to clinch the title. She beat Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth Rash, the first runner-up, and Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto, the second runner-up, for the $50,000 scholarship and year of travel that come with the crown.

Haglund, who studies music at the University of Cincinnati, grew up in a pageant family. Her mother is an active volunteer, and her grandmother Iora Hunt, competed for the crown as Miss Michigan 1944. Hunt was in the audience yesterday.

Haglund, a cheery blonde, wore a revealing silver sequined dress and black bikini during the evening gown and swimsuit portions of the pageant. As her platform issue, she promised to advocate for awareness of eating disorders, an illness from which she has recovered.

The crowning at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip was aired for the first time on TLC. It capped a four-week reality series, "Miss America: Reality Check," which followed the contestants as they were pushed to shed the dated look of Miss Americas past and adopt a more updated style.

IPOD ALSO COMES WITH AN APPEAL

DAVOS, Switzerland — Rock star Bono bowed deeply and gave Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda an iPod at the start of a meeting yesterday in Switzerland to try to get more Japanese support to solve poverty in Africa.

The gift broke the ice as Fukuda sat down with Bono, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, former British prime minister Tony Blair and other major supporters of more aid for Africa.

Fukuda asked the U2 frontman if his music was on the red recording device.

"No, but you can download it," Bono said.

"My son has some of your music," Fukuda told him.

After the private meeting, Fukuda told government and business leaders at the World Economic Forum that African development will be one of the three major themes of the G-8 meeting he is hosting in Japan in July.

Part of the proceeds from sales of the special-edition red iPod go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.

HANNAH MONTANA A MOVIE TICKET HIT

It won't even open until Friday, but the wholesome family movie "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" has become a box-office sensation.

Online ticket seller MovieTickets.com reports that, as of Thursday, the flick starring the sexy yet wholesome Miley Cyrus was already No. 13 on its list of top presale films in all of history.

The site says it expects the film will easily break into the list's top 10, joining such smashes as "Star Wars: Episode III" and "Star Wars: Episode II," "Spider-Man 3," "The Matrix Reloaded," and a whole bunch of Harry Potter flicks.

ANOTHER BABY FOR ANGELINA?

Is Brad Pitt's significant other, Angelina Jolie, pregnant, as Star magazine asserts? A new arrival would increase the couple's brood to a big, loud handful of five — all younger than 7. Brangelina has yet to comment on the Star report.