Queen of kings
Friday night at 5 p.m., Goldstein Auditorium was buzzing with excitement. After all, it would be hard to keep calm as some of the nation’s biggest celebrities rolled onstage. For a moment, it looked as if Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Britney Spears were actually in the room. In reality, however, it was their drag show counterparts competing in the 14th annual Totally Fabulous Drag Show.
Eight years ago, the show became an event funded by Syracuse University. It has continually gained popularity. This year’s drag show sold out Goldstein Auditorium and raised more than $200 for Haiti and AIDS research charities.
Still reeling with enthusiasm from the preliminary round of the competition, these kings and queens were ready to compete for the prestigious title of King or Queen of the Hill. As the show got underway, contestants watched with bitter skepticism as they sized up their opponents.
‘It’s like the trifecta of divas, it’s the draggest thing ever,’ said Alec Sim, a senior economics and finance and music history and cultures major, and also this year’s winner. Sim performed as his onstage persona, Madame*.
John Crandall, a senior anthropology major and president of Pride Union, said the drag show is a legacy on the SU campus, with a reputation for being the biggest and most successful LGBT event every year. Crandall has been an executive producer of the show for three years. This year he held the position of co-producer.
The drag event showcased student contestants, professional drag kings and queens, and a popular campus dance troupe. Hailing from New York City, a drag celebrity known as Peppermint, the host of last year’s show, returned for a performance again this year. Peppermint, honored by HX Magazine as its 2009 Drag Queen of the Year, has made appearances on ‘Ugly Betty’ and has recently put out a Glammy-award winning album, the drag circuit’s equivalent to a Grammy Award.
Peppermint sashayed up and down the catwalk with huge blond hair, even bigger heels and an array of tiny dresses. In a ridiculous series of events, Peppermint pulled a sheepish audience member up onstage and kissed him, joking, ‘I know my womanly charms might make you nervous,’ while the crowd laughed.
Her friend, a professional drag queen known as All Beef Patty, accompanied her. The two performed a duet together to singer Pink’s ‘Don’t Let Me Get Me,’ inserting their own sexually tinged lyrics.
All Beef Patty’s costume consisted of was a leather bustier, huge orange ruffles and a standout orange wig. With Peppermint’s provocative outfits, huge hair, visible butt cheeks and vulgar humor, she lived up to the title of her debut album, ‘Hardcore Glamour.’
The judges were John Barnhart, Student Association’s president; Nikki Fenmore, a local drag queen; and Michelle Khudak, an SU alumna and a drag king.
Nick Haas, a sophomore forestry and engineering major in the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, wearing a schoolgirl’s costume, was the first to hit the stage. Within moments, Haas was down to a bra and a micro-mini, writhing on the floor to Britney Spears. Working the crowd, Haas pulled $1 bills out of the audience members’ cleavage with her mouth while her backup dancers were just as provocative. Haas’ performance was met with positive commentary from the judges, and Haas was named runner-up to Queen of the Hill.
Khudak joked, ‘It’s so good to see so much humping right after Lent!’
Nick Deyo, a sophomore television, radio and film major and last year’s reigning Queen of the Hill, returned for an encore performance this year.
‘The drama and the energy from the crowd, that’s what makes me come back – I love that feeling,’ Deyo said. Deyo mentioned that there is a strange stigma associated with drag, even within the LGBT community. Regardless, Deyo said he went to the show to have fun and be fierce at the same time.
Later on, Chikere Cottoy, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, hit the stage. Cottoy was a drag king with the onstage persona of Miles Long. Long lip-synced to ‘The Dream.’ Long had two female backup dancers who wore neon pink jackets while showing off acrobatic dance moves. Their hip-hop style was unmatched as they shot bubbles out of pink toy guns. With ‘Space Jam’ booming in the background, Long crooned to one dancer before smacking her butt and sending the performer on her way. Long got the crowd moving by getting down on his knees and taking cash tips out of the mouths of over-eager audience members. His performance awarded him the runner-up position of King of the Hill.
The next drag kings to hit the stage were members of the group InTwink, who did a variety of ‘NSYNC and T-Pain songs. Dressed in baggy jeans, painted-on chinstraps and bandanas, it was like being at a boy band concert during the ’90s all over again. The background dancers grinded with beach balls while taking turns singing the rap lyrics to ‘I’m on a Boat.’ They gave out lap dances from behind an enormous backdrop of a luxurious yacht. The audience was rowdy during the performance, and it wasn’t hard to tell that they would soon be crowned Kings of the Hill.
But Sim won the night as the persona of Madame*.
‘Just think Gaga,’ he said.
As the opening for Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ played, the crowd began stomping their feet. Madame*’s backup dancers were spot-on as he personally mimicked Gaga’s dance moves. Through a series of costume changes, he miraculously stripped down to nothing but cellophane, a bejeweled leotard and soaring heels. Madame* received a standing ovation worthy of any rock star or pop diva.
The absence of any actual pop divas didn’t seem to bother the crowd during the energetic, three-hour show.
‘It was a huge success,’ said Darren Goldberg, the president of University Union. ‘The sellout crowd loved the event, and the talent was incredible.’
Published on February 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm
