Bold and lively: Drag Show stuns audience

Few traditions have a footing in every area of the world. From Kabuki theater in Japan and Peking opera in China during the 17th and 18th centuries to Shakespeare’s plays in the English Renaissance, all rely on a different aspect of style, tone and pacing. However, they all have the implementation of cross-dressing—better seen as a precursor to the current idea of drag. This is an idea that has transcended through eras, dynasties and kingdoms, including present-day CSB+SJU since 2010.

“That’s the thing, everyone can be a part of drag,” said Ryan Imm, SJU senior and QPlus coordinator, after the performance. “It’s beautiful.”

On Saturday, dozens of students—queer and allies—came to upper Gorecki for the annual Drag Show hosted by QPlus and MC’d by Miss Uchawi, a Las Vegas drag queen who specializes in hypnosis and magic. Miss Uchawi started the night off with a performance of her own in a glamorous golden dress and later spilled her secrets of her dress’s origins.

“I got this dress at TJ Maxx,” she quipped, a smile on her face and a strut to back it up.

This year’s performers arrived under an array of strobe lighting, a set of songs from “Noel’s Lament” (performed by the Phish Cakes) to “Alien Superstar” (performed by Cassa Nova) and judged by a group of four panelists—including CSB+SJU’s Senior Diversity Officer Sandra Mitchell.

Alias Bachmeier, also known under the drag name Cassa Nova, is another QPlus coordinator and CSB junior who worked tirelessly to have the event run smoothly.

“We [the queer community] get to take up space,” they said, standing around one of many tables scattered with drag and LGBTQ+ stickers after finishing the night with a stunning performance.

As the drag show was split into two, some queens only performed in the first half, opting not to compete for the drag queen title, while others performed in both sets. Miss Uchawi serenaded the crowd before the second half with a stunning performance of drags (with an ‘s’) to the song of “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone.

Along with Phish Cakes and Cassa Nova (both performing only in the first part), the audience was delighted to watch Lilith Phoenix, Momo, Miss Gender and Cirque Du Vinity—who was defending her title as drag queen from the previous year—all take to the stage.

Thigh-high black boots and pink dresses reigned as the crowd bruised their vocal cords in support of their queens, leading up to the final two being picked by the judges: Cirque Du Vinity and Momo.

As per CSB+SJU drag tradition, a wheel was spun to decide what song the two queens would lip sync to and cement their fates. Cirque Du Vinity was chosen to pick a song from the wheel, and “Please Don’t Stop the Music” was picked as the song to perform to.

And perform they did.

In the end, both queens held hands as Cirque Du Vinity was crowned, protecting her title for yet another year. The energy for all the queens the crowd bestowed was a feat of pure delight.

“Drag is fun; it’s both queer love and allyship,” said Chloe Norlin, CSB junior and QPlus coordinator. “We are showing that this [the community at the drag show] is a force for good.”