Flashy performances shone through technical flaws at CU Gay Straight Alliances’s Annual Drag Show Saturday night. An excited audience indicated the show’s overall success.
This year’s “camp” theme was not obvious in all the acts on runway at the UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom. Few performers — such as Blackeyed Susan and her over-the-top cowgirl performance — managed to stick with the theme.
Host of the drag show, Ruby Red Bouché, a CU film major and drag queen in Denver, provided sassy commentary as well as a few musical numbers interspersed throughout the show.
The costumes of the performers came in all levels of expertise, with some as good as Ruby’s and some obviously stolen from a friend’s closet. The drag kings were largely unimpressive, all dressing identically. The best of the drag kings donned accurate facial hair.
The show also suffered from a few technical difficulties. For a brief moment during the show, all the stage lights went out, temporarily halting the performance. In more than one incident, microphones stopped working and musical accompaniment cut out.
Dance numbers, many Billboard hits, impressed the whole night through. A six-person performance to Lorde’s “Royals,” was a particular smash. The group of six women not in drag twirled and shook their way into the hearts of the audience.
The breakout star of the night was rookie performer Nikki Teen. She tore it up with “So Much Better” from the musical “Legally Blonde.” Sporting the Elle Woods look, she did the song justice through her costuming and dance.
The show wrapped up with “YMCA.” The audience jumped up and danced with the performers while friends and family went up to meet their drag stars.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Hannah Blatter at hannah.blatter@colorado.edu.
