The queens and kings of UT gathered under one roof to serve up a truly fabulous show on Thursday night, April 6.
The fifth annual Drag Show, sponsored by SEAT for Sex Week, was a fundraising event to raise money for the Pride Center, SEAT and volOUT. Throughout the night’s show, the audience was encouraged to tip the performers.
Joe Kramer, staff advisor for volOUT and host for the night, said it best: “Please, make it rain.”
The show, filled with fish nets, drawn on facial hair, wigs and a healthy serving of sequins and sparkles, began with a student under the name of Ms. Dalia Black.
To the dismay of the audience and the host, this show was to be Black’s final drag show at UT. But to everyone’s joy, Black started the show with a grand performance.
She began to creep across the stage as an old woman in a pant suit. After lip syncing to a slow operetta-esque song, Black began dancing to “Werqin Girl” by Shangela Laquifa Wadley. After a death drop that earned many tips, the queen had a mid-stage costume change.
She put on a blonde wig and black blazer as Cher’s “Turn Back Time” played. Then, holding up a picture of Bernie Sanders, she kissed then trashed the picture, with two audience members scrambling for the picture as it fell. Then to conclude Black’s performance, a student in a Bernie mask came out to sync play the electric guitar.
Dragging out a chair to dance on, the next performer Colletta started her performance by stripping out of her baggy clothes to reveal padded breasts in a tight shirt and butt pads to match in black leggings — and the audience could not forget Colletta’s chain belt with handcuffs attached.
After taking some tips from audience members’ mouths, Colletta jumped from the stage in high heels to walk amongst the audience. Then she threw an audience member’s phone into the air, along with one of her shoes.
With a death drop and a chair dance, she dragged her chair off stage.
Next, the first King of the night performed. McSwagger danced around on stage to Ginuwine’s “Pony” in Magic Mike fashion. And just like Mike, McSwagger took several donations that were put into his pants.
Traci Smalls, named after Naomi Smalls from RuPaul’s Drag Race, danced along to Rihanna’s “S&M.” She started her act in a small black dress, but then stripped to reveal full-body bondage garters, earning the most donations of the first half of the show.
“I can’t wait for someone to ask what I did at work today,” Kramer said after Smalls left the stage.
The first duo of the evening took the evening to a more political tone. Riri’s Nani and Jizzy Drizzy’s act tackled sexual assault and how women are not for the “male gaze.” Telling the story with several painted signs, they danced together until Drizzy held a sign that said “Consent is an enthusiastic yes.”
Pepper Popper, much like the previous act, used signs to make statements as well. After dancing around on stage (and on several audience members), this queen ripped a sign that said “Office of Intellectual Diversity,” then held a sign that stated “UT Diversity Matters.”
“I am honestly without words. I was so excited and nervous,” Popper said. “But, I wanted to do good for the community, for Sex Week and for everyone out there.”
Throughout the next acts, Aurora Star, Sweet Tea, Guac is Extra and Gigi, there were several mouth-to-mouth donations, death drops, splits and plenty of tips.
Before the finale, Kramer reminded the audience that “there is a water fountain outside if any of you are thirsty.”
Then all the queens and kings took to the stage to RuPaul’s “U Wear It Well.” With more splits, kicks and some acrobatics from queen Sweet Tea, the finale was similar to the end of a RuPaul’s Drag Race episode.
As the song ended, Gigi pointed to her Sex Week shirt as Ru sang “You wear it well.”
This was Ms. Dalia Black's last drag show at UT, doing two acts to celebrate.
