Boys will be boys?

It was a night of fist pumping, gender bending and lip-syncing at the fourth annual Pride Alliance drag show March 11. Nine performers, seven drag kings and two drag queens showcased their talents at gender transformation.

“I always wanted to do drag. It looked really fun,” said junior theatre major Emily Holloway, who performed under the stage name “Conrad Taylor.”

Members of the audience showed how much fun they were having by “tipping” their favorite performers. A tip jar sat in front of the stage to collect the money, which was donated along with the admission price to A.N.G.E.L.S. (AIDS Now Grasps Every Living Soul.)

“B—— don’t work for free,” said master of ceremonies Steve Holbert, also known as “Luscious Wit,” when encouraging the audience to support their favorites.

A highlight of the night was a blast from the past, the Backseat Boys. Five drag kings covered the Backstreet Boys song “Everybody.” The dance was choreographed by freshman pre-psychology major Brittany Snyder, who took on the alter ego “Peter Weiland.” She also showed off her dance abilities in a routine to Alien Ant Farm’s cover of “Smooth Criminal.”

“I’ve performed all my life, I don’t find it difficult,” Snyder said. “I looked for a singer whose voice fit my body type and whose style fit my style.”

Others found adapting to performing in drag more challenging. In the weeks before the show, the performers had to practice to become convincing.

“It’s really awkward adjusting to the sock in your pants,” sophomore art major Mara DiGiovanni said.

Sophomore theatre major Caila Blanton took on the challenge of channeling rock star motions in her routines as “Chris Starr.”

“I’m a girly girl and I have to change all my motions to look like a guy,” Blanton said.

A sock was not the only part of the costume for drag kings. Some performers chose to draw on facial hair. Drag queens sported wigs and fake breasts, in addition to the requisite high heels and makeup.

“There is a lot of work into a guy becoming a girl. I’m a makeup artist, and it takes about an hour to do my face,” said Milledgeville resident Bryan Collins, who made his drag queen debut as “The Diva B,” performing to a song from “Chicago” and a song by Barbra Streisand.

Applause from the audience determined a winner, but the performers were mostly motivated to entertain.

“We’re going out there to have a good time and to help the audience have a good time,” DiGiovanni said.

Collins enjoyed performing at the show and hopes to keep doing drag.

“I am not every queen. This will be my first performance of many,” Collins said.

Pride Alliance president Jonathan Vernon was pleased with the show and the turnout.

“Everyone I’ve worked with has been incredibly awesome,” Vernon said. “It’s been really great to see all that creativity come through.”

Steve Holbert is a contributing columnist for The Colonnade.

Update: After the evening was through, the gauge of applause determined the results. Bryan Collins, known as “The Diva B” came in first place after the drag debut. He described his victory as “amazing,” and hoped to keep performing in the future. A.J. Joiner, performing as “Sebastian Wood,” came in second, Brittany Snyder, performing as “Peter Weiland” came in third and Claire Yurko’s skit performances earned her fourth place.

Posted by Claire Kersey on Mar 12 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry