The Gender Bender Revue − 16 March, 2008
What was to be dinner and a movie turned into dinner, some drag queens, and better yet, some drag kings! I’ve seen my share of drag queens (mostly on screen), but the drag kings RULED! Those guys (chicks) had performing talent, and were cuter than most guys I know! They were much more convincing as guys than the over-the-top queens were as women.
The first half of the show featured a lip synch and dance to “Crank Dat Soldier Boy” and a couple of very cool acts by the drag kings. But there were some painful moments when drag queens who should have been lip synching meandered up and down the scales instead, and a singer lost his (her) place a couple of times as he strummed three or four chords on an out of tune guitar. Ouch. His face was ashen as he fled the stage, despite the supportive applause from the audience.
In the second half, the place was on fire. A drag queen with formal operatic training arrived on the scene in a 17th century gown and an abundant wig to serenade us while playfully flirting with various blushing men in the audience. A showdown among three “made-over” contestants yielded a drag queen who could move like nobody’s business. This sexy “lady” shimmied as “Shakira”. I never knew a white boy could move that way!
One of the final acts was truly classy. The gentleman who had begun the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgendered) organization at my university gave a moving tribute to Marlene Dietrich, whom he’d seen on stage many decades ago in New York. The friend with whom I went to the show explained that Ms Dietrich had been a “gender bender” back in the day.
One of the most astonishing moments, however, was when the flamboyant host(ess) of the event announced, while wearing a form-fitting strapless red velvet gown that his mother and grandmother were both in attendance, and had them stand to be recognized! By the end of the show, my friend’s jaw hurt from smiling and laughing so much, and my hands and wrists hurt from so much enthusiastic clapping.
The first half of the show featured a lip synch and dance to “Crank Dat Soldier Boy” and a couple of very cool acts by the drag kings. But there were some painful moments when drag queens who should have been lip synching meandered up and down the scales instead, and a singer lost his (her) place a couple of times as he strummed three or four chords on an out of tune guitar. Ouch. His face was ashen as he fled the stage, despite the supportive applause from the audience.
In the second half, the place was on fire. A drag queen with formal operatic training arrived on the scene in a 17th century gown and an abundant wig to serenade us while playfully flirting with various blushing men in the audience. A showdown among three “made-over” contestants yielded a drag queen who could move like nobody’s business. This sexy “lady” shimmied as “Shakira”. I never knew a white boy could move that way!
One of the final acts was truly classy. The gentleman who had begun the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgendered) organization at my university gave a moving tribute to Marlene Dietrich, whom he’d seen on stage many decades ago in New York. The friend with whom I went to the show explained that Ms Dietrich had been a “gender bender” back in the day.
One of the most astonishing moments, however, was when the flamboyant host(ess) of the event announced, while wearing a form-fitting strapless red velvet gown that his mother and grandmother were both in attendance, and had them stand to be recognized! By the end of the show, my friend’s jaw hurt from smiling and laughing so much, and my hands and wrists hurt from so much enthusiastic clapping.
