The theme was “Drag Fairy Tales” and the stage was graced with nine drag queens — drag sisters and evil drag stepmothers.
Fake smoke and the sound of stilettos clacking lightly against the low-lit stage was welcomed with applause and enthusiastic cheers at the Queer Student Union’s second Drag Show in the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre Wednesday night.
Business administration sophomore Sabina Khadr wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into as she sat in the audience.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Khadr said, “but it’s nice to see how many people are supporting it.”
The theater was filled almost to capacity and a few participants in drag walked around in high sparkly heels greeting people.
Once the lights went down, the crowd whooped and cheered as the show began.
Following the evening’s fairytale theme, the show started with the story of Rapunzel. Political science sophomore major, Ty Amick, took on the role of Rapunzel, who spent her time day-dreaming and working at a club. She dreamt of making it big on the drag stage and to finally have her own routine.
Women in drag also played a part in the show, filling the male roles.
Like many audience members, kinesiology junior Jonathan Castellanos, at Cuesta College, attended the drag show for the humor.
“It’s fun,” Castellanos said. “I’m here for the comedy.”
With provocative dance moves and the utmost confidence in themselves, each performer in drag completed their number.
Following the story of Rapunzel was Snow White and Cinderella. Snow White was played by biological sciences senior Jason Dierkhising. In her drag fairytale, she competed with the evil drag queen, played by biochemistry senior Isaac De La Cruz, to take center stage as a drag star.
This particular fairytale required a fair amount of dancing, but both Dierkhising and De La Cruz brought their most provocative, “drag-worthy” moves. De La Cruz even managed to throw in a couple of splits throughout his routines.
The crowd never stopped cheering.
Brandon Kirklen, a general engineering senior, appreciated the performers’ confidence.
“I like the fierceness they all have,” Kirklen said. “Once the applause started going, the performers were really getting into it.”
The final fairytale was that of Cinderella, with biological sciences sophomore student Jordan Collins as Cinderella. She brought exceptional energy with hip-hop moves and lots of hair flipping to out-dance her evil stepmother and sister.
At this point, it was hard to imagine what else these drag stars could do to make the show more entertaining than it already was, but a chair dance to “He Had it Coming” from the musical “Chicago” was the perfect finale.
The crowd seemed to be clapping and cheering the performers on throughout the length of the final act, which contained all six of the performers, using the chairs as props in their routine.
Not a single drag star fell in her high heels that night, nor did anyone lose a wig amidst the hair flipping.
Each drag performer not only brought fierceness and confidence, but bravery, to “Drag Fairy Tales,” making this show one for the storybooks.