UCR's Dragalicious Drag Ball XX features iconic celebrities that transcend gender
Student Drag Royale hits the runway with Shakina Nayfack and Mayhem Miller
On the evening of April 12, more than 250 LGBTQ+ supporters filled HUB 302 at UC Riverside to watch 11 student drag performers perform on the Dragalicious Ball runway. Leading the crowd of student performers was RuPaul's Drag Race superstar and local Riversider Mayhem Miller.
Sponsored by two student organizations, Queer Alliance and Drag Club, and the LGBT Resource Center, the 2024 show celebrates 20 years of Dragalicious Ball's operation and features UCR alumni, Queer Alliance OGs, ball co-founders, And we welcomed Dragalicious Ball, now a Hollywood writer and actor, to campus. And director Shakina Nayfack plays the evening's powerful, witty, and refreshingly vulgar host.
Shakina, known by her first name Shakina, began the evening by sharing historical observations about how much gender representation at UCR has changed since her days as a graduate student in the early 2000s.
“Twenty years ago, when I was a graduate student, UCR was a lonely place for transgender people. Look at the incredible gender diversity on campus. This is a testament to the queer liberation we celebrate tonight. It’s a legacy!”
Shakina
And with that emotional intro, the performers set out to prove Shakina's words true through lip-syncing, dancing, and artistic performances.
Miller, the night's celebrity guest performer, began her performance by lip-syncing to Kim Cooper's “I Look Good,” dressed in a black velvet dress and a triple-layered top-knot hairstyle. . Miller then ended the night with Club 69's “I Look Good,” wearing a glittering bodysuit with her long, straight blonde hair on top.
“I've called Riverside home ever since I was born,” Mayhem said. “I'm proud to claim where I'm from. It's a blessing to be able to represent the talent my town has to offer on a global scale. Every week I perform in front of a local audience at VIP Nightclub here in Riverside. But I always look forward to getting calls from UCR asking me to come to their events. It's nice to see the community recognize the hard work you've put in over the decades. ”
Students' performance:
- Bear Bellinger & Reina Ray w/ Nelly Furtado & Timbaland's “Promiscuous” & Elton John's “Don't Go Breaking My Heart”
- Just Robin with Lady Gaga's “Americano”
- Melodrama mixes 2000s hits with Showman's “Never Enough”
- Odden Lee w/ “Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls & “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj
- Azealia Shanks w/ [insert artist and “song title”]
- Hunter w/ Michael Bublé “Feeling Good” & Britney Spears “Gimme More”
- Alice Ace w/Emiliana Torrini “White Rabbit”
- Nirvana Mind, Romantic Homicide's “D4vd” and Tyler, The Creator's “Are We Still Friends?”
- “High School Musical” by Brujo Paraiso with High School Musical
- Right Wicked with Dorian Electra's “Gentleman”
Memorable moments:
- The atmosphere backstage before the show was shattered by nerves, chatter, wigs, and lots of makeup.
- Towa Thibodeau, assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center, was unable to attend the show, but a representative sat in the front row showering the performers with dollar bills. Tipping is a sign of admiration and appreciation in the drag show scene, and more than $700 was scattered around the room as performers strutted down the runway and through the crowd, $400 of which was paid by Thibodeau's agent.
- Midway through the show, host Shakina asked the audience to stand up and repeat this mantra. “I'm beautiful. I'm beautiful.” I'm sexy. My body is my body – do you want it? Get in line! “
- The night ended with the show's producer and Queer Alliance co-chair Tempest Wong taking to the stage and posing for a cast photo with all the performers.
May 14, 2024
