Sa-Shay-Away to this Year’s Annual Drag Show

Nearly 3,000 people crowded the Miller High Life Theatre as they waited to be in the audience for this year’s annual UWM Drag Show. The theatre welcomed Milwaukee local kings and queens to perform as well as students who participate in such acts.

The acts included many different glamorous talents such as the showings of over the top costumes, choreography segments, and even live vocal performances.

The event is held by the University of Wisconsin, as they join forces with the campus’s LGBT Resource Center. The Drag show has been a one of the universities stapled events for over 15 years. Each year the show constantly gains more recognition and continuously ranks as one of UWM’s largest on campus events as well as one of the largest drag performances in the Midwest.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7 contestant, Jaidynn Diore Firece was one of the shows special performance guests thanks to the Campus Activity Board and she came bearing advice to new performers who are thinking about joining the world of drag.

“Being a drag queen is all about being you and being authentic to yourself. You always want to make sure that your hair, makeup, and wardrobe are a representation of yourself,” she says.

Even with being one of the largest and highest-ranking shows that the campus has to offer, the preparation each year for the show is no joke.

“One of the things that’s really busy is that we’re working with a mix of professional performers around the city and state as well as students,” said Jeanette Martin, Assistant director of the LGBT Resource center. “Everyone has really busy schedules, so a lot of it is being in constant communication with the performers,” she adds.

When it comes to the UWM Drag show people make it their duty to attend and show support for the community. Former Co-host and drag queen Vivian Storm came back from California to make sure that she attends and lends her support to all the performers.

“I have flown back for the past two years because I just love the show, it brings community together, not just the students because they are such a huge part of the show, but the community comes to the show all the time and we have these seats filled,” she said.

The show resembled the true meaning of performing, as these kings and queens strutted their stuff on stage. Vivian even gave a little insight on what the second half of the show will be like for the people watching in the audience.

“Honestly the second part of the show is so adult, you’re going to be seeing some something something,” she says. “The splits come out, the leg lifts come out, less clothing come off, so yeah this second half is a lot of an adult experience.

Like every year, audience members make sure they use the #UWMDragShow hashtag as they watch the show and live tweet. The tweets are broadcast on a wide projector and as the show is going, audience members are able to give their commentary on the show and the performances as they are taking place.

Although the show is open to the public for free, the Resource Center still asked for a $5 donation to support the cause and to help pay back fees.

“It helps us offset the cost for how much we pay to have the event at the Miller High Life Theatre,” Martin says. “We are totally over capacity to host this event on campus, so the small donation is just helping to pay off our bill at the end of the night.”

First time audience member Jazmine Jackson explains how her time went at the show.

“I really enjoyed it I never experienced anything like this before and I feel like it was a real nice experience.

Creating the Drag show has always been about celebration for the LGBT people as well as the community. The night helps people identify as themselves for a change and celebrates the lives they live. It also gives outsiders looking in a taste of what the community stands for and extends the olive branch for supporters who follow the movement of being an open LGBT member as well as a performer.

For all other inquiries on the next annual show or any other events involving the LGBT Resource Center their website is http://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/.