Patrick Star singing a mash-up of Panic! at the Disco and The Phantom of the Opera isn’t as unlikely as you might think—at least, not at UW-Superior’s annual drag show. On Saturday, Nov. 9, students, staff, and community members gathered for two hours to watch six local performers and one UWS student own the stage.
“Drag is about art and self-expression,” said T Wainman, emcee of the show and director of Gender and Sexuality programs at UWS. “We need art now more than ever.”
(Left) Pink Whitney and (right) Spectrum dancing to “Hot to Go” by Chappell Roan.
Photo by Emmett Appleby | The Promethean
Between acts, Wainman gave the audience a brief history of drag, citing Shakspearean performances where men played women’s roles, as well as ballroom subculture. The audience saw a total of 11 performances, with most of the kings and queens performing two songs.
Haruto Zemlo stunned the audience with their performance as the only UWS student to participate in this year’s show. “It was really nerve-wracking, especially since there’s students who I’m gonna see in class who saw me onstage,” Zemlo said. “But it was really fun.” Zemlo took the stage as “Pink Whitney.”
“Once you get into the groove of the music, there’s no stopping,” Zemlo said. “It was really just [about] going with the flow of the music, even if mess ups happen.” Zemlo spoke highly of their co-performers.
(from left to right) Spectrum, Daddy Wysh, Pink Whitney, Mr. A, Sissy S’mores on stage with an ASL interpreter.
Photo by Emmett Appleby | The Promethean
“They were so sweet and thoughtful,” Zemlo said. “Honestly, the sweetest people on earth back there, and they’re so supportive. It was really helpful having that environment of people who’ve already done this.” Zemlo has done drag before, but this was their first time performing at UWS. Other performers included: Mr. A, Thatqueerisa, Spectrum, Dixie Diamond, Sissy S’mores, and Daddy Wysh/Ani Turni.
Some performances were what you might expect from a drag show: flowing wigs, sparkling costumes, and stiletto heels. Others were more eccentric. For instance, Sissy S’mores dressed as Patrick Star from SpongeBob for their first song and sang a pop mash-up of The Phantom of the Opera for their second.
This year’s drag show was filled with laughter, cheers, and a bit of school spirit—UWS mascot Buzz made a special appearance as the show’s final performer, getting the crowd out of their seats to sing and dance to Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!”
