Vivian Storm and the rest of the queens took over the sparkly rainbow colored stage as they rocked the night with songs like “Formation”, “Uptown Funk” and “Chandelier”. Members of the UWM LGBT community backed the lovely queens, remaking the Super Bowl halftime show with precision that ended with a standing ovation.
“This was truly a night of pride, love and giving,” Storm said after the show. “The highlights for me was all of the diversity represented both on stage in the audience.”
The Drag Show has been a part of UWM tradition for nearly 15 years. While volunteers walked among the crowd with tip boxes, students also eagerly ran to the stage to give the tips directly to the queens on stage. Some students even tipped the translators during Sia’s “Chandelier”.
Performers raised more than $1,700 for two local charities: MKE LGBT Community Center’s Project Q Youth Services and Pride Camp.
Between the acts, students and guests enjoyed live-tweeting, where the ASL translators seemingly stole the first half of the show. The feed also blew up as two young girls and a small infant were welcomed on stage by Storm, who joked about the whole show being “family friendly” as innuendos between performers and audience members flew throughout the night.
The show’s magic went beyond the acts to the gorgeous and beautifully crazy outfits worn, with one resembling a Lady Gaga outfit. Vivian Storm and Lady Jay – with the help of Storm’s mentor, Harmony Breeze – stunned the 3,000 guests in attendance wearing breathtaking red lace and feathers. Ms. Marvel danced to Beyoncé while wearing long wicked-looking horns, and Lady Jay started her act with a Cinderella-like transformation from a sliver halter top to an elegant dress right before the audiences’ eyes.
UWM’s mascot Pounce later joined Storm on stage ramping up the already excited crowd. Stage time was also used to promote social issues such as Kesha’s court trial. One performer wore a black shirt with the hashtag #FreeKesha written on the front, prompting students to incorporate the tweet in the Drag Show feed.
Photo Credit: Dr. Liz Gross
“I hope the students do all they can to keep this who as awesome as it was this year,” Storm said. “This year’s show is by far one of the best experiences of my career.”