What s Drag! 2021

[Gary R. Beck]

What s Drag!

March 14, 2021

Teatro Vallarta

Mistress of Ceremony: Sutton Lee Seymour

What a Drag! What a Show! One of the Top Events of the calendar year.

"Support the domestic violence women's shelter Casa Esperanza."

 

A sold-out Covid-protocol audience murmured through the vast room and then Eli Estrada was introduced. She possesses a very fine clear voice and presented a sampling of Latin tunes including "Sabor a Mí", "Y Tú" and "Bésame Mucho".

Sutton Lee then took over the show as she has controlled amassed audiences many times in her entertainment career. "Welcome to Puerto Vallarta!" The six male hetero contestants appeared all garbed in various fashions with a background of the Taj Mahal. With group choreography, they displayed the folk and classical forms of Indian dance.

Each man volunteered to Don the Drag for the first time with the special assistance of a commercial sponsor and supervising Fairy Godmothers, all showing many long hours of rehearsals. The six brave straight men standing up against domestic violence tonight are:

Todd Atkins as Berry Sweet became Barbra Streisand. Her set featured marvelous choreography. 

Carl Sidoti as Marilyn Hughes transformed into Marilyn Monroe, stunning the crowd with her on-target impersonation. Dressed in a sleek pink gown, legs crossed while she sat sideways and posed to the cameras. "Diamonds!"

Ryan Bymaster as Minni November took on the Disco Queen Barbara Tucker: "Respect". She rocked the house down.

Billy Pilawski as Lola Pop honored her namesake Lola in Shirley Bassey's "Copacabana [At the Copa]". The audience was ready to jet down to Rio.

Tirso Garcia as Carolin Amor doing Courtney Love in Hole, complete with some very sexy moves.

John Guptill as Charity Fundrazor saluted Lady Gaga in a literal blaze of fire [safe!] and thrilling the audience, especially her huge fan club seated in the rear cheering her on.

Our celebrity hostess reappeared with red hair ablaze as "Drag Queen". Sutton Lee is a spot-on choice to conduct an extravaganza as wild and huge as this annual affair, all with not a hair out of place. She displayed to the contestants what it is to be a truly real great drag.

Celeste Innocenti led a wild dance routine with the six "ladies". Rubén Márquez was a leading highlight of the fabulous dancers. The svelte young men had obviously danced together many times before. The stage was in full frenzy.

The special event of the evening was the appearance of Kim Kuzma, Puerto Vallarta's leading lady entertaining thousands of musical lovers over the past years here and in Maine, USA. Sparkling in gold, she greeted everyone and expressed a hope for even more funds to be raised tonight and any time in the future. Kim is beloved in the Puerto Vallarta community. Whenever and whatever she sings stirs the listeners who marvel at her pure talent and friendly personality. She called ["Bring me a] "Higher Love".

 

The climax of the show was revealed after all the audience ballots were counted:

What s Drag! Winner: John Guptill as Charity Fundrazor     

First Runner Up: Ryan Bymaster as Minni November     

Second Runner Up: Carl Sidoti as Marilyn Hughes
    

It was expressed that all six deserved honors considering the long uncharted path to tonight: makeup, hair, costume, choreography, poise and personality.

Amy Armstrong took a break from her live streaming presentation of this event to join Sutton Lee and Kim on stage exhibiting the top echelon of local talent for which we are all blessed. Guitarists Fernando González, Eduardo Léon and a drummer supplied beautiful accompanying musical chords and rhythm. Sutton Lee brought out Kim to form a trio of terrific voices, in leads and harmonies. They roused the audience in part because the finale was in earshot. "From Now On" was shaped into the night's anthem. The lyrics projected the desired feelings as we travel this path out of darkness: "What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight. It starts tonight. And let this promise in me start, Like an anthem in my heart. From now on."

Show Director: Javier Martinez.

Committee Leaders: David Zude of Casa Esperanza and Freda Thompson.

More photos of the evening may be viewed on my Facebook Shows group below.

Donations are welcome any day of the year. Go to http://www.compassionforthefamily.com 

 

"Compassion for the Family takes domestic violence against women very seriously. It’s imperative that women and their children be provided safe refuge from abuse. We are committed to providing this service that is so badly needed in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding areas of Mexico. In order to provide this service, Compassion for the Family is maintaining and constructing shelters and drop-in centers in discrete locations, non disclosure of facility locations is imperative if the organization is to be able to provide a safe refuge."

"Tax-deductible cash, check or credit card donations help us build new shelters and drop-in centers as well as covering the costs of day to day operations. If you are local to Puerto Vallarta or traveling to the Banderas Bay region, we are in continual need of hygiene products, toiletries, luggage, clothing, craft supplies, and cleaning products. The possibilities are as big as your heart, and thank you from the bottom of ours!"

Gary R. Beck   
Puerto Vallarta, JAL.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PuertoVallartaShows 

Puerto Vallarta OldTown/SouthSide