Drag Season - Doing the Little Show That Could NOT

 

Hello, gentle reader. Again, I have been absent for a long stretch. Please know that a lot of that time was spent getting ready for the big BEST OF BEST IN DRAG SHOW extravaganza on October 4!

Reba Areba, Miss Texas 2026

Here's the big news; I did not win! In fact, I came in dead last!  

I look angry about losing, but really I'm just checking for my holy dome helmet that kept falling off...

Ultimately, I had a great time and helped raise over $465,000 for APLA, so I was very satisfied with the night!

Let me tell you, taking last place in a pageant takes a lot of work and there's no way I could have done it all by myself!

Here's a gigantic Thank You to some key people who had a generously voluntary hand in my BEST IN DRAG SHOW 2026 presentation. First, thank you, ROBIN CHARTIER (and Holly-Lynn!!) for taking my (Challenging?) designs and bringing them to life with your additional ideas and special touch! I appreciate all of your hard work over the last few months and am grateful there was a kitty cat to help you!

 Thank you to JAMES FRIETAS for your masterful beautification of my mug with your enchanted make-up work and help with wigs and dressing during the show! 

JOHN FREY, director of BIDS 2026, for steering me with a firm hand, without threatening my sense of creativity and stoopid-ness.

 Thank you, MATT ZARLEY and DUDLEY BEENE for your help with music and video elements which I could not have done myself.

 Gracias to all the dancers, but especially DAVID CONTERAS and ALEX DAVILA, who assisted me on stage with my kookiness and special Caulk Wrangling. 

More on this later!!

 Special mention of JOHN COULTER who shared ideas, advice and painting skills.

 Thank you to PATRICK RUSH, OSCAR QUINTERO and TODD SHERRY for support and suggestions to improve my show.

A "I'm not worthy" to LUIS CAMACHO for his patience and guidance where my lack of skill in "step, touch" is concerned. 

 Muchas Gacias to ANIL PATEL, JEFF SUMNER , BRIAN SHARP & NINA BOONE, JIMMY CUOMO and DANI KELLY for their behind the scenes help and guidance. Bow down to JOHN PASCHAL for making me as pretty as he could with his fancy camera work. Big appreciation for everyone else at APLA HEALTH and all the volunteers.

 TREMENDOUS HONORS to my fellow contestants, who always had kind and supportive words and helped where they could. They created an atmosphere that felt like we were focusing more on putting on a great show, than competing against each other.

 Finally, THANK YOU to my friends who came specifically to see and support me and friends who came just to enjoy a fun night - none of whom I got pictures with because I left my phone in the dressing room most of the night, and didn't make it back up & out to greet. (Thank you, James, for taking pics of me with judges with your phone!) In general, thank you to everyone who came out and helped us raise over $465,000 in badly needed funds!! If you came to the show and thought you could do it better, please keep an eye out for auditions for next year's show. (Usually in April)

 I don't know if I'll have any involvement in next year's show, but Y'all come back now, ya hear?

 

Drag Season - Doing the Little Show That Could

Thanks for coming back to see how it all ends!!

I don't know if you have put together that BEST IN DRAG SHOW happens on the weekend of my birthday every year.  So, when I am doing the BIDS, my birthday celebrations are very limited.  I like to travel somewhere far away for my big 5 birthdays, but that hasn't been an issue, yet.  This time, I was more than fine limiting my celebration to a local setting, but thanks to muh DAB, Dudley, I got the blow out the candles on my cotton candy (Thanks Lulu!) in Palm Springs!

You see, this past birthday was the big 50 for Dudley, which we celebrated quite brightly with a Solid Gold themed birthday party.

Not letting a big 5 birthday fade out too soon, Dudley decided to keep the celebration going by arranging for friends to spend fun times in Palm Springs for a weekend.  He was gracious enough to invite me and and let me celebrate my actual birthday with him and the guys.

Here we are at Lulu...

...where I actually blew out the candles on my cotton candy.

After a special birthday and a couple of hours of sleep, I hopped in my car and headed back to LA for our final rehearsal before the show.

Finally, October 5 rolled around and I was ready to go!

Glen Alen was there to get my face on.

You can see for yourself, I did a decent job of coloring my own wig, but it could have been redder, methinks.

After we were all dressed up & stuff, Kay Sedia and I went out to enjoy some preshow stuff.

Step & repeats are fun!

Step & Repeats are fun!

Preshow "Hellos" with 2 of my favorite people, Frank DeCaro & Jim Colucci!

There wasn't much time for schmoozing before we had to get backstage and start the show!
The moment the curtain went up, my happy level shot up!  It was such a treat to see the dancers executing what I saw them rehearsing for the past couple of weeks.

It also the marked start of the fun and exciting evening I had been looking forward to ever since I got that surprise call asking me to be in the show.  It wasn't very long until it was time to do the color commentary with Kay.  Sharing the stage with Kay is always a lot of fun and things usually turn out well.

So far so good...

Look at the beautiful dress Carol the quinceanera-dress-maker-lady made!!

Aye! Ju don't know our lives!

So, the color commentary we provide covers the contestants in their swimsuits and it is ALL SHADE, but funny.  Maybe all of the jokes didn't land, but Kay and & I usually have fun with audience reactions and a list of other people to blame for the clunker (like the current administration!). Overall, the bit went well and we moved on with the show.  

In between events & such I stalked the contestants and got pics with them backstage.

Miss Florida - Palli-tiv Claire

Miss New York - Mi'a Morr

Miss Wisconsin - Bailey Barnum

Miss Missouri - Daisy Jane

Miss New Jersey - Bree Mandela

I also got

Salina Estitties

and Director, Jeffrey Drew

Before long, it was time to perform our interview duties. (I wore a dress I already had made by Carol the quinceanera-dress-maker-lady.)  I think I did a pretty good job reading from cards!

Miss New Jersey will not be stumped!

Soon it was time to crown the winner and I must say, because this is a fundraiser, it's nice to see all the money literally raining onto the stage.

The audience throws money on stage when they get excited or really guffaw at something and that's why it's important to put on a really entertaining show.  I feel honored that I have been trusted to be a part of that.  

The crown went to Miss Wisconsin, Bailey Barnum whose circus theme was over the big top.

After the crowning, the total raised in during the evening was revealed.  

A quarter of a million dollars is pretty good!  I wish it could be more, considering the current administration's apparent goal of obliterating funds for organizations such as Alliance for Housing and Healing and APLA.  Finally, as we posed for the final group shot of contestants, hosts and judges I prepared for one of my favorite past times.

That past time is stalking the stars!!

I enjoy capturing magic moments with celebs, especially those who donate their time to charitable organizations... give them their due, you know?

Katherine LaNasa

Grant Show

Cheri Oteri

Camryn Manheim

Dan Bucatinsky

As we wrapped up, I was exhausted, relieved and very happy.  It was a good night and it felt like a job well done. I wondered if I could ever do the competition part again.  Sure, it's a blast and a great way to give back, but it's also months of preparation and many little sacrifices of time and space and sanity.  Why would I ever think that?  Would they even ever want me back in that capacity?  I don't know, I'll just be glad to be a part of it in any small way, again.  

So until we see what's happening in October 2026, I bid BIDS goodnight. 

Wait. Is that the phone..?

Thank you WeHo Times for these wonderful image I lifted from you!!