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 - The Little Pageant That Could

 Hello!  Here's more of my 2025 recap:

I'm not going to assume that you remember that I won the BEST IN DRAG SHOW in 2018

Be nice! It's spoof of a beauty pageant!

Cast & Judges of 2018

In May of 2025, I was invited to a screening of a new documentary about Best in Drag Show called THE LITTLE PAGEANT THAT COULD, produced by World of Wonder.  Of course, I was delighted to attend and OF COURSE, I was very excited to see if I made the cut! Here's the thing, I'm not just reminding y'all that I won to show off. I'm also reminding you because I want to explain a misunderstanding I had about being a winner.  I thought it was like the Academy Awards, and once you win you're IN.  You know, you're part of the show FOREVER.  I thought that was the case because so many people who are involved have been winners or contestants, which is amazing because it's all charity for the Alliance for Housing and Healing and they do it year after year (There's even a documentary about it!)  Anyway, after I won, I got to ride the Pride Parade float and go back to the show to hand off the crown after performing a farewell number (I turned in a spectacularly mediocre rendition of WHERE YOU ARE from KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN) and I got to introduce the judges for the year with Kay Sedia.  That was fun!  After that, my phone never rang.  I thought maybe they don't want to impose.  So, invited myself to stuff. Like the time that I invited myself to ride the float in the Palm Springs Parade in 2022, even though I was pet sitting and knew it meant getting up very early, slapping on make-up, taking care of the dogs in LA, driving to Palm Springs, and driving back to LA IMMEDIATELY after the parade.  Director Jeffrey Drew was gracious enough to say, "Okay?" when I asked to join them, but I'm sure he wasn't ready for what showed up.  You see, time management was an issue that morning and I showed up looking like Karen Black after having a drunken stroke in a hurricane.

Apologies to Karen Black for the comparison 

He still let me ride, bless his heart...

It's spoof show, right?

So, after that, I think Jeffrey's, "We got a Lucy Ricardo on our hands" alarm went off and my phone didn't ring after that, either.

I couldn't understand why, as a winner and willing volunteer, I wasn't being utilized more.  I kept inserting myself where I could to get the message accross.  But alas, I was useless.

Then, I got the call.  An invite to this documentary!  I responded YES as quickly as I could and asked if I should show up in drag.  I got a pretty fast "No", which is fine, 'cause I'm sure I was really busy with other stuff. ...pretty sure.   Anyway, the night for the screening finally arrived!

I took a picture of myself on the fancy Step & Repeat, since none of the fancy photographers seemed interested in this former winner. 

I got a picture with the poster

I mingled with the other former contestants and show folk, like David Flores, who was a fellow contestant in 2018 and one of those that's always involved & doing stuff for the show.

David Neuendorff and Luis Camacho- always involved...

Lovely director & Karen Black whiplash recipient, Jeffrey Drew

Salina EsTitties, Jason De Puy, a fellow 2018 contestant who went on to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race and was the entertainer for the night! ...and always involved.

So, after all the bumping of elbows and reuniting, we poured into the Renberg Theatre at the LA LGBTQ Center and watched the movie.  As the title graphic hit the screen, I wondered excitedly, "Am I gonna see me?"

When the movie was over I felt like a total schmuck.  First, the movie itself is very well put together and tells an important story,  I was teary eyed several times.  Please, catch this documentary if you have means. It's great! The reason I felt like a schmuck was because of my misunderstanding.  I realized my interest in the show was simply being on stage, having fun & playing dress up. (I also appreciate that it is a great charity that benefits the AFHH, which is a factor for me.)  What I further realized (or was reminded) was that the people who started this show in their living room in 1989 have been working together, as much as they can, to continue going on to raise badly needed funds (especially in this DOGE-Fucked time) in memory of those who have passed.  They are fellow members in recovery; managing this show has changed and saved lives by giving people a community of support and an opportunity for service.  It's not another "C'mon kids, let's put on a show!" kind of thing, no matter how much if feels like it.  I left the screening with a greater understanding and appreciation for all that goes into doing this show- which includes a great emotional & spiritual investment.  Like most companies, especially theatrical, there have been squabbles and ego clashes throughout the years (remember that emotional & spiritual investment?) and some people come and go, but I rarely have seen anyone go for too long. Ultimately, they come together and put on the show every year, despite hurt feelings & bruised egos.  That is amazing.  Feeling foolish, but fulfilled, I headed out of the theatre and into the courtyard where Selina put on a good old fashioned , rip roaring drag show!

She looked gorgeous

and kicked ass like a chola should!

Oh yeah, I was included in the movie, at the end when they listed the winners of the show.  It was fast and simple, which after my epiphany, I was very grateful for.

I'll admit, when I got home I felt a little lighter, not having to carry that "Lucy Ricardo fueled" wonder of why I wasn't asked to be more involved.  It felt good to let go of that need.  Then, a few months later, my phone rang.  More on that later...