Drag queens gain space and perform shows for children

Snow White’s stepmother is different, but not that much. With a perfect characterization, drag queen Laviignea was one of the attractions of the penultimate edition of Drag Brunch Brasil of the year, at Bourbon Street Music Club, in Moema, south of São Paulo.

After the triumphant entry to the sound of “Erva Venenosa”, performed by Rita Lee, the stepmother in drag exchanged the evil deeds of the fairy tale for a performance that entertained adults and children at the show on Sunday (17) in the afternoon, with the Disney theme.

“It’s really cool to see that nowadays drags aren’t just in nightclubs. We have drags in the theater, at brunches, at events with families”, says the artist, raised in São Paulo, but who maintains the blood of her hometown , Bezerros, in Pernambuco, and is a multi-instrumentalist. Plays piano, violin, drums and guitar.

“And I ring the bell, I ring the terror. What to call, I’m ringing”, he jokes.

The success of Pabllo Vittar and Gloria Groove and the audience of reality shows on the topic expanded a job market that includes makeup artists, costume designers, props and wigmakers. Nowadays drag queens have fans of all ages and busy schedules of different performances.

“Drag shows are for everyone. Drag queens can adapt to any environment”, says Aimée Lumière, host of Drag Brunch Brasil. “Children are amazed by the beauty, the shine.”

Dressed as Ariel, from “The Little Mermaid”, Aimée led a four-hour show on Sunday, with lip syncs, a DJ, princess performances and audience participation in a lip sync battle.

“Ah, if tomorrow I ask for a seat on the subway…”, joked one of the drag queens with a grandmother who participated in the contest alongside her granddaughter and, like the others, rolled around on the floor.

Quick and, in the case of an event with children, more restrained jokes are characteristics of the artists. One of them replaced her professional colleague who was unable to attend and announced into the microphone: “Today I’m playing Ana Furtado”. Another changed the tone of a common gag midway through. “Active drag queens are those who work hard and are always on the scene.”

The audience reacts to the musical numbers by flapping fans, singing along and, of course, recording everything on their cell phones.

Drag Brunch, which reached its 39th edition, is inspired by an event held at a hotel in Miami. It is carried out by the Cuco agency as a daytime show in which the public watches the performances during a meal that mixes breakfast and lunch, typical of Sundays.

“The popularization of drag on TV, in reality shows, has opened up a space for people who don’t have the possibility of going out at night to consume this art”, says Dennis Vianêz, ​​founder of the agency and also responsible for curating artists. “It’s an event that brings together everyone who likes the art of drag.”

In São Paulo, plays such as the staging of “King Lear” by Cia Extemporânea and “Priscilla, Rainha do Deserto” filled theaters this year with drag performers starring.

At the same time, the artists continue to perform in nightclubs such as Blue Space, in Barra Funda, and Casa Fluida, in Consolação.

“People are starting to understand the importance of drag art, which has an influence on fashion and makeup,” says Aimée. “The art of drag will dominate the world, there’s nowhere to run.”

The last edition of Drag Brunch in 2024 will be on December 15th, with a celebration of the best performances of the year.