Kings and queens strutted, danced and lip-synched to songs by Nelly, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Beyonce at the "Night of the Living Drag" drag show Saturday night in Ball Gym.
Students, many dressed in costumes, packed the gym by 8 p.m. Admission was free, but Spectrum gave the donations and tips earned by the performers to the Saving Orphans through Healthcare and Outreach.
Crowd favorite, Ava Moore, performed "Hold On," a song featured in the movie "Bridesmaids." She wore a black corset, fishnets and red lipstick. Moore received endless applause from the crowd by performing songs by the drag queen RuPaul as well.
"Best Queen" award winner Avery Leigh Wirthmore performed "Raining Men" and "Umbrella" with two men in speedos by her side. She flipped her wig and tossed her umbrella to cheers, shouts and tips from the crowd.
Jaime Whitaker, sophomore theatre design major and Spectrum vice president, hosted the show and performed as Wirthmore.
"This was my first time hosting a show, so that in itself had me so nervous," Whitaker said. "Add three performances on top of that, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I loved every second of it."
Whitaker said the purpose of the drag show was for performers and audience members to have fun and to immerse the audience in the LGBTQ community.
Whitaker said he cried tears of joy when the winner of "Best Queen" was announced.
"When I won ‘Best Queen,' it was the greatest feeling ever," Whitaker said. "I tried telling myself I wasn't going to cry, but for a second, those tears were there."
Audience members had a chance to donate money to SOHO by handing cash to the kings and queens or by stuffing bills in the performer's costumes. The drag show raised $442 for SOHO.
After awards were given, drag queen Chi Chi Leche gave an encore and received more donations from the audience.
Joey Torres, senior fashion merchandising and apparel design major, performs as Chi Chi Leche.
"I always get nervous, but right when I put my foot on the stage, I work the stage as best as I can," Torres said.
Torres said he finds the cheers from the crowd exhilarating but also reassuring.
"It's always nice to know that I did a good job, that I gave the audience a good show," he said.
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