“Today’s drag is more expansive, gender-bending, and really pushing the edge from all sides,” says Murray Hill, a veteran of New York’s downtown scene who appears in this portfolio. But as understandings of gender have become more fluid in recent years, so too has this definition now, there are trans men kings, nonbinary kings, and even cisgender men who perform as drag kings-just as there are cisgender women who perform as queens. Historically, drag kings have been female performance artists who wear masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes. Drag has gone mainstream, and it’s been a long time coming: RuPaul’s first show started airing on VH1 back in 1996.īut where are the kings? When I asked that question, more than a few people had their own for me: What’s a drag king? Whether on the mic, in the crowd, or in anotherrrrr dimension, Muscles flexes every ounce of his huge…bulging.…throbbing….heart to promote equity and representation for all drag performers alike.In the span of a week in January, the New York Times declared this the golden age of drag (with a few caveats), put RuPaul on the cover of the magazine, called Drag Race “the most radical show on TV,” and began posting weekly recaps of the third season of Drag Race All Stars. With a head and a gut full of too much, Muscles uses drag to foolishly interrogate the space between the binaries: the masculine versus the feminine, the glamorous versus the grotesque, the bodily emotions versus the bodily emissions. the likes of which can be seen at your local drag brunch. Talk about a potty mouth! As a child whose parents let him watch too much MTV and once convinced him that the Godfather was actually his family’s home videos (true story - THANKS FRANK), Muscles grew up to be an amorphous blob of pop culture references and influences including BUT NOT LIMITED TO - 70’s glam rock, John Waters, Pepto Bismal commercials, Return of the Living Dead, etc. It’s Muscles Monty - the drag king and co-producer of the Cake Boys who loves to use his filthy humor to gas up a crowd. Lestrange, and Tuna Melt, who have all continued to storm stages throughout New York as producers and performers. Alongside Klondyke, the competition has heralded an alumni of drag kings such as Themme, Lucky Pierre, Mx. In a grand finale packed at Brooklyn’s 3 Dollar Bill, the competition crowned its first winner: the multitalented visionary artist and musician, Klondyke. Livestreamed for the masses, the Cake Boys were able to present the competition for those at home - with animation and graphics to bring the show viewing to a new level. Not only was this competition the first chance for new performers to lipsync, but it was the first opportunity for the Cake Boys to combine our live shows with our digital presence. Judged by local nightlife staples, such as God Complex, Uncle Freak, C'etait Bontemps, and Untitled Queen, the performers were not eliminated, but instead given intentional feedback to further their drag. A drag competition for drag king, things, and other non-binary & queer performers, the 5 week competition brought out 40 new performers from all through New York (and New Jersey and even one person from Chicago!). the drag competition (thank you Rupaul’s Drag Race), in the summer of 2021, Takes the Cake took the stage for the very first time. In our grandest act and effort to revolutionize a staple of drag i.e. Reveling in practical SFX, claymation, and surreal comedy, The Cake Night Show continues our mission to create a platform for local performers, community activism, and fart sound effects. Joined by established Brooklyn musician and GiantFest co-creator Senerio as a producer, we created The Cake Night Show: a digital variety show turned into an unhinged, perverted, and wildly gay alternative sketch show. Full of physical gags, storylines, and slapstick comedy - not your average weeknight at your local gay bar.Īs the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic forced many drag performers onto digital platforms, The Cake Boys became a production team of animators, casting directors, cinematographers, and video editors. Goo goo gah gah.Īptly named “The Bachelorex” after the romantic reality series, The Bachelor, our first show in January 2020 began our mission to create theatrical and immersive productions with an ensemble cast. The brain child of drag kings Richard, Sweaty Eddie, Geminemesis, and Muscles Monty was officially birthed in December 2019. Although we’re living through a drag renaissance, spaces for drag kings are often few and far between compared to those for our drag queen counterparts.
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