Drag Collective’s “The Great Impersonator”

On Feb. 28, the New Paltz Drag Collective (NPDC) presented “The Great Impersonator,” a drag show highlighting various forms of impersonation, selecting ideas from a slew of celebrity characters — both real and fictional. The collective held the event in SUB 62/63 from 7-9 p.m. 

Previously called The Queens and Kings of New Paltz, the NPDC changed its name in 2023 to accommodate all kinds of drag performers, as not all members of the club would identify with the title of “king” or “queen.” Affectionately self-titled as “the most sickening organization at SUNY New Paltz,” the Drag Collective has been an integral outlet for the creative flair of New Paltz students since 2015. As the club evolved its shows from their pre-pandemic roots to a brief stint during lockdown involving Zoom curations and now to frequent and jam-packed productions in the SUB, NPDC has time and again shown itself to be tenacious and enduring throughout all kinds of environments. The adaptive nature of the club reflects the spirit of their performances, delving into artful interpretations of characters in a variety of mediums, whether it be cultural icons or figures from beloved TV shows. 

Boasting a staggering setlist of fifteen performers and their corresponding acts, the lineup welcomed both drag lovers and interested passersby from all levels of the building. By 7:05 p.m., the house was nearly full, with incoming audience members taking up posts by the wall — as the seats were bursting at the seams with people sitting elbow-to-elbow to watch the show. 

Host and president of the collective, Diana Betic, kicked off the show with a short introduction, calling for the attention of the excited crowd to be oriented towards upcoming performers. The pre-performance monologue consisted of Diana Betic holding the mic and asking questions to the crowd with their response directly correlating to the next act.

The show was split into two segments, with a short intermission to allow performers and audience members to relax and build conversation. The first segment introduced drag performers Kas Trate, Planetarii, Diana Betic, Hymn Null, Mai Chai, Robin Heartz, Sin Nada and Manic Pixie Greg. 

With a swishing black bob, first performer Kas Trate imitated Tom Holland’s cameo on “Lip Sync Battle” by dancing vigorously to “Umbrella” by Rihanna. Impersonating yet another character in a musical setting, Planetarii looked very much the part of Charli XCX, dancing and flicking a prop cigarette at the audience during a mashup of songs “360” and “365.”

Briefly vacating her post as host, Diana Betic took to the stage with a distinctly red and black fur-updo, lip-syncing passionately to “Fully Alive” by Flyleaf as Shadow the Hedgehog, much to the audience’s glee. The next performer, Hymn Null, toned down the heat of the previous number to an icier climax, reenacting Bjork’s performance of “It’s Oh So Quiet.” Providing the audience with captivating shrieks and shushes, Hymn Null’s performance came complete with a striking outfit that mimicked another album cover of Bjork’s, “Vespertine.”

First time performer Mai Chai generated mystique amongst the audience before prancing onto the stage draped in a long fur coat and hat to match, perfectly encapsulating the freaky mannerisms of Nosferatu — all while singing longingly to “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan. Nobody expected Bob Ross to appear amongst these characters, but he was avidly welcomed in Robin Heartz’s cheekily impossible strip tease to “Interlude” by Larry Owens, a theme song in Ross’s many videos.

Finishing off the first segment, second time performer Sin Nada, sporting the infamous cat ears, sang to “the boy is mine,” by Ariana Grande, followed by Manic Pixie Greg’s flashy and anguished performance of “Helena” by My Chemical Romance.

Though the night’s entertainment involved intricate costumes as well as extensive lip-syncing and dance routines, Diana Betic noted that the group only had one dress rehearsal before the actual show. “[We] practice individually and then come together one time.” The hard work of each performer was evident as the night tapered down to its spectacular finale, featuring Tiffany Evangelis, Vanilla Extract, Jay Peg, Eve Ilgaze, Miss Fortune, Selphlo Ting, Howie Dee and The Christian Agenda.

Channeling iconic Dominique Jackson from the show “Pose” while also incorporating elements of queer ballroom scene by voguing to her own mashup of well-known musical interludes, Tiffany Evangelis made the aisle her own. Vanilla Extract, another first time performer of the night, floated effortlessly to the stage dressed in a bishop’s robes, solemnly mouthing the lyrics to the Ghost cover of  “It’s a Sin” by Pet Shop Boys, topping off the entire bonanza with a kiss to an audience member dressed to match the priestly nature of the scene.

Jay Peg, decked out in Grunkle Stan’s garbs, delivered a comedic routine including musical intervals from the show “Gravity Falls” that many in the crowd remembers from their childhoods. Following them, Eve Ilgaze stunned as Peter from “Hereditary,” adorned with a white paper crown and a seemingly broken nose, dancing and dropping to “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga. 

In her first solo performance, Miss Fortune mimicked a love-obsessed Harry Potter in an execution of “Love Potion No. 9” by The Clovers. Following this magical number, Selphlo Ting roused the crowd to claps and cheers dressed as Mettaton from the video game “Undertale” while singing “QUEEN” by Todrick Hall.

Returning to the stage after a period of retirement, long-time NPDC performer Howie Dee strutted down the aisle as Dead or Alive singer, Peter Burns — flaunting an eye patch to “You Spin Me Right Round.” Topping off the night, The Christian Agenda danced and playfully reenacted lyrics to “Guess” by Charli XCX, a repeating character within the show. The exhilarating musical acts ended with gifts from the last performer — a bag full of underwear sprinkled to awaiting audience members, a hallmark of the music video.

After the show, Diana Betic supported the club’s welcoming nature by stating, “I promise we’re not scary. It’s really chill at our meetings. We have fun. We like to giggle.” 

Though initially nervous, club newcomer Mai Chai said, “I knew it would be really fun, and I like performing so I knew it would all pull together.” Acknowledging the enthrallment of an encouraging audience as a vital part of each show, Mai Chai continued, “Part of performing is also going with the crowd’s energy,” and based on the night’s vivacity, they were absolutely delighted.

Towards the direction of the club’s future, Diana Betic added that the performances are a “fun [form of] self expression” for all willing drag performers, with or without prior experience. “We always love having new performers because even if you just do one show, you can say you did it,” said Diana Betic. 

On April 4, the NPDC will host their third Trans Visibility Gala with the club’s final show of the semester following on April 25. The theme is still a mystery — or is it a murder mystery? Interested performers can find out and submit their creative concepts to the NPDC Instagram at @npdragcollective.