Bucks will be hosting its annual “War of the Wigs” drag show and will be giving a $250 grand prize for the best performance.
The show will be on Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Newton Campus Gateway Auditorium and they will be raising money to house people suffering from HIV and AIDS.
“War of the Wigs,” a play on “War of the Worlds,” is the Open Door Club’s main project for the fall semester. The Open Door Club created the show as a charity event so the club can contribute back to the community. Open Door Club’s Vice President John Dacpano, 21, stated, “It (the drag show) is important because not only does this raise money for the community but it also raises awareness for the cause.”
The first three years of the show have been competitive but this year the Open Door Club has added their our own twist. “We have performers but they will not be competing. They will just be out on stage to have fun and raise money for our cause,” wrote Dacpano.
Bucks students and alumni will do the performances. According to Dacpano finding people to perform is difficult because there are not a lot of students at Bucks that perform and do drag. The charity cause helps sway some people with no past experience in drag to participate. Past students come back to help fill the void and enjoy the thrill of performance again.
Performers will lip synch songs of their choice with choreography. The contestants’ performances are generally about the length of one song. Most of the music will be by hit pop artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna.
“It’s not a runway show at all. There’s fashion but it’s more than just the clothes; it’s the art and performance,” Dacpano stated.
Dacpano elaborated on how “War of Wigs” cradles individuality, saying, “There are many different types of drag queens and each one has their own flair and style.”
There will be featured performances by Lady P. C–k, Jasmine Harlow, Starla Skies, and Jillian Diamonds. Dacpano, urging people to see the performances for themselves, stated, “You’ll never know until you see it! Come!”
“Drag shows are important because it gives people like me an outlet in life to show the different sides that we all have in,” Dacpano explained, “ The shows contradict the way that we see things as being masculine or feminine.”
Behind the scenes, the performers do prep work including makeup, hair, and choreography. “Before any event, I make sure everything is good to go before I start my transformation,” said Dacpano.
Dacpano will have outfits to go with each of his performances, adding up to 4 to 5 outfit and hair changes throughout the show. “It’s a lot of different costumes but it’s worth it!” he said.
“War of Wigs” has been successful in it’s three, going on four, year history. Dacpano stated, “I’ve been involved with the show since the second year they had it. It has been well received by the audience and everyone leaves with a smile on their face.”
Tickets are $5 and proceeds will go to BucksVilla, which provides local housing for people with HIV and AIDS.