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Marti Gould Cummings
Marti Gould Cummings is the rare queen who doesn’t use a stage name. “RuPaul is the most famous drag queen in the world and his real name is RuPaul. So I was like, I’m not going to change my name either.” Cummings hosts Stage Fright Mondays at Therapy, which features Broadway guest stars mixed in with Cummings’ versions of show tune classics.
Marti Gould Cummings
Marti Gould Cummings
Sherry Poppins
One of the younger queens on the scene, Sherry Poppins started doing drag in college at SUNY Purchase and now performs in Brooklyn’s cutting-edge clubs. She’s a regular at Gold Sounds in Bushwick, where you can hear her unique takes on her favorite divas, Donna Summer and Amy Winehouse.
Sherry Poppins
West Dakota
In January 2017, West Dakota signed up for the Mr(s) BK pageant, took the sash and was soon sashaying all over town in drag shows, but also as a fashion and runway model. On Wednesdays, West Dakota hosts and performs at a drag “open mic” at Bushwick’s The Rosemont.
West Dakota
“The Brooklyn scene has something very raw and edgy about it. Manhattan has a rich history that sort of revolves around Broadway and theater. I’d say the references in Brooklyn are much more diverse and a lot of it has to do with art, fashion and performance art.”
West Dakota
“What we’re doing in Brooklyn is really changing people’s conception of what drag is. It’s not about beauty; it’s not about femininity. It’s exploring what identity means to us. And just emphasizing the fact that every time you step out into the world you put on a costume.”
West Dakota
“I’m Filipino American…but I felt very disconnected from the Filipino side of my family. Here in New York there’s so many platforms specifically for queer Asian people. I feel very lucky to be a part of that. It’s given me a new sense of community around my Asian identity.”
Shequida
Shequida got her start in drag at an unlikely place: the Juilliard School. In 1990, after singing in an opera, she got dressed up with friends for a post-show night out and has been performing ever since. She hosts the long-running Drag Wars at Pieces, a weekly competition for up-and-coming queens to make their mark.
Shequida
“A friend of mine said, ‘How are you so quick on stage? You just talk to anybody.’ And I said, ‘I love all people and so I fear no one.’ If you fear no one, you can talk to everybody. I think that is the key. Loving people, loving what I do and just treating everyone the same.”
Blue, Drag Wars Contestant
“At Drag Wars, we have so many contestants because it’s so easy to go online and type in drag tutorial and someone will teach you how to do your makeup, how to do your hair,” Shequida says. “When I started there was none of that—there was watching and trying to emulate.”
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More In Nightlife
A Look Inside New York's Drag Scene
In the vast and glamorous kingdom of NYC nightlife, drag queens are, well, the queens. They rule the raucous roost of the City’s storied club scene as the hostesses, promoters, performers and provocateurs whose work serves as the secret (and sassy) sauce that makes a night out on this town uniquely memorable. We followed four of NYC’s reigning royals from their preparations at home to the festivities that follow. At a variety of venues and bars around the City, these current ladies of the night work the crowd and push the boundaries of contemporary drag. Click through this gallery to get a sense of the state of the art, but know that nothing beats seeing one of their performances in person.