Florida Atlantic University hosted its 14th annual drag show — recently renamed to “Owl Manor” to curve Florida legislation — on Friday night as part of the 2024 Homecoming Week, and the drag queens did not disappoint.
Students trickled in after the doors to the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium opened at 7 p.m. The crowd was not large, with under 100 students and organizers attending the event, but the queens took the smaller crowd to their advantage throughout the night by using the extra room in the aisles to dance more freely. The event was designated for students 18 and older only, and organizers checked IDs at the door.
Before any queens took the stage, FAU’s Pulse Dance Troupe performed to a medley of songs about money, including “Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani.
The auditorium lights darkened as the show host and drag queen Ariel Rimm took the stage, donned in a voluminous ginger wig and a green sparkly outfit. She danced to “Femininomenon” by Chappell Roan, making her way into the audience for cash tips – or “drag droppings,” she called them later into the show – and an impromptu lap dance with someone in the front row.
After her first performance, Rimm called up the homecoming court candidates to introduce themselves. Rimm, an FAU alum, encouraged students in attendance to vote for who they wanted on their court.
Then she introduced the next queen, TP Lords, who wore a lampshade-esque hat that lit up with colorful lights halfway through her performance.
Queen Rianna Petrone was the next to perform, sauntering onto the stage wearing a fluffy pink fur coat, white gogo boots and a platinum blonde ponytail wig atop her head. Petrone danced to “Left Outside Alone” by Anastacia, eventually shedding the coat to reveal a light pink leotard.
Between performances, Rimm emphasized to the audience just how important it is to vote in this election.
“We are days away from the new face of the United States, ladies and gentlemen,” Rimm said. “In either direction, the new face of the United States will happen in November. And you need to be part of that change, so if you haven’t already, please go vote.”
Velvet Lenore wowed the crowd with a set inspired by Beyoncé, dancing to “Crazy In Love” and “Sweet Dreams” wearing a colorful butterfly-patterned dress with shoulder pads and a light brown curly hair wig. She shed the wig as the beat dropped in the song, creating a powerful moment.
Kat Wilderness closed out the first act with a Charli XCX-inspired routine, with a bright green background that had her drag queen name in all-black lowercase letters, modeled off the pop singer’s latest album “brat.” She began wearing a green pixie-cut wig and a green boa around her shoulders, shedding those pieces as she moved upstage. At the end of her performance, she brought audience members onto the stage to dance with her.
During the show’s 10-minute intermission, multiple attendees expressed their enjoyment.
Junior criminal justice major Kyla Blakely said that she hadn’t been to Owl Manor before, so she didn’t know what to expect. She said she looked forward to something “bigger and better” after the break.
Gianna Villani, a senior majoring in health science, said the show is really fun and all of the dancers are “really good.” Wilderness’ Charli XCX performance was Villani’s favorite, and her friends chimed in to agree.
“We’re hyped,” said Mickayla Aiken, a junior business administration major.
One attendee, Julia Winikoff, said she had been going to FAU’s annual drag show since she was in eighth grade, and now she’s a sophomore at FAU majoring in neuroscience.
“It’s always been fun. I love how they keep up with the trends and the themes of the different performances,” Winikoff said.
The show returned with Rimm taking the stage – and the auditorium aisles – once again, this time wearing a neon yellow and cheetah print outfit. After her performance, she brought up one more homecoming court candidate who wasn’t able to be introduced earlier.
Lords appeared next wearing a colorful mohawk and a shiny silver cape, which she wears only for the beginning of the song before dropping it to reveal a multicolor leotard. She danced to “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia, a colorful dynamic background behind her as she moved around the stage and down the aisles.
Someone working the show put a fan on the stage for Lenore, who performed next. She walked on stage and let her hair and the cape of her dress flow with the wind provided by the fan as the screen behind her displayed positive affirmations such as “I am worthy” and “My body is innate, and cannot be taken away.”
After Lenore, Petrone made her way back to the stage in a black fur coat and blonde wig, the opening of “Ready For It” by Taylor Swift booming through the speakers. The crowd screamed in excitement when she took off the coat to reveal a sparkly red outfit.
Wilderness ended the show with a set inspired by Sabrina Carpenter, dressed in various outfits that model those seen in the singer’s music videos, including “Feather,” “Espresso,” “Taste” and “Nonsense.”
Jelina Garcon, the Student Government homecoming director, said she has been hosting this event for three years.
“It means a lot to me, it really does; just supporting different communities,” Garcon said. “I’m very big on that. You know, we’re in the state of Florida, and a lot of subjects are sensitive, and I do support every community. So, organizing this was actually pretty fun.”
Elisabeth Gaffney is the Editor-at-Large for the University Press. For more information on this article or others, you can reach Elisabeth at [email protected] or DM her on Instagram @elisabethgaff.
