Featuring Event Photos by Nicole Fraser-Herron
“Is she really going to throw a Ball in a movie theater?”
Making my way through the historic Castro Theatre on the night of “Paris is Burning: A Celebration,” this was a question I heard more than one audience member ask in confused fascination. Of course, their puzzlement was not without good cause. A typical Ball can last anywhere from 10-20 hours, and usually requires a whole venue for its participants to gyrate and pose. To have a Ball in a movie house seemed rather outrageous, audacious, and, well, absolutely Peaches.
Of course, knowing Peaches Christ’s special panache for celebrating movies in a manner befitting their legacy, I cannot think of a more appropriate way to honor the iconic Paris is Burning.
…and, oh, did she ever.
With the stage set and the usual Midnight Mass promise to expect the unexpected, the audience settled into their seats with rapt anticipation.
Following the Peaches Christ intro-reel (everyone loves vagina bats), our hostess made her grand entrance…in a bathrobe.
Echoing the film’s iconic sequence where drag mother Dorian Corey speaks to the camera while putting on make-up, Peaches settled into a seat in front of a vanity, casually talking to the audience of 1400 as if they were her most intimate friends. Doing a send-up of some of Corey’s more famous speeches in the film, Peaches managed to pay homage to the movie, all the while parodying its firm place in gay culture.
“Shade,” Peaches said with a twinkle in her eye, “is that I don’t tell Heklina she’s ugly, because she knows she’s ugly. That’s shade.” The jab, aimed at the Trannyshack hostess and dear friend of Peaches, brought the audience to a roar. To her credit, Heklina, who was in attendance, took it with grace. Well, as much grace as one can while flipping the audience the double bird.
Continuing to echo Corey’s approximations of drag and drag culture, Peaches seamlessly transitioned into a discussion of what it meant to leave a mark on the world. What it meant to be truly legendary.
Sensing what was about to come, you could feel the audience starting to quiver with anticipation, a dull roar beginning from the back of the balcony. They knew a legendary drag mother was in the house, and Peaches, ever the showgirl, was building the frenzy like a master.
“…and now let me introduce you to a queen who is truly legendary, give it up for Latrice Royale!”
At mere mention of the RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar, the audience exploded into a deafening storm of cheers and applause. As per usual with a Midnight Mass guest, there was a short reel highlighting Latrice’s work shown on the screen, but the audience almost drowned it out. They knew that within moments one of America’s newest drag icons would be before them, and they could hardly stand the wait.
As the reel came to a close, a spotlight tore through the dark theater and illuminated the back entrance. There, framed by the door, was Latrice Royale. Strutting her way down the aisle to the stage, Latrice was ensconced in the shrieks and screams of the crowd, but it was clear her head was in the music. Showmanship oozed from her every pore, and by the time she stepped up onto the stage at the Castro, it was obvious to the crowd that every laurel she had received was well-earned. Gyrating and moving, Latrice owned that theater for the duration of her song, even going so far as to tearing her costume away to drop down into a split. It was, to say the least, an impressive performance.
With a screaming standing ovation closing out her number, Latrice was rejoined on stage by Peaches, who had now donned a glittery sequined dress and magnificent red wig. The two bantered for a few moments before Peaches revealed that the much whispered about Ball was going to commence, and Latrice herself was going to head up the judges’ table.
Allowing a moment for Latrice to catch her breath, the audience was treated to an amazing performance by the dancers of Vogue & Tone, who provided a little taste of what was to come when Latrice took her seat to reign over the ball. If such breathtaking dancing is what we were in store for, I had a feeling Ms. Royale had her work cut out for her.
However, no judge can rule on such pageantry alone (unless you’re RuPaul), so Peaches announced with pride that Latrice would be joined by several prominent members of the Ball community for the task. Joining Ms. Royale would be Joquese of Vogue & Tone, Tamia of The House of Comme de Garçon, noted ball producer U-Phoria, and legendary drag icon, Glamamore. An impressive line-up, and, admittedly, a tough set to impress. We knew we were in for a showdown of talents.
Furthermore, Peaches knew that no Ball was complete without a caller. With the judges firmly in place, our hostess relinquished her duties to emcee extraordinaire Spider Revlon, a Ball commentator and well-prepared ringmaster for what lay ahead. By introducing Spider to the crowd, Peaches made it known: This was no mere stunt show, it was a for real, classic extravaganza.
With three categories to burn through, the Ball had officially begun.
The first category, Runway Couture, allowed some of Midnight Mass’ regulars to strut their stuff for the judges. Familiar faces like Becky Motorlodge, Lady Bear, Monistat, and more worked their stuff, proving drag isn’t just a look, it’s also a groove. However, none quite brought the runway realness more than Sister Pat, who took the prize for her newspaper-constructed Marie Antoinette look. Though, from where I was sitting, they all looked totally fierce.
The next category, ripping its theme straight from Paris is Burning, was “Butch Queen in Pumps,” and demanded that contestants be as manly as possible while strutting in heels. The competition in this category was pretty fierce, as several very butch, bearded boys competed for trophy-glory. However, one particular dude, dressed in his football uniform finest, seemed to have the whole thing in the bag…
…or seemed to, until the Ball was crashed.
In the middle of the Butch Queen category, a lithe, sexy figure leapt on stage. We had a surprise competitor, but her garb didn’t really match the category…what was she doing up there? Suddenly, the audience realized what they were seeing: Raja!
Yes, drag superstar and the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3 had crashed our ball, and she had done so to enormous applause. Strutting around the stage, Raja vamped it up for the crowd, cooing, “I just wanted to compete.”
Although the crowd was thrilled by the surprise cameo, Raja was disqualified from the category for not fitting theme, but she didn’t care, nor did the crowd. It was a welcome distraction, and further proof that anything can happen at Peaches Christ’s Midnight Mass.
The prize ultimately went to the aforementioned football player, who justly earned his prize. He did, after all, do a headstand wearing football pads and red stilettos.
The final category, “Vogue Femme,” truly showed the audience what a Ball is all about. A bevy of dancers, voguing their way through calls by Spider, showed their very best for the judges. We saw classic poses and daring flips. The audience gasped in awe on several occasions as dancers vaulted through the air or weaved their hands in unimaginable ways. You may have seen Madonna’s video, but you’ve never seen voguing until you’ve seen it live. To say that the dancers almost seemed inhuman in their movements is an understatement. It was like watch true fluidity, ethereal grace set to a sweat-inducing beat. I was exhausted merely watching, but I was enthralled. The judges had a tough time weeding out the performers, as each brought something spectacular to the table.
The final prize ultimately went to dancer Ryan Davis, who proved to be a (really cute) being of living motion. His skill was remarkable, and he proved to be a very formidable foe on the dance floor.
With the final award given, the Ball came to a close, leaving the audience with the knowledge they had seen something truly unique. Peaches Christ actually had managed to pull off having a Ball in a movie theater, and it turned out to be pretty damn amazing.
As the judges cleared the stage, it was revealed that the crowd was in for one final treat before the movie began: Queer electro-hop duo Double Duchess were going to preview their new music video for the Castro, as well as accompany it with a live performance. As Double Duchess rocked the house, they were joined onstage by some of the voguers from earlier, tying the evening’s events together with one legendary bow.
With the preshow over and the Ball done, it was clear that Peaches Christ had, as always, celebrated the night’s movie in the grandest fashion. Working with Peaches, I’ve had the opportunity to do a number of shows with her, and they’re always unique, but I have to say that Paris is Burning certainly stands as one for the ages. Defying expectations and truly delivering a pulse-pounding spectacle, this is a Midnight Mass they’ll be talking about for years to come.
As such, I offer my hearty congratulations to Peaches, Latrice, Double Duchess, and all the competitors for truly allowing the audience to have a ball.
…and, as a special note to my dear ghoulfriend: Peaches, you shot your arrow…and it went real high. Hooray for you.
