Walking home from this drag show, my ears were ringing. Not from the magnitude of the microphone but from the sheer volume of audience applause. The University of Maine’s 2025 Drag Show at the Collins Center for the Arts on April 5 welcomed hundreds of students and guests to watch performances from local queens, kings and everyone in between. Hosted by Carrie the One, the show was electrifying with the crowd of 400 people wholly enthralled and enthusiastic. Five-inch heels, pink synthetic wigs and 160 BPMs — the Collins Center of the Arts will need weeks to clean out all of the glitter and falsies from the auditorium floor.
For readers only familiar with drag through RuPaul or Trixie Mattel, drag shows are a new medium themselves. As a night of entertainment with flashing lights, loud music and carefully placed dollar bills, drag shows are the culmination of makeup, costume and personality extravaganzas. These drag queens and kings lip sync and dance, sass and strut. As someone who loves drag shows and is a fierce first-row audience member of live “Rocky Horror Picture Show” performances, I did not know what to expect from an Orono, Maine production. While far from a big city, Mainers know how to show up to a drag show and have some fun.
The show started outrageously fabulous with performer Mama Martini strutting, dancing and owning the stage. The reception of the opening was utterly magnetic— cheering, clapping, stomping and throwing dollar bills— the energy was high. Multiple songs danced to in a tight black leather skin suit and heels slamming into the stage is simply not something a Mainer sees often. Speaking on behalf of the entire audience, two main questions popped into mind: “How does that leather not rip?” and “How many jumping splits can a human body possibly withstand?” While those remained unanswered, I did get an answer of who to request for my next party hire. Mama Martini— you were fabulous.
Not only professional drag queens were present on the stage, as student performers made up a large chunk of the show. Allowing drag debuts and visibility for blossoming personalities, the night was a slam dunk for future queens and kings. The student performers were met by an electric audience, cheering them through every movement. 2 B Frank, who did not lip sync but rather belted “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra, was mesmerizing as well as the other students. Lavished in glitter so glamorous it could take down a plane overhead, Danny B. Goode— Mister Gay USA New England winner 2023— was an enthusiastic addition.
Standing just under five feet, clad in a glorious red, long-sleeved jumpsuit, Gotta Believe We’re Magic had every single attendee standing. With a heart of gold, this spitfire in crimson had a message to share: “Some of us have had setbacks and failures… so I am excited to celebrate all of us tonight. We are still standing.” Hundreds of students were singing along, swaying and on their feet, which was a testament to the energy in the room and the energy of the person on stage. If anything could crack the foundations or bring down the roof of the Collins Center, it would have been this performance.
The charm, charisma and confidence of the entertainers were undeniable. At the beginning of the show, the fabulous host, Carrie the One, asked the audience which of them were first-time drag show attendees. Alarmingly, a significant amount of the crowd cheered. Drag— below food, housing and medicine— should be a necessity for people. It is an art form, an expression of identity and a fantastic time. While toned down for the Collins Center, drag shows are, by their nature, as much as possible. An unapologetic space eager to welcome anyone and an energetic convention of “oddities,” drag shows are phenomenal. On college campuses, it is another level of fun with a built-in community cheering each other on.