Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – The organizers of ‘What A Drag’ have come up with some creative ways to present the 7th edition of Puerto Vallarta’s annual drag competition for straight men in a pandemic safe, socially distanced way.
What started out in 2015 as a fun way to raise money and awareness for victims of domestic violence in the Banderas Bay area has become one of the most anticipated yearly events in Puerto Vallarta. And if you’ve ever attended, you know why.
Every year some of Puerto Vallarta’s finest straight men are transformed into drag queens – shaving their beards, donning make-up, wigs, dresses & high heels, and performing live on stage – to raise money and awareness for the work that Casa Esperanza (formally known as Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter) does to protect women and child from domestic violence.
Because of the pandemic, ‘What A Drag’ organizers have worked tirelessly to figure out how to safely host this fundraiser, and several venues have stepped-up to be a part of the solution. In addition to limited seating at Teatro Vallarta, various local restaurants and businesses will be live streaming the event in safe, socially distanced, and often open-air spaces, where you can have fun for a good cause!
The event will be live-streamed on Sunday, March 14th at 7:45 pm CST at the following venues, who tell us what they will have on offer:
Monzón Brewing Company, V. Carranza 239, Col. Emiliano Zapata
Join us in the Mosaic Room for beer, food, friends, and fun as we live stream What a Drag 2021. Tickets are $500, all of which will be donated to Casa Esperanza. And, we’ll give you a free 473ml beer (10% Alc. Vol or lower) as a thank you, the chance to win a 50/50 raffle, with shenanigans hosted by our good friends, snarky and beautiful 2018 What a Drag winner Whiskey Ginger (AJ) and his hilarious and talented partner Troppy. Space is extremely limited and group sizes are restricted per government regulations so don’t miss your chance to support this great cause with your favorite craft beer. Come by Monzón to purchase tickets and choose your seat! For more information, call 322-260-9718.
Act2PV, Basilio Badillo 330, Romantic Zone
Act2PV is thrilled to be able help fill the void left by the government COVID safety protocols that have reduced indoor seating capacity by 50-75% by providing a live stream of this show in our rooftop Starlight Cabaret! Now, you can enjoy the entire event safely on the largest screen in Old Town at our OUTDOOR theater. Act2PV will be selling tickets this week for a donation of $600 pesos per person and 100% of the ticket sales go directly to the Casa Esperanza Women’s Shelter. We are so excited to be involved with this amazing event! We will have our own menu available, or you may order dinner from Bravos PV Restaurant and their sister restaurants. Tickets available at the box office, open from 4-10 pm daily, or you can choose your seats and get your tickets online at act2pv.com.
Casa Karma, Carr. Barra de Navidad 1247, Conchas Chinas
Casa Karma Private Villa and Event Space will be streaming the show on a large screen set up in our unique Outdoor Theater by the Sea venue. Doors will open at 6:30 for a pre-party, so come early to enjoy sunset cocktails. The hilarious, sultry and slightly naughty winner of the first ever WAD competition, “Skittles” (a.k.a. Fast Eddie) will be our celebrity host for the evening. The entrance fee will be a minimum donation of $600 pesos per person, or a minimum donation of $1000 pesos for seats in the VIP section, with all proceeds going to Casa Esperanza. For more information, call 322-291-2766.
Make plans now to be a part of the seventh annual ‘What A Drag’ variety show on Sunday, March 14. You’ll enjoy an evening of music, dancing, hilarious theatrics and tons of fun – all for a good cause!
If you’re not in Puerto Vallarta, you can join in the fun from the comfort of your own home! The entire What a Drag 2021 show will be broadcast live via the What a Drag Vallarta Facebook page on Sunday, March 14 starting at 7:45 pm CST.
Organizers have also created a Facebook Group that you can join to vote for your favorite drag queen to be crowned ‘Miss What a Drag 2021’ whom will be selected by the audience. While you are there, don’t forget to click on the donate button.
Whether live or online, watching these straight men bravely and brazenly vie for the ‘Miss What A Drag’ crown in a competition that includes talent – from hilarious skits to singing, dancing and lip-synching – to evening wear and racy Q & A rounds, is a laugh-out-loud experience you won’t soon forget.
To add to the fun & excitement, Drag Star Extraordinaire, Sutton Lee Seymour, will be the Mistress of Ceremonies at Teatro Vallarta, and everyone’s favorite ‘Diva Loca,’ Amy Armstrong, will be your online hostess.
What’s more, Kim Kuzma, Eli Estrada, Celeste Inoocenti, Al Carswell and Ruben Marquez will performing live during the What A Drag event to help raise funds and awareness to combat domestic violence in support of Casa Esperanza Women’s shelter.
About the Casa Esperanza Women’s Shelter
Operated by Compassion for the Family Inc, a US 501c3 charitable organization, the Casa Esperanza Women Shelter provides beaten, emotionally abused and broken women and their children with a warm caring place to live, food, emotional counseling, nursing care, child care, child counseling, job training, life training and, most of all, a second chance at life – free of violence. When each of these women and their children are ready to embark on their new lives, they are provided with a minimum of six-month follow-up support. For more information, please visit CompassionForTheFamily.com, find them on Facebook, or contact David Zude at compassionforthefamily(at)yahoo.com.mx.