New York’s top drag queens compete for the Patricia Underwood crown in 2015. (Photo: ASCNYC/Titus Kana via The Broadway Blog.)
New York City’s most fabulous drag queens are competing for a cause! AIDS Service Center NYC (ASCNYC) will host New York’s Best in Drag on Monday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). In 2016, the annual competition relocates to a larger venue at F.I.T.’s Haft Auditorium, located at 227 W 27th Street (near 7th Avenue).
The event will raise critical funds for ASCNYC’s work promoting positive change for New Yorkers seeking health, recovery and a better future as they navigate life with HIV and other chronic health conditions.
“Based on last year’s 300-plus sold out crowd, we had to move to an even larger venue for 2016,” said Sharen Duke, Executive Director and CEO of ASCNYC. “We look forward to this annual opportunity for the community to join us for an evening filled with laughter, high kicks and big hair, all while supporting the positive change that transforms lives.”
Delighted Tobehere is crowned winner of 2015’s Best in Drag pageant. (Photo: ASCNYC/Titus Kana via The Broadway Blog.)
Best in Drag will be hosted by the legendary Donna McKechnie, Tony Award winner for her performance in the original production of A Chorus Line, and NY1 Theater Reporter Frank DiLella, known for his in-depth reporting and celebrity interviews.
“I am thrilled to be a part of this fabulous evening of drag queens giving their all in a Broadway-styled production benefiting AIDS Service Center NYC,” said Donna McKechnie.
Throughout the evening, an eclectic group of New York City drag queens will vie for audience votes to be crowned in a custom Patricia Underwood tiara, exclusively designed for ASCNYC. The pageant-style extravaganza, directed by famed choreographer Robert La Fosse, will also include an appearance by 2015 winner Delighted Tobehere.
Early bird tickets (VIP, $135; Front Orchestra, $65; Back Orchestra, $25) for the event are on sale now at through March 31. Ticket prices will increase on April 1 (VIP, $150; Front Orchestra, $75; Back Orchestra, $25). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, visit www.bestindrag.org/tickets.
About ASCNYC
ASCNYC provides positive change for New Yorkers seeking health, recovery and a better future as they navigate life with HIV and other chronic health conditions. ASCNYC’s free and confidential services help clients access medical care, overcome addiction, escape homelessness, rejoin the workforce, replace isolation with community, lead healthier and more self-sufficient lives. For more information, visit www.ascnyc.org.
