On a Sunday morning in March, Jason Elliott woke up feeling excited and prepared. Makeup and garment bags—five, to be exact—in hand, he headed downtown to begin a crazy day of work as the master of ceremonies at Live Arts’ Boozy Drag Brunch.
Jason began working with Live Arts when he was hired as the drag consultant on The Legend of Georgia McBride, which follows a young Elvis impersonator who makes a living by becoming a drag queen. Inspired and awed by the colorful costumes and drag culture depicted in the production, Live Arts saw an opportunity to do something completely new with its yearly fundraiser, and the Boozy Drag Brunch was born.
No detail was spared at this eleganza extravaganza. Held beneath the soaring ceilings of Vault Virginia, attendees enjoyed a fabulous array of fun, games, food, and beverages. Brunchers first stopped by the bank to pick up their currency for the afternoon—Drag Bucks. The colorful bills with RuPaul’s face could be used to tip performers, participate in games, or purchase a mystery box. The Bradbury provided an unlimited buffet stocked with brunch favorites, and a Bloody Mary bar meant drinks were available all afternoon.
After greeting and directing guests, and enjoying the morning’s carnival-like atmosphere, it was time for the main event—drag—and Elliott’s first outfit change. Now wearing a bedazzled jacket, cape, and matching cap and sunglasses, he got to work entertaining and introducing the queens, who came ready to slay.
On the main stage they performed everything from fierce, acrobatic dance numbers to raunchy, tongue-in-cheek monologues. Michelle Livigne, founder of Driveway Drag Show in Richmond, helped recruit local talent and performed three numbers of her own. Sweet Pickles hit the stage in a flurry of bright colors and crazy patterns, and brought a whimsical, doll-like vibe, and Javon Love wowed with dancing queen leaps and splits while wearing a seafoam blue mermaid-inspired look, complete with a shell bra. Also working the crowd were Bebe Gunn and Cherry Poppins.
A couple of outfit changes later, it was time for Elliott to host the silent auction. A former drag queen himself, Elliott is no stranger to performing or emceeing, but auctioneering was a new challenge.
“My favorite part of the entire event was when we got into this groove of one of the prizes, a hot ticket item. The price kept going up and up, with three people in a bidding war,” Elliott says. “I think I blacked out. I ended up ripping off my jacket and I was dripping sweat. Energy was bursting out of that ballroom and spilling onto the Downtown Mall.”
Elliott ended the show in his favorite fit—a Boozy Drag Brunch souvenir T-shirt—feeling proud of his community, the beautiful future they locked in for the theater, and the way Live Arts came together to honor and elevate, not replicate, the art of drag. “They did the research and they asked the questions,” Elliott says. “They made sure they weren’t using the queer community to their benefit, but showcasing the beauty of the queer community.”