Miller Lite presented the 22nd Annual Night of 100 Drag Queens, this time with the wild theme of "Animal Queendom" at Sidetrack, the popular video bar in Boystown.
For two nightsOct. 22-23entertainment was rotated on dueling stages from the front bar to the back glass bar for each lip-synching performance. Hosts Debbie Fox and Tequila Mockingbird kept the action moving. Flying feathers gave the two comics plenty of material to play off of.
The two nights featured more than 50 performers and several local acts from the Logo television show RuPaul's Drag Race. Each year, the performances grow more elaborate, with back-up dancers and lavish costumes. It is not only spotlighting a good cause but bright lights are turned on talent, showcasing acrobatics and professional dance choreography.
Animal-themed acts not only represented the classic lions, tigers and bears ( oh, my! ) but pigs, poodles and pigeons were in the house as well.
ABC's Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita, surprised fans by attending Oct. 22; they described the evening as a "blast."
The bar was transformed into a jungle with decorations and backdrops. Sidetrack bartenders got in on the action from glow-in-the-dark jellyfish to Lion King the Musical-inspired costumes. Many sponsors contributed, such as Bacardi and Southern Comfort.
This annual fundraiser is routinely held during the busy Halloween month and supports Equality Illinois, the organization founded in 1991 and dedicated to building social justice for the LGBT community.
Visit www.equalityillinois.us/ .
Text by Jerry Nunn, photos by Jerry Nunn and Kirk Williamson