The spirit of sisterhood manifested as the fundraiser evolved into a tribute drag show
A group of queer individuals organized a drag show to raise money for a sister battling cancer, but a few days before the scheduled date, the show took a heart-rending turn that converted the planned fundraiser into a memorial tribute. The community’s solidarity flourished and was flaunted as they pressed on while wrestling with their grief. Their shared mourning turned the night into a display of support and sisterly love, all while delivering outstanding acts that will be impossible to forget. The funds raised that night were given to the family left behind by Femmedas.
Here’s a recap of the performances that evening:
Ava Manawari
One of the hosts, Ava Manawari, performed Janine Berdin’s version of “Banal Na Aso, Santong Kabayo,” a song from the band Yano. The pre-colonial Philippines deeply inspired her drag: a hybrid of Libulan and Sidapa, the gods of moon and death, respectively.
Salmo Nella
She had the crowd singing Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” Salmo Nella has an innate ability to keep her audience engaged and hooked with her impressive charisma. Her banter with Ava as hosts of the evening was like peanut butter and jelly—deliciously matched to hosting perfection!
Lady Morgana
When Morgana learned of Femmedas’ passing, she felt compelled to change her song to fit the occasion. Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” matched with Morgana’s top-tier lip-syncing, was the embrace everyone needed to receive at that moment.
Zymba Ding and Precious Paula Nicole
Zymba graced the stage with her signature high-octane act to a medley of classic Beyonce hits. Precious Paula Nicole, who wasn’t initially performing due to her not feeling 100%, joined Zymba Ding during the song “My Power.” The first Filipino Drag Superstar shared, “Masama ‘yung pakiramdam ko pero dapat nandito ako tonight. Thank you very much po sa mga bumubuo nito. Maraming maraming salamat po! Please, patuloy niyo lang po ‘yung ginagawa ninyo kasi sino pa ba ang magtutulungan kundi tayo-tayo rin.”
Worshipthegays
You can always count on her to serve the audience with a totally outrageous, thought-provoking, and hella entertaining number! Worshipthegays gave us bubbles, flying panties, sex toys, labandera-to-sex-vixen-realness, and “Bongga Ka Day” in one act.
Marga Rita
A vision in red, the winner of the latest Crypt Floorshow Drag SuperMonster gave a highly emotional act using Mei Teves’s “Anino Sa Baba (Mayro’n Akong Nakita).”
Bubble Pop
She is the winner of Drag Cartel August. Here, she transformed Devi Lovato’s “Anyone” into a remarkable park-and-bark moment. There is no other way to spark life into Lovato’s lyrics than this.
Fifi Fairview
Fifi dazzled the guests with the energetic beat, empowering lyrics, and powerful vocals of “No Way” from the musical Six. She shared that this was her first time performing at an event since she started drag a few months ago.
Aurora Boreális
This girl can make a song come alive with her renditions. Aurora’s theatrical leanings are evident, giving her a significant edge when performing.
Panthera Arma
She appeared in a shine-encrusted pink gown worthy of any red carpet moment. Pero nilaro tayo ni madame with a campy performance of “Lucky” by the legendary Britney Spears. It was mentioned that the hard-of-hearing queen was awarded Huwarang Indibiduwal from the Jesse Robredo Foundation—the first drag queen to earn such recognition.
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Kimi The Doll
Kimi brought the Renaissance tour to us with Cozy!
Dagang Costa
Hailing from the Cult of Worship, Dagang Costa performed WILLOW’s “G R O W” and brought punk energy, showcasing the show’s diverse drag expression and representation.
Kieffy Nicole
The first bio queen to win Nectar Nightclub’s Drag Cartel (September) shared her electrifying Beyonce moves with the crowd.
Key Fang
The artist used Paramore’s “Last Hope” to communicate the message of perseverance amidst rough times. Toward the end of the performance, Key Fang brought out a piece of fabric with the words: Thank you for being a spark. And at the back, it wrote, “until the end.”
Photography KIM SANTOS
