Drag Through the Decades
April 20 at 8 pm
Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo
Details here
If you are a lover of pop culture and fabulous, over-the-top entertainment that will leave you breathless from laughing and clamoring for more, then I’ve got just the thing to appeal to your sequined sensibilities.
This Saturday, get ready for a truly immersive, multi-media, staged art experience featuring stories and performances reflective of 11 decades of pop-culture and Drag History – all the dance, music, comedy and dazzling costume designs.
The stories are told from the point of view of an almost seven-foot tall Glamazon Queen, referred to by her fans as “the tallest drag queen in captivity.”
The Evolution of Drag is the brainchild of Daphne Ferraro (stage name), a 40-something longtime Tampa Bay resident who recently moved to Largo, and has been entertaining and dressing the part since the age of four. “I have always loved entertaining others,” says Ferraro. “I have always been ‘out’ and true to who I am, and it makes me happy to produce shows that people enjoy so much.”
Ferraro has a degree in fashion design and marketing. After an internship at Vera Wang, years in corporate marketing, and a stint as a character performer at Disney, Ferraro’s pursuits evolved into a successful, multi-faceted career. In addition to marketing consultant, Ferraro styles wigs professionally, acts as entertainment director at Enigma, the uber-popular queer venue in downtown St. Pete – and of course, performs in and creates drag performances.
Evolution was conceived as a showcase during Ferraro’s bid for National Entertainer of the Year in 2009 and became an award-winning show that has been produced and performed throughout Florida to sold-out crowds. Of course, over 15 years, the show has greatly evolved into its present incarnation.
“It started out as some performances backed up by a glorified PowerPoint presentation,” says Ferraro. “Now it’s a highly polished, more professionally produced show with high production value and multi-media elements. There is video/film, narration and live performance with an ever-updating storyline.”
So what can the audience expect during Saturday evening’s performance? As advertised, the premise of The Evolution of Drag takes us through the last century-plus with an emphasis on notable shows and characters from the roaring ’20s through today.
Travel back in time to gangland Chicago, flappers, The Wizard of Oz, I Love Lucy and all the characters of the time. Move on through Flashdance into the current day with all your faves like Bette, Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga and so many more. There’s even a nod to the ‘drag’ of ancient Egypt when men wore lots of makeup and eyeliner, and nobody said boo about it.
The cast includes ten of our best-loved drag performers and two male leads.
Rick O’Shea
Just Jarrod
“This is truly a family,” says Ferraro. “It’s the strongest cast we’ve had to date, and I’m so excited to be bringing the show to my new home of Largo.”
Ferraro reports that their new home community has been extremely supportive of this latest endeavor. “Largo has been so welcoming.
“I have been to several city functions and want very much to be a contributing member of the community,” says Ferraro. “I’m also so grateful to the Central Park Performing Arts Center for hosting this show, and for being so open to supporting varied and diverse content.”
Clearly, this Saturday night promises to be filled with fun, music and memories thanks to The Evolution of Drag: Drag Through the Decades. Gather up some friends, while you’re at it, and you can make some sparkling memories.
The Evolution of Drag: Drag Through the Decades
Saturday, April 20 at 8 pm
2-hour run time plus one intermission
reserved stadium seating at
The Central Park Performing Arts Center
105 Central Park Dr
Largo FL 33771
727-587-6793
