It couldn’t have been easy to perfectly replicate the mood of the work for the purpose of the show’s New York opening. Seven-and-a-half foot tall ladies (if you count the shoes and the hair, of course) paraded, preened, and posed before a backdrop of darkly-paneled wooden walls, hundred-plus year old vases, and secretive hidden doorways. Roped-off but visible in an adjoining room were tables of what must have been older club members, quietly enjoying their dinners. It was difficult to determine which group thought the other more bizarre.
Contrast is good, but similarities are what were really interesting here. It’s apparent that both the modern drag queen and the society princess have chosen lives that demand a razor sharp attention to detail, especially when it comes to appearances. Both are vulnerable to accusations of putting on airs, and both are wont to fight this perception by doubling down, determining to hit the right notes even harder. For both groups, the devil is surely in the details.
Please forgive an imperfect transcription of the quote at the top of this article- it’s not easy to jot things down when dodging the necessary elbows to get into an event this coveted.