Preview | University Program Board to host ‘Drag Brunch’ on Musco Lawn

Alongside a delicious brunch, the event will feature a star-studded cast of drag queens, such as Coco Montrese, Denali, Tatianna and Mayhem Miller. Photo courtesy of the University Program Board

The University Program Board (UPB) will be putting on Drag Brunch, an outdoor brunch and drag show featuring queens Denali, Coco Montresse, Mayhem Miller and Tatiana — all of whom are former contestants on the long-running TV series “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” It will take place at the Aitken Arts Plaza tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it is only open to Chapman students. 

The buffet-style brunch will consist of home fried potatoes, bacon, scrambled eggs, gluten-free blueberry muffins and fresh fruit. To drink, there will be coffee, tea and a free mimosa bar for students 21 and older. 

Tickets were made available to students last Monday, but sold out very quickly. 

While Drag Brunch marks the 11th year in a row that the organization has hosted a drag-themed event, the annual drag show’s astronomical rise in popularity occurred fairly recently. According to Isabella Capri, a junior communication studies major and the special events and traditions director for UPB, the 2019 drag show was the first to be a big hit with students. 

“When I worked the drag show as a freshman, it was still a late night event,” Capri said. “Because the board was still new, they were still getting used to it. Once they tried it out, everyone really loved it. The feedback was really positive.” 

Over the last two years, the members of UPB have worked hard to make their drag shows bigger and more bodacious than ever before. Although the ongoing pandemic forced UPB to move festivities online last year — they hosted a ‘Drag Bingo’ night over Zoom in Feb. 2021— they intend to go all out this weekend. 

“This year, being able to have in-person events again, we knew we wanted to make it really special,” Capri said. “We came up with Drag Brunch because we wanted to do something really new with drag shows, while also keeping that same tradition alive

Among the scores of Chapman students who will be in attendance are junior television writing and production majors Kendra Olson and Hannah Merritt, two roommates who — after seeing UPB’s instagram post about Drag Brunch — immediately snapped up tickets. 

“It’s free, and features a lot of very talented drag performers, so I couldn’t resist,” Merritt said. 

Having never experienced a drag show before, the pair told The Panther they were thrilled with the opportunity that the event presented. 

“I’ve always wanted to experience a drag show,” Olson said. “I find drag culture so fascinating, just as a form of artistic expression and for the role that drag has played in the queer community’s history. It’s like a full-on sport.” 

Although this Saturday’s show won’t be a “Rupaul's Drag Race” style competition, with contestants typically known for lip-syncing for their lives, the performances from all of the queens involved are certain to be fierce. 

“I’m just kind of excited to go and see what happens,” Merrit said. “Free mimosas and drag queens, I’m stoked,” Olson said.   

 The drag show will be back in full force tomorrow to slay the house down.