The contouring game will be strong at "Queens United/Reinas Unidas," a drag show Monday at First Avenue benefiting Somos Una Voz, the Puerto Rico relief charity set up by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.
Puerto Rico is a hotbed of drag talent, having produced more than a dozen queen-testants for the TV reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race." Drag queens from throughout the show's nine seasons will set aside their backstage beefs to appear at the dragapalooza, billed as the biggest-ever group of "Drag Race" alums ever to perform in a single night.
Organizer Phi Phi O'Hara — runner-up on season 2 of the show and subsequently an "all-star" competitor — has said the benefit sprang out of performers' Twitter conversations in the early days after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. Twin Cities dance-party promoters Flip Phone stepped up as a partner, and First Avenue offered the venue rent-free, according to a Flip Phone spokesperson.
In addition to O'Hara, the scheduled acts include Minneapolis' Bebe Zahara Benet, winner of the first season of "Drag Race," but you won't be able to swing a feather boa without hitting a drag superstar. Others who will Spanx it up for "Queens United" are Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen, Acid Betty, Jaidynn Dior Ferce, Kimora Blac and co-hosts Ginger Minj and Naysha Lopez. All the performers are donating their services.
Contributions to Puerto Rican relief also are being solicited in a crowd-funding campaign here that already has exceeded its $10,000 goal.
Tickets to Monday's event are $75 or $150 for VIP seating, which includes a meet-and-greet at 7 p.m.
Billboard magazine plans to live-stream the performance on its Billboard Pride Facebook page.
Chris Hewitt • 612-673-4367
