It's hard to believe that The Monster Show has been around for 21 years, yet on September 26 the show will throw a big birthday bash for its 21st birthday.
Over the years The Monster Show has been a beacon of drag experimentation and inclusivity, with drag legends Bebe Sweetbriar, Sue Casa, Landa Lakes and "RuPaul's Drag Race" alumnus Rock M. Sakura being among the star names to have performed at the show.
The Monster Show was founded by the late and beloved drag artist Cookie Dough and her husband Michael Chu aka DJ MC2. The community was shocked by Dough's untimely death a few years back, but her friends have kept the show alive.
The show is currently co-hosted by Elsa Touche, who has called The Monster Show her home for many years. Touche is a beloved San Francisco drag artist who has appeared in diverse shows such as "9 to 5: Live," and "Harriet Poofter and the Chamber of Secretions," shows on which she also served as a co-producer. She won the Ms. California Gold Pageant in 2019 and was named Favorite Drag Queen by the readers of SF Weekly the following year.
"I think Cookie would be thrilled to know that her unique vision is being carried into a new generation of performers," Touche said in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter. "Cookie really created a San Francisco institution that welcomes new performers and performers of all sorts of varying drag styles, and it's such an important, integral part of the San Francisco drag scene."
"Cookie Dough was known for being one of the sweetest, kindest people you could ever hope to meet," added Otter, the show's co-producer and stage manager. "And she really was. She was kind of an auntie to a lot of drag performers in San Francisco. However, on the rare occasion she got mad, the Cookie Monster would come out. When she was searching for a name for the show, her husband Michael Chu, the show's DJ and co-founder, suggested naming it after her alter ego, to give it a little edge, and that's how 'The Monster Show' got its name."
Keep it weird
Touche pointed out that The Monster Show is well known as San Francisco's most ridiculous drag show. The show welcomes all styles and expressions of drag, which Touche noted was quite rare in the Castro.
"It's often described as punk rock drag," she said. "We encourage experimentation. As drag becomes increasingly commodified and uniform, we are working hard to keep drag weird."
The Monster Show offers a different show every Thursday. Each week has a different theme. They have done shows dedicated to specific musical artists, like Lady Gaga, and versus nights, where two musical artists are featured. Each performer does two numbers. There are shows dedicated to musical genres, such as Broadway, grunge or country. Themes are frequently in the "ridiculous" vein. Recent examples include food-based numbers in a food fight, Pokemon night and "Real Housewives" night. There's a different cast every week.
"There is no average Monster Show," said Otter. "We encourage our performers to be who they are and to explore their performance styles and their art, so you will get shows with a mix of glamor, camp, high art, incredible dance performances, and political pieces. We vary our themes weekly, and range from serious to silly, pop culture to niche interests, so there is always something new and interesting. It's a very San Francisco style of drag show."
"Every year for our anniversary we invite some of our longtime regular performers and a few of our newer stars to come and give us their most monastery numbers," said Touche. "It's always a great show."
Local performers include Sue Casa, Vera!, Carlota Di Carlo, Madd Dogg 20/20, Miss Shugana, Mocha Fapalatte, Coco Buttah, Lucinda Puss, Gia Metric, Linty, Lil Too Much, and Dee Dee Marie Holiday.
Added Otter, "We're excited for the future of The Monster Show, and keeping this home for ridiculous drag going in the Castro."
The Monster Show, Thursdays at The Edge, 4149 18th Street, pre-show with go-go dancers and drink specials at 9pm, show at 10pm, $5 cover, no reservations. www.facebook.com/monstershowsf
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