It was 1:15am on a Friday, and the crowd at Bretz Nightclub cleared the dance floor. They were young and dressed for summer with jean shorts and sleeveless t-shirts. Their faces were hued in blue and red colored lights. They were restless and loud and grinning. Everyone was ready for the show.
The speaker system sounded, “If you’re ready for a drag show, say ‘hell yeah!” The crowd responded with a splash of enthusiastic shouts. Then the performer named Thunderpussy, dressed in a leopard-print dress and fishnet stockings, towering well over six-feet tall in black heels, walked onto the cleared dance floor with every eye ready to see what Thunderpussy did next.
An elegant extravaganza
Men have dressed as women for as long as theater has existed. In the 20th century, drag performance became linked to gay culture as an exuberant, mildly rebellious form of self-expression. Drag has since become an alternative mainstay of popular culture, from the 1970s film, Rocky Horror Picture Show, to today’s reality TV competition, RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Toledo has been a home for drag since at least the 1980s, when Caesar’s hosted nightly shows downtown on Erie Street. Today, Toledo has two downtown clubs that host regular drag shows, Legends Showclub and Bretz Nightclub. Each offers its own unique interpretation.
Legends of all varieties
Legends Showclub opened last year at 117 North Erie Street. It opened specifically as a drag club, a sister to its next-door gay bar and patio called Mojo. Legends is small, with a bar along the back wall and a long, curtained stage across the front. Each weekend they present a new slate of shows.
On the Friday I attended, the crowd was primarily filled with straight couples dressed up as if they were on a date, and small groups of guys wearing Mud Hens gear. The performances were all choreographed, lip-synced dances. The set-list was diverse: Alanis Morisette by a performer wearing a houndstooth dress and sparkly gloves, an athletic Beyoncé performance by a dancer in a black leotard, and a country song by a performer in almost clown-white makeup and a candy red wig.
The red wig belonged to a performer named Chanel, who, as she walked off the stage, jokingly flashed me with fake, fabric boobs that she wore underneath her dress. Chanel drives down regularly from Ann Arbor in order to perform at Legends. “It’s a great hometown bar. I love it,” she said.
The best of the Bretz
Bretz Nightclub, at 2012 Adams Street, has been open for the past 28 years as an LGBTQ-friendly establishment. The building is nondescript, with only a simple neon, cursive “Bretz” above its front door. Inside, the dance floor is cleanly lit. Stages surround it, filled with people dancing. The bartenders hustle to take each order.
“It’s a place we can all go together and not be judged for who we are,” said Bretz’s Entertainment Director, Randy Hall. “I want everyone to feel welcome,” said Hall.
On Thursday nights, an average of 300-400 people show up at Bretz to dance, order $1 well drinks, and watch drag, which almost always includes a performance by Hall’s persona, Thunderpussy. Thunderpussy first performed 14 years ago, and now she performs several times per week. Her performances have become an essential piece of the drag scene in Toledo.
On that Thursday, Thunderpussy walked onto the floor quietly and confidently, offered a few twirls, and gave hugs to members of the encircled crowd. After several songs, her heels came off, and she began to bounce quickly throughout the floor, punching the air and chanting along to the music. People tossed dollar bills in appreciation. The song then changed and became louder, and Thunderpussy tore off her blonde wig. She held it high like a trophy, exposing her bare buzzcut underneath as the crowd shouted with applause. She then walked off the floor, her face burnished with makeup and sweat, smiling as the crowd chanted her name.
Legends Showclub, 117 N. Erie St.
facebook.com/legendsshowclubtoledo
Bretz Nightclub, 2012 Adams St.
facebook.com/bretz.bar
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Dorian Slaybod is an attorney happily living in Toledo.
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