Niesha Dupree takes the stage and commands the audience to pay attention. And they do, with awe, respect and most definitely love.
The founder of Stars of the Century is an Atlanta icon and her troupe one of the longest-running drag shows in the city. When she takes the stage, the people line up, handing her bills after bills after bills. This crowd is a heavy tipping crowd and it’s easy to see why.
Fifteen years ago, Dupree founded Stars of the Century at the late Traxx Club where the show garnered a reputation for classy solo performances, on point crowd-pleasing productions and, yes, biting humor coupled with a fabulous queen scene.
Now the troupe performs every Monday at Jungle. The bawdy and hilarious Miss Sophia, formerly of V-103 fame, is the emcee for the show and on a recent Monday opens with a risqué gospel number that energizes the crowd like no Sunday sermon has before.
This is a show everyone in Atlanta who loves drag must experience.
Other original members include Stasha Sanchez, Necole Luv Dupree and Jasmine Bonet.
During a recent show, Sanchez performed to the beautiful Anita Baker ballad, “Sweet Love,” complete with trembling lips on the high notes. Her crown from her recent pageant victory as Miss Heavenly in New Orleans sparkled under the mirror ball.
Miss Sophia kept the crowd entertained with her renowned raunchy humor. And if you sit in the front row be prepared to have her tease you, sit in your lap or demand you tip her. Everyone in the crowd can’t get enough of this campy queen.
Stars of the Century and its many queens have been performing and competing in pageants (and winning many of them) for approximately two decades. They plan to continue their performances of slow, timeless ballads and high-energy and high-kicking contemporary dance numbers for many years to come.
This show proclaims proudly “it is all an illusion,” but there is no denying the packed crowds always love what they see.
Check out photos from a recent Monday night performance at Jungle by clicking here.