Cabbage Patch is a local drag show for all ages, one of the only local places where young kids can experience the colorful and exciting magic of drag through age-appropriate storytelling.
The show recently held its first performance at its new home at Charis Books & More, which packed the space with excited families and attendees of all ages.
“We had a phenomenal, sold-out first show,” show creator Aries ALXNDR told Georgia Voice. “We performed across the entire store.”
Located in Decatur, Charis is one of the only independent, feminist bookstores in the South.
“It was great, and everybody was close and could all see the show,” recurring cast member Hannibal Montannibal said. “The kids sat in the performance space, so they were right next to us, and we could interact. A lot of them were dancing and singing along; that was cute to see! The bookstore itself is a great atmosphere because kids can go look at books if they get antsy during the show.”
Cabbage Patch started in 2019, taking place at various venues, including Georgia Beer Garden and Wild Heaven.
While some Cabbage Patch shows have featured book readings or “storytimes,” most shows center around energetic lip-sync numbers.
“The goal is to do something fun,” Aries said. “I do lots of boy bands like One Direction, and I’ve done Baloo the Bear from ‘Jungle Book.’ Performer Hera Kane did an ‘Encanto’ number, while Yutoya Avaze Leon has done Hillary Diff and ‘Hairspray’ numbers. Boy Howdy did ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ and has made stuffed animals and given them to the kids. Hannibal has done ‘I Feel Like Dancing’ before and gone into the audience to get the kids dancing.”
Creating performances children can enjoy is about a lot more than just excluding lude language and inappropriate themes; it’s about telling relatable stories and presenting fun characters with music that speaks to kids.
“It’s the cutest and most heartwarming feeling I’ve ever had performing any time I perform at Cabbage Patch,” Hannibal said. “Last show, I performed ‘Good Tonight’ from the animated movie called ‘The Bad Guys.’ I generally try to choose songs that I enjoyed in childhood, like ‘Camp Rock’-esque, Disney Channel original movies.”
An average Cabbage Patch audience consists of families with kids — most elementary age — but several adults without kids also come out to support daytime drag, which Aries points out can be rare. Some attendees have come to several shows over the years.
“I love seeing familiar faces,” Hannibal said. “It’s encouraging that they have such a good time that they wanna come back. Last year, I did a number where I dressed up in an outfit covered in Googly-eyed toy worms on a string. The song was called ‘Earworm.’ I would play a popular kids’ song at the instrumental break, like ‘Let It Go,’ ‘What Did the Fox Say,’ and ‘Baby Shark.’ The parents thought it was hilarious. I had extras and gave them out to kids as I was performing. By the end, all the kids wanted to come thank me, and some kids have brought it up at shows since then.”
The Cabbage Patch cast changes and has featured Atlanta drag artists like Mr Elle Aye, Taylor ALXNDR, Dotte Com, and Miss He.
“It brings me so much joy to see children having a good time,” Aries said. “One time, somebody messaged me saying, ‘My kid is at home trying on their clothes deciding what they could be as a drag king.’ Kids deserve a chance to see themselves and others reflected on a stage. Cabbage Patch gives kids a safe place to feel joy and feel creative, and I hope we can do that for a long time.”
The next Cabbage Patch show is April 28. You can follow the show on Instagram @cabbagepatchatl. Aries and Hannibal also join Mr Elle Aye as the main cast of Manhole, Atlanta’s only recurring drag king show. To learn more about Charis, visit charisbooksandmore.com.