Krisa Gonna has a mid-performance costume change at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Krisa Gonna gestures to the audience during her performance at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I always try to bring something new to the show because I feel like I don’t like to repeat myself too much,” Krisa Gonna said. “It keeps my mind fresh to bring new things, and I think the audience likes this show, they never know what to expect.”

BlueStocking Burlesque performer Bang Bang Von Loola wipes fake blood from her mouth during her vampire-themed performance at The Lyric Oct. 20.

BlueStocking Burlesque performer Bang Bang Von Loola drinks the blood of an audience member during her vampire-themed performance at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I really like to emcee and to feel like I connect with the audience in an uncomfortable but meaningful way,” Bang Bang Von Loola said. “I’m neurodivergent, and I tend to not have a great filter, and sometimes that really does hit home with people and make them feel comfortable being in my audience.”

Krisa Gonna improvises a routine during drag roulette at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Miss Jewdy, Bang Bang Von Loola, Krisa Gonna and Little Sarah Tonin stand together after their drag show performances at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Miss Jewdy improvises to a song during drag roulette at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I grew up doing musical theater, and being a young, tiny gay man in musical theater doesn’t always work out as you want it to,” Miss Jewdy said. “So this is another way for me to do what I love and dance and be onstage without having to worry about what some other director wants his characters to look like.”

Hope Goughnour cheers on the drag performance with the rest of the audience at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Krisa Gonna improvises a routine during drag roulette at The Lyric Oct. 20. “Whenever I’m on stage, I feel like little Kris, who went through a lot of shit,” Krisa Gonna said. “I feel like I’m hugging my inner child onstage every time. Every time I’m putting makeup on or I’m thinking about an outfit, every time I put a wig on, it’s like I’m allowing that kid, who was so hurt, to do whatever he wanted at that time. It’s never too late to do what you want, and it makes me really happy.” Drag Roulette was a new event where each of the performers had to invent a routine on the spot to a random music clip.

Little Sarah Tonin improvises a dance to “Monster Mash” during drag roulette at The Lyric Oct. 20. Drag roulette was a new challenge wherein each of the performers had to invent a routine on the spot to a random music clip.

Miss Jewdy improvises to a song during drag roulette at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Little Sarah Tonin performs her Frankenstein-themed routine at The Lyric Oct. 20. “Years ago, I don’t know if you know Jessica L’Whor, but she’s one of the biggest queens in Colorado, and when she performed at CSU, I was like, ‘Oh, I really want to do drag,'” Little Sarah Tonin said. “And she was like, ‘Just do it.’ It took me two more years to do that, but I stand by what she said. If you have any interest at all, just do it.”

Little Sarah Tonin performs her Frankenstein-themed routine at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Mitchell Perque applauds the drag performers as they leave the stage for a video to play at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I just think it’s a very important space to support and an important space to be a part of,” Perque said. “It sets a precedent that this art should be supported and appreciated, and it shouldn’t go anywhere.”

Audience members Fiona Mayes and AJ Buttala celebrate winning tickets for next month’s drag show during ‘What the… Lyric?!?’ at The Lyric’s Halloween drag show Oct. 20.

Miss Jewdy collects tips from the audience during her routine at The Lyric Oct. 20.

Miss Jewdy takes a dollar from Mitchell Perque in the audience during her routine at The Lyric Oct. 20.

BlueStocking Burlesque performer Bang Bang Von Loola picks a member of the audience to be a part of her routine at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I really like to emcee and to feel like I connect with the audience in an uncomfortable but meaningful way,” Bang Bang Von Loola said. “I’m neurodivergent, and I tend to not have a great filter, and sometimes that really does hit home with people and make them feel comfortable being in my audience.”

BlueStocking Burlesque performer Bang Bang Von Loola reaches out to the audience during her act at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I liked being challenged by the drag roulette, as I’m not traditionally a drag performer,” Bang Bang Von Loola said. “I like musicals, and I like to sing and stuff, but to be put on the spot … in a very public way with very little knowledge of what’s coming up next was a fun, thrilling, terrifying part.”

Krisa Gonna speaks to the audience in between performances at The Lyric Oct. 20. “I love being creative (and) seeing the impact of what I do,” Krisa Gonna said. “Onstage, we inspire people. It’s not only about the numbers we do, it’s about being visible on stage and the things that we say — there’s a lot of responsibility to having a mic on your hands.”

Little Sarah Tonin drops to the stage during her performance at The Lyric Oct. 20. “We all discussed when we got here today how we had long Fridays and how we were so tired, but then you get up onstage with the energy of the audience,” Little Sarah Tonin said. “You, like, put that energy back into the audience, and it’s so much fun.”