Camp Wannakiki
Season 1
The first season of CAMP WANNAKIKI aired on YouTube in the summer of 2018. The premise was quite simple... take eight drag performers to see who can last the week at an actual Summer Camp and claim the crown!
This hilarious new show featured eight of the campiest campers in the Midwest along with kooky Camp Counselor Dear Ruthie and Camp Directors Apple Brown Betty and Cherry Pi!
Meet the Season 1 Campers
Chicago, IL
Camper
Alexis Bevels
Alexis P. Bevels is a singing, dancing, twirling queen with a head full of air and a heart full of gold. She began her journey in musical theatre but didn't want to play just one part. She wanted to be the lead and the director... and the costume designer... and the stage manager. That said, she became a full-time drag queen!
You'll find Alexis performing in and around Chicago where she's a member of the Vertical Sideshow burlesque troupe. She describes her comedy as “dad jokes,” her ideal mode of transportation is a scooter and her preferred shoes are actually roller skates. A proud Gryffindor with Hufflepuff tendencies, Alexis says she's a Carrie but really she's a Charlotte/Miranda rising.
Chicago, IL
Camper
C'est Kevvie
Meet the gal the other campers call their imaginary friend — C'est Kevvie! Known around the Windy City as “the body-positive art ho,” Kevvie considers art history, horror and clowns the inspiration behind her drag. Proud to show off her curves, C'est Kevvie believes in celebrating her body—and all bodies—inside and out. In fact, she's the mother of the House of Travesties, a group that embraces their own physical and mental disabilities.
A transgender woman, Kevvie began transitioning in 2013 and embraces drag as an exploration of gender and the many kinds of gender expression. Currently completing her Master's Degree at the University of Illinois – Chicago, Kevvie's ultimate dream is to open the city's first drag museum. C'est la vie, C'est Kevvie! #HerRoyalTravesty
Eau Claire, WI
Camper
Dominique DeGrant
Think pink with Dominique! This colorful gal has been gracing stages across Wisconsin for the past 10 years, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Having held multiple pageant titles, including Wisconsin Entertainer of the Year, she's certainly not a stranger to a little competition... even in the great north woods!
A self-described “one-woman workshop,” Dominique is the mistress of her own domain—sewing her own costumes, crafting her own jewelry and adding a touch of crimson wherever she goes. Why does she dress like a bottle of Pepto Bismol? Because she's sickening! #ThePinkoning!
Chicago, IL
Camper
Muffy Fishbasket
Muffy Fishbasket is world famous... in her own mind. The original #DragBroad, her performances are often considered a fun-loving mix of Madeline Kahn confusion and Mae West camp.
Trained in the circus arts at the famed Actors Gymnasium and the Trapeze School New York, Muffy was crowned Miss Illinois Gay Rodeo Association and is the driving force behind Muffy Fishbasket's Story Time with Drag Queens. She's been featured at Austin International Drag Fest, Steppenwolf and INFOWARS. As she explains, you can always find her on “that comfortable mattress that's been tossed aside in your alley.”
Chicago, IL
Camper
O'laysia
Born and raised in Chicago, O'laysia has been performing in the Windy City for nearly 5 years. While she is known as a fierce glamor queen with sickening dance moves, eye-fetching costumes and a keen sense of what makes an audience tick, she embraced her campy side at Camp Wannakiki. Embodying the spirit and attitude of the 15 year-old girl in all of us, O'laysia learned what it means to amp up her camp!
When she's not turning it out at her own Hamburger Mary's show in Chicago, O'laysia works as a DJ, sews costumes and spills the T with friends... strangers... really, anyone who will listen.
Milwaukee, WI
Camper
Pagan Holladay
With a little bit of angst and a whole lot of creativity, Pagan Holladay has been turning real-life friends into imaginary enemies since 2012. Originally from San Antonio, she started her drag career after a move to Portland where she developed her signature style by fashioning wayward stuffed animals into dementedly adorable accessories.
In 2015, she ventured to Milwaukee where she currently resides as a brightly colored misfit, popular nightlife hostess and co-producer of Purse String Productions Theater Company. A vagabond artist, stage performer and graphic designer, Pagan considers herself a fake lady but a real bitch.
Milwaukee, WI
Camper
Sylvia Nyxx
Combine a hint of Peg Bundy, a dash of Courtney Love and pinch of Judy Jetson, and who do you get? Sylvia Nyxx! A Milwaukee native, Sylvia basks in her former prom-queen glory from the comfort of her trailer home where she sips beer all day... every day.
Sylvia constantly pushes the boundaries of taste, carving out new and questionable definitions of glamour; however, her in-your-face demeanor and passion for “weird art” underlie her downhome charm. She warns that side effects of getting too close may include vomiting, diarrhea, regret and, in rare cases, blindness or even death. See your doctor before proceeding with Sylvia Nyxx.
Madison, WI
Camper
Vajay J. Snappinturtle
Claimed to be hatched from a golden egg laid by the last unicorn, Vajay J. Snappinturtle was raised in the ways of the ninja... in the sewers. After attending a posh school in Texas specializing in witchcraft and all things awesome, she became a trained lip-sync assassin. She currently uses her skills to fight for laughter, kindness, loyalty, honesty and friendship in clubs, bars and street corners across the Midwest.
Vajay J., as she's called, enjoys all things My Little Pony, 60s rock, Dr. Pepper, deep-dish pizza and a good sale. She lives with her husband and fur babies on the shores of Lake Mendota in Madison, WI.
Milwaukee, WI
Camp Counselor
Dear Ruthie
Hellooooo, campers! Big and bawdy and awfully naughty... it's Camp Counselor Ruthie! Often described as a cross between Bette Midler and Carol Burnett, Ruthie's kooky nature and 20+ year experience in the drag biz make her a natural for breaking in a new generation of camp queens.
Part actress, part stand-up comedian and part bear-chaser, Ruthie hass appeared in nearly every Charles Busch play ever written, made thousands of people giggle in clubs, bars and drag shows, and currently hosts a large family of crabs in her pantyhose. A Joan Rivers impersonator, frenzied cook and humor writer, her advice column, Dear Ruthie, has appeared in numerous publications over the last few decades. Yes... we said “decades.”
Chicago, IL
Camp Directors
The Sugarbaker Twins
Camp Directors Apple Brown Betty and Cherry Pi Sugarbaker like to think they run a tight ship, but let's face it... there's nothing tight at Camp Wannakiki.
Originally from Atlanta, GA, the Sugarbakers first came to life in Washington, DC, where Betty was managing a popular nightclub and hosting her weekly Gong Show Karaoke. When Cherry Pi would visit, she'd play the part of the drunk sidekick (a little too well, if you know what we mean). They eventually made their way to Chicago, where they opened up a Hamburger Mary's franchise and eventually took over the brand nationally.
The real life twin brothers (Ashley & Brandon Wright) are also co-owners of Hamburger Mary's International, and were recently featured on the hit CBS show, Undercover Boss. Going on 20 locations, Mary's is known not only for their gourmet burgers, but also for putting on great drag shows across the country. The Wright brothers are the creators and producers of Camp Wannakiki.
Connect With Us
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for news, clips, and announcements.
Need to get in touch? .
