Shutter to Think: The Queens take Sterling

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Sharon ShareAlike comes out to greet the crowd Saturday, April 9, 2022 at Starlight's Theatre in Sterling. Sharon was host to The Queens, a drag show that performed two sold out shows in the downtown Sterling theater. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com/credit)

Photographing something new and different in the Sauk Valley can sometimes come at rather large intervals. Of late, there’s been countless games, oodles of dinners, numerous events and heaps of parades.

So when a friend suggested I might want to cover a drag show at the Starlight’s Theatre last Saturday, I quickly said, “That’s a great idea!” and sent off a request to the venue.

The Queens, a group of drag performers, sashayed in lavish costumes with picture-perfect make-up. Plumes of colored feathers and sparkling sequins dazzled the jubilant audience of male and female alike. This was the second of two sold-out shows that started at 10 p.m. and run until after midnight. From the jump, there wasn’t a moment the hall wasn’t filled with cheers, laughs and tips.

At intermission, Sharon SharAlike, host and drag queen extraordinaire, stalked the crowd, delivering jokes, observations and the occasional crass word to the delight of the audience. Ultimately, her words ended with ones of love, tolerance and understanding.

This is new to both Sterling, and myself. From what I observed - it was an evening of pure joy, acceptance and love shown to one another. We need more of it.

— Alex T. Paschal, follow me on Instagram @svmphotogs or message me apaschal@shawmedia.com