Where the queens reign supreme: a night of drag excellence at O Bar

Running the rehearsal was Eva Papaya, a queen with more than 20 years of performance under her belt. She was among the first to grace O Bar’s stage—back when it was barely a stage and more like a platform—and back when O Bar was a much smaller building in the heart of Malate, Manila. “We never meant to be a gay bar,” said Ramon Papa, co-owner of O Bar. “We got a gay clientele, without really intending to. We just said: gay, straight, transgender, whatever, it didn’t matter—everybody’s welcome here.”

Similarly, the drag shows began by sheer chance. One of their customers started lip syncing on the floor, and Papa Mon, as Papa is more commonly referred to, dared her, “Why don’t you go up there?” And they had a blast watching her perform where ledge dancers usually would be. Turns out, she was a professional drag artist all along. So, they booked her to hold an actual show. On the evening of the supposed first act, the queen was a no-show. Eva, then a regular performer at The Library (a bar just across the street), was invited by Mon to step in as a fill-in act. “The talent fee back then was PhP 1,000 and a choice of four Red Horse beers or pineapple juice,” shared Eva. The industry was young and unpolished, and most dabbled in lip syncing and impersonations. Eva soon became a staple at O Bar and drag mother to the group that would be known as the O Divas.

“It’s an extension of home,” Elvira, a Drag Den Season 2 alum and O Diva since 2021, said of O Bar. “The community here is the most supportive. When I joined Drag Den, many of them helped me find sponsorships and offered their support and encouragement,” she added. Elvira hails from an entertainment background with both parents working for ABS-CBN. Exposed to the world of acting at a young age, she discovered a love for all things behind-the-scenes, most significant of which was glam and make-up. So, she became a professional make-up artist until the pandemic put a pause on all bookings. Elvira experimented new looks on herself, giving birth to a drag persona. Now, five years into her career, she’s at the top of her game, “drag is not just for content; I am Drag,” she shared proudly.

Elvira would ultimately encourage a friend, Izzy Xtra, to join the roster. “Everyone embraced me for who I was,” Izzy shared. An information officer at the UP Diliman Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, Izzy is a transwoman who likewise pursued drag first as a pandemic hobby. “Drag actually helped me realise who I am—that I am a woman,” she revealed. “People think it’s easy to do; it’s not. You have to be precise and honest with yourself.”

Amanda, a BPO team leader, is another queen juggling a corporate job with a life of wigs and lipsticks. “I moved to Manila from Davao in 2013, and I was a regular customer of O Bar till I dared to audition. I barely knew anyone, and it was nerve-wracking.” Soon, Amanda became a professional drag queen but did admit she still has to hold on to a day job. “They’re different lives. There, it’s corporate, but here, there’s no pretension—this is passion,” she continued. To Amanda, drag is ultimately cathartic. “It’s about emotions. Whether it’s sexy, sultry, funny, rock … you have to convey that genuinely to capture the audience, you have to really believe it yourself.”

Related: 5 Iconic ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ moments from the late, great The Vivienne

When it comes to capturing audiences, Popstar Bench is another O Diva who effortlessly does so. She began as a Sarah Geronimo impersonator but evolved as a queen of her own joining Drag Race Season 3 alongside Angel. Lauded for her crowd-stopping performances, the popstar elevates her craft every time she’s on stage. “We throw ideas at each other while doing our glam,” Bench said of their creative process. “Also, the entire bar is our stage—we’re not limited.”

Papa Mon credits his late partner, Rupert Acuña, with the professionalism of drag in the Philippines. “He got professors from UP [University of the Philippines] level. We train them not only to be drag queens, but to be leaders, too. They rotate as the show director. To be a drag queen at O Bar, it’s more than performance, it’s character,” he said. “They shouldn’t just be open to suggestions, they need to be hungry to learn.”

Today, O Bar has become synonymous with Filipino drag. International queens never miss a chance to drop by when travelling to the Philippines. Among those who’ve visited are Alyssa Edwards, Adore Delano, Manila Luzon, Monét X Change and the late Jiggly Caliente. Papa Mon would reveal that they had National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes come and watch the show a few times. The queens all do their own makeup and design most of their costumes to fit each performance. The process is very gruelling and personal to each O Diva but it’s also very collaborative with the entire production house. “We want to be able to send a group of divas to tour internationally,” shared Papa Mon, “... So the entire world will know the greatness of Filipino drag even more.” We wrapped up our interviews backstage.

The queens sat next to each other on monobloc chairs, putting on final make-up touches. It was now midnight, and the muffled sound of party music filled the air. I opened the door into the main room, and the sight of a full house greeted me. An eager crowd stood elbow to elbow in anticipation of a show for the ages. Bottle service was flowing, lights were dim, the temperature was perfectly cool and the tables were all set. This is O Bar.

The room goes dark, and Poker Face by Lady Gaga is blasted from the speakers. The audience screamed and howled. The O Divas, now in full form and top-tier drag, stomped their six-inch heels to the stage. It’s time for yet another unforgettable show.

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