QUINTUPLE THREAT NYMPHIA WIND
HAS MORE THAN BANANA APPEAL
I’m a bad gay. I’ve only seen one or two episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race out of—how many seasons now? Seventeen! But after seeing Nymphia Wind’s pride-month blowout at Town Hall last night, June 26, I get the hype. The reigning queen of Season 16 isn’t just a drag performer—she’s a choreographer, costume designer, full-on Taiwanese cultural emissary and more! Her Town Hall one-night extravaganza Bananas? was exactly the kind of joyful chaos that Pride deserves.
Hosted by the incomparable Shequida, a NYC drag legend with 35 years of stage savvy and a barbed wit, the evening kicked off with sass and sparkle. Claiming to be “28 years old and 110 pounds” (neither believable, both hilarious), Shequida proved her true beauty in two form-fitting gowns and blonde wigs. She warmed up the crowd by daring anyone to stump her in foreign languages—a game particularly tricky in polyglot New York—and still managed to be effortlessly funny. She also helmed a chaotic live auction for a meet-and-greet with Nymphia, which culminated in a surreal reveal: the winner got to unzip a life-sized banana onstage, from which Nymphia made her first grand entrance. The prize winner was whisked backstage and never seen again—I hope she got to see the rest of the show.
Nymphia’s opening number was a haunting piece of dance-theater. Wearing a skin-toned unitard stitched with scars, she was bound to a life-size dummy by packing tape, becoming a two-bodied hybrid in motion. The dummy’s limbs moved gracefully until Nymphia slit opened its chest and pulled out tufts of white stuffing that covered the stage as the body went limp against her. It was unexpected, lyrical, and weirdly beautiful—performance art in drag’s most evolved form.
If that was the avant-garde Nymphia, the Act I closer was the bananas one—literally. Decked out in a costume that produced bananas from seemingly every crevice, she lip-synced to a medley of banana-themed songs, distributing the phallic fruit to the crowd while inflatable bananas rained from the balcony. Her comedy, ludicrous and clownish, was precise and deeply self-aware. It was a wild and hilarious send-off into intermission.
Act II kicked off with a showstopping, high-energy dance sequence that showcased Nymphia’s astonishing physicality. She shared choreography credits with Chieh Hsiung, Mark Nuñez, and Spencer Clark, and her execution was singular and fearless—along with her four dancers: Klint Dimpas, Rio Kikuchi, Jeffrey Pelayo, and Fiona Tsang. At one point, she leapt into the audience and danced across an entire row, then up to the balcony to do the same, ending onstage with her cardio intact (it’s no wonder she doesn’t have an ounce of fat on her anywhere). Later, she performed a traditional Taiwanese dance solo, elegantly manipulating long flowing ribbons from her sleeves. Whether gliding, strutting, or twirling, Nymphia’s costumes were always co-stars: morphing mid-number, surprising in design, and gloriously over-the-top: part Ziegfeld Follies, part Las Vegas, and part Howard Crabtree (the genius costume designer of past off-Broadway gay fantasia like When Pigs Fly).
The spectacle extended beyond the costumes. Pride colored fabric cascaded from the balcony and extended to the stage, fragile handheld kites dangled from string, and a shower of yellow balloons fell during the final curtain call. (“Are those just coming down now?” Nymphia quipped, bemused.) The charming undercurrent of “we’re a bit under rehearsed,” which gave the evening a scrappy theatricality—like an old-school “let’s put on a show” revue, but dialed to eleven.
Between Nymphia’s costume changes, her chosen family took the spotlight. Hibiscus delivered a fierce and kinetic dance number, while Chiang Weiii performed an Etta James song with such depth and musicality, she might’ve channeled Etta herself. Her vibrato alone was uncanny. Other queens gracing the stage included Angel Au, Draggy Boo Boo, Felicia Oh, Shia Ho, and Hannah Monina, each adding their own glitter and artistry to the night.
The show’s final moment was its quietest and most touching. After a big finale in full regalia, Nymphia asked if she could “be vulnerable” and removed the elaborate headdress she’d balanced throughout. Much like the female impersonators of drag’s earlier generations who finished a number by removing their wig to reveal their male gender, Nymphia stood before us in her natural hair, speaking plainly, introducing her collaborators, and gently sending us home after the wild journey we’d all just taken.
Bananas? is a winning showcase of queer creativity, absurdity, and cultural pride. Nymphia Wind proves she’s not just a drag queen—she’s a quintuple threat: creative director, dancer/choreographer, costume designer, performance artist, and yes, a world-class queen. If this is what she can do in one night, I can’t wait for an extended run.
photos by Anthony Mulcahy
Bananas?
reviewed June 26, 2025 at The Town Hall in NYC
Gregory Fletcher is an author, a theater professor, a playwright, director, and stage manager. His craft book on playwriting is entitled Shorts and Briefs, and publishing credits include two YA novels (Other People’s Crazy, and Other People’s Drama), 2 novellas in the series Inclusive Bedtime Stories, 2 short stories in The Night Bazaar series, and several essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.
