The A train got an A-plus on May 31, as Queerly Femmetastic, representing the triboro subway route, was crowned the winner of the annual Miss Subways pageant. Once a beauty contest sponsored by advertising agencies, the revamped Miss Subways returned in 2017 with a twist. No longer is Miss Subways an old-school beauty pageant — instead, it’s an opportunity for Brooklynites of all ages and genders to prove that they’re the best representative for their respective subway line.
At the Sideshow by the Seashore theater in Coney Island on May 31, contestants put on a show like no other – wearing outfits that paid homage to their respective train lines, they performed stand-up comedy, burlesque, and dance routines. Christine Stoddard, repping the C line, performed a song meant to summon the city’s many subterranean rats. The winners of the old Miss Subways would have their photos plastered all over subway cars, but the contest itself wasn’t public — there were no performances, no chances for contestants to meet their loving public.
Dave Herman, founder of the City Reliquary , which resurrected the event, said the new version is meant to give riders their moment to shine. “We wanted to resurrect it and give it more of the pageantry and put more of the ownership into the performers’ hands and so it’s no longer about what’s happening behind closed doors, it’s about what happens here on the stage,” he said. Contestants compete in three categories: Costume, tale.
