Get ready for wigs, rhinestones, and a whole lot of heart. Emmy-winning media company World of Wonder is rolling out the pink carpet for a special benefit screening of its new documentary The Little Pageant That Could—and it’s all for a good cause.
The event, held Wednesday, May 21, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, will support APLA Health’s Alliance for Housing and Healing, which provides critical services for people living with HIV/AIDS. The screening comes ahead of the documentary’s global premiere on WOW Presents Plus on May 29.
A Night of Glitz and Giving
The exclusive, invite-only screening is hosted in partnership with APLA Health and features an all-star host committee that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood and drag royalty. Among those lending their names to the cause: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (World of Wonder co-founders), Sasha Colby, Margaret Cho, Judy Greer, Cheyenne Jackson, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley, and Vanessa Williams—just to name a few.
MC duties will be handled by the ever-fabulous Salina Estitties, with live performances, raffle prizes, donation opportunities, and the chance to throw cash tips on stage in true drag pageant tradition.
All proceeds benefit the Alliance for Housing and Healing, which has received more than $6 million from the Best in Drag Show over the decades. Funds help support emergency housing, rental assistance, and long-term housing for people living with HIV/AIDS.
From Apartment Spoof to Cultural Staple
The Little Pageant That Could tells the larger-than-life origin story of the Best in Drag Show, which began in 1990 as a tongue-in-cheek parody of Miss America staged in a cramped West Hollywood apartment. What started as a joke among friends has grown into L.A.’s longest-running drag benefit, attracting celebrity judges, sold-out crowds, and serious fundraising power.
Directed by John Carlos Frey—who also served as the original stage show’s director—the film features never-before-seen footage and laugh-out-loud moments spanning the show’s 33-year history. Expect appearances from a star-studded cast of past guests, including Jennifer Coolidge, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Faris, Martin Sheen, and fashion icon Bob Mackie.
Coming to WOW Presents Plus May 29
Following the benefit event, The Little Pageant That Could will premiere globally on WOW Presents Plus, joining a lineup of critically acclaimed documentaries like The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Party Monster, and Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures.
The platform has been expanding its library of original and acquired content in 2024, with notable additions like the Elvira Collection, the comedy duo specials Happily Ever Laughter and No Refunds from creators Darcy and Jer, and the upcoming scripted series I Hate People, People Hate Me.
Executive produced by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, and produced by David Neuendorff, James Cude, and Frey himself, the documentary is the latest testament to World of Wonder’s legacy of blending entertainment with activism, storytelling with sparkle.
