Nymphia Wind by The Town Hall

THE TOWN HALL PRESENTS

STARRING Nymphia Wind

HOSTED BY Shequida WITH Angel Au Felicia Oh

Shia Ho

Chiang Weiii Hibiscus

Draggy Boo Boo Hannah

Monina

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: NYMPHIA WIND

PRODUCTION MANAGER: CARL ACAMPORA

CHOREOGRAPHERS: CHIEH HSIUNG, MARC NUÑEZ, SPENCER CLARK

COSTUME DESIGNER: NYMPHIA WIND

MEDIA DESIGNER: 3F VISUAL DESIGN

COMPANY MANAGER: YU-HSUAN WU

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

CHRISTIAN SABO, YUNG-JEN YANG, ANDIE MAN, ALEXEY KIM, STEVEN SIERRA

WARDROBE ASSISTANT: SHIO HAN, HAO-HSIANG LI

A Letter from the President

Welcome! And, may I add, congratulations. You are attending one of New York’s and America’s essential meeting houses, music venues and cultural institutions. I know that you will ﬁnd the Town Hall Presents programming you are attending tonight to be timely and compelling. And each of our productions is an expression of our commitment to bring you signiﬁcant, unique, eclectic and down right delightful events throughout the calendar year.

Welcome! And, may I add, congratulations. You are attending one of New York’s and America’s essential meeting houses, music venues and cultural institutions. I know that you will find the Town Hall Presents programming you are attending tonight to be timely and compelling. And each of our productions is an expression of our commitment to bring you significant, unique, eclectic and down right delightful events throughout the calendar year.

There is no place like The Town Hall. Founded “to promote good citizenship, social justice and general enlightenment through the education and expression of public opinion,” our hall’s world-class acoustics quickly became a calling card, and for over a century, playing The Town Hall stage continues to be a ‘must’ for musicians and singers from all genres and backgrounds.

Whether visiting our storied auditorium for the ﬁrst time, or returning to experience yet another great night live on our stage, you can feel the vitality in the room. The Town Hall is truly contemporary; purpose-built to open its doors to art, ideas and especially to you.

Whether visiting our storied auditorium for the first time, or returning to experience yet another great night live on our stage, you can feel the vitality in the room. The Town Hall is truly contemporary; purpose-built to open its doors to art, ideas and especially to you.

Upon its dedication in 1921, The League for Political Education opened the building you are now sitting in with the watchwords:

“It does not matter who you are, what you are, or from where you come, you are welcome.”

As president of the non-proﬁt organization that preserves our landmarked auditorium and produces the Town Hall Presents events like the one you are attending tonight, I thank you for coming to The Town Hall. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and our incredible staff of professionals, I echo the sentiment of our founders and assure you that you are always welcome here.

As president of the non-profit organization that preserves our landmarked auditorium and produces the Town Hall Presents events like the one you are attending tonight, I thank you for coming to The Town Hall. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and our incredible staff of professionals, I echo the sentiment of our founders and assure you that you are always welcome here.

Nevin Steinberg , President

Nevin Steinberg

About the Program

The Town Hall is honored to present Nymphia Wind in BANANAS?, the iconoclast's debut theatre performance in New York City.

Having just recently completed her reign as winner of 2024's Ru Paul's Drag Race, Nymphia Wind is bringing her experience as “America's Next Drag Superstar” and as a Taiwanese cultural ambassador to The Town Hall’s stage this PRIDE.

BANANAS? is a bombastic performance piece that for one night only will be headlined by Nymphia, aka the “Banana Buddha,” to transform the historic Town Hall stage into a portal to her chaotic mind. Hosted by Shequida , this celebration will feature Drag Queens from all across the globe to join Nymphia Wind on stage and engage with her signature sartorial wit and irreverent joy.

Drag Queens Featured in tonight's show are: Shequida , Angel Au , Chiang Weiii, Draggy Boo Boo, Felicia Oh, Hannah Monina , Shia Ho and Hibiscus

Bananas, Beauty, and a Whole Lotta Wind — Bow Down to Nymphia

Born from chaos and couture, Nymphia

Wind twirled her way into the hearts of millions as the first Taiwanese queen to snatch the crown on RuPaul’s Drag Race

Known for her surreal, high-fashion drag, unmatched artistic vision, and iconic love of bananas, Nymphia doesn’t just bring the drama — she is the storm.

A walking dream of whimsy, wit, and world-class performance, Nymphia is more than a drag superstar — she’s a cultural force, redefining what it means to be an international drag icon. From Taipei to Times Square, her message is loud and clear: embrace the absurd, wear your weird like a crown, and never underestimate the power of Wind.

About the Artists

HOSTESS

Shequida

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CHOREOGRAPHER, DRAG QUEEN

Nymphia Wind

A drag queen and costume designer from Taiwan, Nymphia Wind is dedicated to advancing the art of drag culture and using her platform to advocate for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom. In 2024, she won Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in the United States. She has performed at Taiwan’s Presidential Office and at the Taiwan Pavilion of the Cultural Olympiad in Paris. That same year, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and received the inaugural “Changemaker of the Year” award from the Foreign Policy Initiative at Harvard University

Shequida Hall or mononymously as Shequida, is a classically trained opera singer, songwriter, playwright, and drag artist based in NYC. She attended Juilliard, where she studied with noted bass-baritone Simon Estes. More recently, Shequida wrote, directed and hosted a very successful holiday show “Santa’s Secret” produced by Voss Events that has been playing annually since 2021 in New York and since 2023 in LA. Shequida has also written, directed and hosted the follow up spin offs of the “Santa’s Secret” shows called “Cupid Secret” and “Haunted Hollywood”.

In the summer of 2023, Shequida hosted one of the biggest drag shows in Las Vegas. In the beginning of 2025, Shequida launched a weekly singer’s competition at Balcon Salon, called “Sing! For Your Life”.

Chiang Weiii

Angel Au

Angel Au is a trans Chinese-American drag performer based here in NYC. She loves turning looks and making people smile. Her drag is a love letter to trans and femme asian experience. Angel has been featured in publications like Paper Magazine, Them, Allure, DAZED Magazine and the cover of Harper’s Bazaar KZ

Hailing from Taipei, Taiwan, Chiang Weiii has been captivating audiences for seven years with her signature opulence, immaculate glam, and unmistakable stage magic.

Hibiscus

Draggy Boo Boo

Draggy Boo Boo, Taiwan indigenous drag queen, an actor, show director and one of the best host in Taiwan.

Hibiscus was born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii. She has been performing in drag for almost 10 years. She is known as one of NYC’s dancing queen and host the 3 time Glam Award winning Drag Brunch amongst other weekly shows. She is tiny but packs a huge personality and high-energy numbers. Hibiscus is a former Miss Stonewall, a US Army veteran, and a charitable queen for the LGBTQ+ community.

Felicia Oh

Felicia Oh is a Brooklyn-based, first-gen Taiwanese American immigrant who grew up in the Bay Area. Always serving you the full frontal fellatio fantasy, Felicia is passionate about creating safe spaces and events that center queer AAPI experiences. She is not your model minority – she’s just a model.

Shia Ho

Shia Ho is a Japanese-American drag queen based in Ridgewood, Queens. In recent years, she’s made a name for herself by producing dynamic shows and parties across both New York City and Los Angeles. Driven by the lack of AAPI representation in nightlife, Shia is committed to spotlighting queer Asian talent and culture through her events.

Hannah Monina

Taiwanese performance artist, drag queen, and cultural shapeshifter from The House of Wind and Taiwan drag queen(brand). A self-proclaimed “art laborer,” her work spans theater, visual art, queer cabaret, and chaotic nightlife. Blending intimacy, desire, and satire, Hannah uses her own body to explore queer identity and the politics of being seen. She holds an MA in Performance Making from Goldsmiths, University of London, and has performed across theaters, clubs, and art spaces in Taipei. With rhinestones and rawness, she performs from a place where gender dissolves and spectacle becomes resistance.

Dancers

Fiona Tsang

Brooklyn native. She is an Asian-American dancer, choreographer, educator, and the author of Mama Vo’s Bánh Xèo. With her dance background in waacking, hip hop, house, heels, ballet, and modern, she has developed a strong passion for performing and creating. She has danced for Bad Bunny, Ayra Starr, AP Dhillon, and A-Boogie. Fiona has worked with top choreographers such as Princess Lockerooo, Robert Taylor Jr., Charles Smith, Daniel Gold, J CHEN PROJECT, Doug Varone, and more. She recently assisted Jermaine Browne at ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna, Austria. Fiona’s choreographic work has been showcased in Sybarite: Love is Love, ClubNYC, 2019 DanceNYC Symposium, CrossCurrent Contemporary Dance Festival, Versatility Dance Festival, and We Belong Here: AAPI Festival. She is excited to share the stage with her fellow Asian creatives.

Jeffrey Pelayo

A self-made creative director working across dance, fashion, film, and theatre. He graduated from Fordham University with a major in Film & TV and a minor in Fashion Studies. Passionate about creating productions both on stage and on camera, his work centers on performance and visual art. Jeffrey currently teaches commercial hip hop and street jazz in New York, runs his own fashion brand, and coaches multiple artists in movement direction. His credits include national tours with INJI and Madelline, backup dancing for Marina Summers, and creative direction/social media work for Celine Boom. Jeffrey is thrilled to be part of this Asian/queer community and to help bring a powerful performance to life with the iconic Nymphia Wind.

Klint Dimpas

Dancer, was born and raised in Cebu, Philippines and is now a New York City darling. At a young age, he began performing cultural and traditional dances which inspired him to want to explore different styles of dance. In NYC, he has professionally and independently trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Peridance. Dancing in heels, Hip-Hop and Street Jazz are the main focuses of his training. Aside from dancing for local drag queens, he has also been performing in drag and truly enjoys performing for and being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Currently he is dancing for the season 26 winner of The Voice, Sofronio Vasquez, for his current tour. Living in New York has given him so many great opportunities to pursue his passion of dance. He is very grateful for Nymphia Wind and her team for allowing him to be a part of this prideful and extraordinary show. Klint would like to thank and dedicate his performance to his family and his partner, Dan, for the constant love and support.

Rio Kikuchi

Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Rio began her ballet training at Studio Venus in Japan and later studied tap and jazz. In 2017, she moved to New York, received a scholarship to study at The Ailey School (2017–2019). She attended the summer intensive at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., and received a scholarship to the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Summer Program in 2019. Rio has worked with artists including Ronni Favors, Peiju Chien-Pott, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Jacek Luminski, and Benjamin Briones. She has been a member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company since 2020 and is a certified GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC® instructor.

Choreographers

Chieh Hsiung

NYC-based dancer, choreographer, and educator. Her work showcases a diverse range of skills and training, collaborating with visual artists and musicians to create engaging experiences. Chieh has showcased her choreography extensively across NYC and achieved recognition, including winning the Breaking Glass Project 2015. She also served as the choreographer for the Netflix fantasy-comedy drama “The Magician on the Skywalk,” which won at the 2022 Golden Bell Awards. Chieh graduated from the National Taiwan University of Physical Education and Sports with a major in Modern Dance/Choreography and a minor in Ballet, Folk Dance, Ballroom Dance, and Street dance.

Mark Nuñez

Queer Filipinx-American, NYC-based Choreographer, Dancer, and Movement Director. Professionally, Marc has danced for Rihanna, Todrick Hall, Donald McKayle's Etude Ensemble, Mike Esperanza's BARE Dance Company, Entity Contemporary Dance, and played roles in musicals including Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan (international tour), Disney's Newsies, and Cabaret. Marc has choreographed Nymphia Wind’s Cultural Olympiad in Paris 2024, Lysistrata Jones (Marymount Manhattan College), The Wizard of Oz (Media Theatre), 2019 New York Fashion Week and more. Marc is founder and director of Gotham Dance Theater (est. 2015), adjunct faculty at Marymount Manhattan College, and a popular dance and fitness instructor at Mark Morris Dance Center, Crunch Fitness, and other studios throughout New York City. Marc attended the University of California, Irvine (Dance Performance BFA, Excellence in Choreography), is a member of Actors Equity, and represented by CESD Talent Agency.

Spencer Clark

Choreographer and director based in Brooklyn. As a choreographer and director, his work includes music videos, fashion campaigns, commercials, and live performance. As a dancer, he’s performed on Broadway in Cats, Frozen, and Paramour, and appeared in film and television. He holds a BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University.

Moments from Town Hall History

1967: Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest

In 1967 Flawless Sabrina (Jack Doroshaw), produced and hosted a legendary drag pageant. Performers gathered at the Town Hall to compete in the Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest. The event was sponsored by George Raft, Huntington Hartford (the Woolworth heir) and Edie Sedgwick. In the jury were songwriter Jerry Leiber and writers Terry Southern and George Plimpton. Andy Warhol was also a guest jury member.

The Queen, Frank Simon’s 1968 film, documented the experiences of the drag queens organizing and participating in the contest. It was screened at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival and is still regarded as a landmark of queer culture-- essential viewing in the drag film canon.

Though not the winner, contestant Crystal LeBeija’s participation and subsequent founding of the House of LaBeija had a lasting impact on drag culture and the ballroom scene. She served as mother to Pepper LaBeija and countless other pioneers of vogueing.

EPISODE 1 Listen Now! Lin-Manuel Miranda

Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Town Hall’s Education Outreach Program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. We would like to thank the following foundations, corporations, and government institutions for their support.

American Portfolios

Axe-Houghton Foundation

Bank of America

Charles D. Fleischman Charitable Trust

Consolidated Edison Company of New York

Edythe Kenner Foundation

Gund Investment Corporation

Howard Gilman Foundation

The Hyde & Watson Foundation

The IV Fund

National Endowment for the Arts

New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

New York State Council on the Arts

New York State Senator Liz Krueger

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

New York City Mayor Eric L. Adams

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine

New York City Council Member Keith Powers

New York City Council Member Gale Brewer

New York City Council Member Julie Menin

New York City Council Member Sandy Nurse

New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam

New York City Council Member Kalman Yeger

NYC Dept. Cultural Affairs Commissioner

Laurie Cumbo

New York University

Rea Charitable Trust

The Shubert Foundation

Tandon Family Foundation

Ticketmaster

Our Sincere Thanks to All of Our Current Members for Their Generous Ongoing Support of Town Hall.

The Town Hall’s mission is to provide affordable world-class entertainment by new and established artists to a diverse audience; to inspire the youth of our community to appreciate and participate in the arts at The Town Hall and in schools through our Education Outreach Program; and to preserve and enhance The Town Hall as a historic landmark venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come.

The Town Hall Staff Board of Trustees

PRESIDENT

Nevin Steinberg

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Susan Zohn

VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL COUNSEL

Ellen Miller-Wachtel

VICE PRESIDENT

Rita Robbins

TREASURER

Joan Rall

SECRETARY

Timothy Stambaugh

PRESIDENT EMERITUS

Tom Wirtshafter

Marvin Leffler

TRUSTEES

Anne Frank-Shapiro

Madhu Goel Southworth

Gita Gupte

John A. Jenkins

Benjamin Lewis

Thomas Mellins

Natalie Moreno Wexler

James Shackelford

LIFE TRUSTEES

Phyllis Putter Barasch

Mary Dettling-Wright

Bruce S. Leffler

BENEFIT COMMITTEE

Gita Gupte, Chair

John Jenkins

Thomas Mellins

Natalie Moreno-Wexler

James Shackelford

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Kathleen Rosenberg, Chair

Nancy Berman

Sandy Horowitz

Elizabeth Iannizzi

Candace Leeds

Zita Rosenthal

Rhoda Rothkopf

ARTS IN EDUCATION

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Michael Fram, Co-Chair

Dr. Eloise Messineo, Co-Chair

Barbara Murray

Dr. Pola Rosen

George Young

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Matt Goldman

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Melay Araya

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Donna Banks, PhD

DIRECTOR OF BOOKING & EVENTS

Paul Cameron Hardy

HOUSE MANAGER

Johnny Lee Green

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS

Abe Hirsch

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS

Laura Camien

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS

Helen Morris

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Taione Martinez

BOX OFFICE MANAGER

Angel Rodriguez

CHIEF ENGINEER

Steve Franqui

ASSOCIATE MARKETING DIRECTOR

Alex Koveos

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Ebony Vines

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING

Rinesty Rusli

BOOKING AND EVENTS ASSOCIATE

Olivia Magill

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Bill Dehling

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Brooke Ferris

EDUCATION PROGRAMS LIAISON

Ifẹmi Quiñones

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Britni Montalbano

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT

Katherine DeFoyd, Growth for Good

PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

WARNING

The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theater without the written permission of the management is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for monetary damages.

FIRE NOTICE

The exit indicated by a red light and sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest route to the street. In the event of fire or other emergency please do not run, WALK TO THAT EXIT.

Thoughtless persons annoy patrons and endanger the safety of others by lighting matches or smoking in prohibited areas during the performances and intermissions. This violates a city ordinance and is punishable by law.

-FIRE COMMISSIONER

Directory of Theater Services

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: 212.997.1003

Mon-Fri 9:30am to 5pm, for rental & membership info

BOX OFFICE: 212.840.2824 Mon-Sat 12 noon to 6pm. 24/7

Cell phones should be silenced prior to the performance as a courtesy to the performers and audience.

Leia-lee Doran THETOWNHALL.ORG @TOWNHALLNYC