OCRegister.com – Frank Mickadeit – Register columnist
I learned something pretty surprising about myself Friday night: I’m far more comfortable dressing up like a woman and parading around on stage in front of hundreds of people than I am sitting in the audience and watching other men parade around stage in drag in front of hundreds of people.
I have no idea what this means and I’m kind of scared to find out. In any case, the occasion for this personal epiphany was the 22nd edition of “The Big Splash,” the Laguna Beach show put on in support of the AIDS Services Foundation. It started as skits acted out around a backyard swimming pool and has grown to full production with professional and amateur musicians, actors and dancers that plays over two nights on an outdoor stage on The Festival of the Arts grounds.
This year’s raised about a half-million to help HIV/AIDS sufferers with groceries, rent, utilities, counseling, transportation to treatment, whatever they need. The total raised over the years exceeds $8 million.