Drag Shows at Plaza: Good Campy Fun

Don’t want to wait for the Material Girl’s Postpartum Tour? Missed out on the Selena phenomenon entirely?

Well, the Plaza in Hollywood gives you a chance to sample the talents of such female pop stars nightly--in drag incarnations, that is.

The gay Latino transvestite club offers two passionate female-impersonator shows nightly. Talk about your niche marketing. The funny thing is, the Plaza has been there all along. The popular, small club--a dive by most nightclub standards--is located on an active stretch of La Brea Avenue, just next-door to Pink’s, the famous late-night hot dog stand.

The performances are campy for sure, but heartfelt, and the audience seems to come to the Plaza to share in the experience--a departure from the usual Hollywood club attitude, where too-hip crowds observe live performances with passive detachment.

The midnight show is particularly rambunctious (neighborhood complaints abound about the volume inside and outside of the club). Although the Plaza is a gay club, the weekend doorman assures newcomers that “straight” guests are welcome too. Between shows, you might even have the chance to do the Macarena with Gloria Estefan, or a reasonable facsimile anyway.

* The Plaza, 739 N. La Brea Ave., Hollywood. 21 and over, $5 cover. Shows nightly at 10:15 and midnight. (213) 939-0703.

The Buzz: In Viper Room news, if you missed the recent performance-art piece featuring a three-hour audience Q&A; between Hunter S. Thompson and Viper owner Johnny Depp, perhaps you’ll get your fix-o-cool by trying to make it into Sheryl Crow’s unannounced show on Friday. And if you miss out on Crow, there’s always the Viper’s new Tuesday night club, Lethal Groove Injection, featuring an excellent mix of hip-hop and funk.

* Viper Room, 8852 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-1881.