Gwyneth Paltrow has been popping up in unexpected places this year. She was in court in March, dressed impeccably, and won $1 after being found not at fault for a ski crash. She was on a cruise ship. And on Friday evening at 3 Dollar Bill, a queer club in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, she was onstage.
Well, not in the flesh, but her persona was present as a handful of drag queens put on their best performances in honor of Ms. Paltrow, the actress and founder of the lifestyle brand Goop. They recreated her roles including from the 2003 film “Sylvia,” in which she starred as the poet; the television show “Glee,” in which she played a substitute teacher; and the 1995 movie “Seven,” in which she was the decapitated wife of a detective played by Brad Pitt.
Thorgy Thor, a drag performer who rose to fame on “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” and served as host for the evening, riled up the crowd by reading some of Ms. Paltrow’s more infamous quotes, like the time in 2011 when she said she would “rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can.” The crowd cheered. Scenes from Ms. Paltrow’s oeuvre played on a loop on screens throughout the bar and performance space.
The event was billed as a Goop-themed rave, and attendees were encouraged to dress in costume. Imitation, as the saying goes, being the sincerest form of you know what. Goop was “flattered to be part of the inspiration for the evening,” Noora Raj Brown, the company’s executive vice president of brand, wrote in an email when asked about the event. Ms. Paltrow was unavailable for comment, she added.
In between performances, partygoers and performers discussed their outfits, their favorite (and least favorite) of Ms. Paltrow’s performances and, of course, her company’s most infamous wares.
Rachel Lu
Public relations professional
Lives in: the Upper East Side of Manhattan
Who are you wearing tonight? I am wearing Ralph Lauren. “Ralph Lauren” in quotes, obviously. This is Gwyneth’s Oscar-winning dress. It caused a huge controversy in the moment that she wore it. Everyone was like, “I can’t believe you’re wearing this pink thing.” I love that it has its own Wikipedia page.
It does? It does, it does. Highly controversial.
Do you think Gwyneth Paltrow should have won that Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love”? Also highly controversial. No comment.
Cristina Miserendino
Customer service professional
Lives in: West Harlem, Manhattan
What inspired your costume? I did “The Royal Tenenbaums.” I like to cosplay so it was easy to be like, “Yo, let me get some things together.”
Did you own all of this already? Oh, God, no. I made this wooden finger prop out of meltable plastic. I molded it around my finger. I bought a fur coat vintage online. Faux fur.
Are you frequently melting down plastic to make strange objects? Yes, I did it with antlers last week for a “Yellowjackets” cosplay.
Thorgy Thor
Drag performer and classical musician
Lives in: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
You’re hosting the show tonight. What are your thoughts on the woman of the evening? She’s a cultural icon. As we were preparing for the show, you go to Google and there is not a photo of Gwyneth Paltrow where she is not smiling from ear to ear. I’m like, “You’re kind of gorgeous and amazing but also ridiculous.”
Lives in: Astoria, Queens
What are you wearing? I’m wearing a replica of Versace that Gwyneth wore in “Duets” when she sang “Bette Davis Eyes” for a karaoke competition.
Cait Ryan
Social media marketer and actor
Lives in: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
What brought you out tonight? I love drag and it’s Pride month. I love Pearl and Willow and Thorgy Thor. “Drag Race” and those specific queens got me through a really interesting time in my life. The good and the bad, I was living abroad, and I got into “Drag Race.” I just love seeing people express themselves.
Your outfit is kind of giving sentient disco ball. How would you describe it? I am dressed up as Gwyneth from “Glee” from that one part where she’s singing with Lea Michele and it’s a disco theme.
Lars Burnham
Cocktail server
Lives in: the West Village of Manhattan
Look at those eyes! Tell me about your makeup. We went for gooped. I was like, “What about slime? We love slime.”
We do love slime. I love how precisely you applied it. It’s like if Nickelodeon’s “Slimed” happened in a very curated way.
Chris Tuttle
Painter
Lives in: Chicago
What are you doing in town: I’m here assisting Willow Pill. Tonight I am helping her with her costume changes and I’m lighting a sparkler on her crotch onstage.
Describe your outfit: It’s just a little blazer, a little thong and a pair of thigh highs.
Lives in: Minneapolis, Minn.
You go onstage very soon! Tell me about this costume you’re constructing. A lot of labor and love and a lot of makeup. I’m doing “Seven,” so my girl’s going to be a severed head onstage. It’s going to be living. It’s going to be life. It’s going to be everything.
There’s somebody in the crowd who dressed as “Seven” with a box on her head, too. Shut up, I’ve got to make this right now. I couldn’t fit anything in my luggage so I asked my friend. I was like, “Hey, girl, can you give me a box,” and she was like, “For what?” and I was like, “None of your business.”
Lady Havokk
Drag queen and fashion designer
Lives in: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
What are your pronouns? I use any pronouns that are available and the pronoun “ew.”
Tell me a little bit about your outfit? I made my outfit. I went to fashion design school. I was inspired by Kylie Minogue’s disco album, so I wanted to do a very, like, ’70s, bell bottom pant with sequins. Which, by the way, are all hand sewn by me.
How many sequins? A thousand. I counted them. It took four weeks.
Conor Gallagher and Frederick Gallagher
Research analyst and recruitment advertising salesperson
Live in: Washington, D.C.
I see you’re wearing custom merch, some “court core,” if you will. Are you Gwyneth fans?
C.G.: I don’t know if I could say I’m a Gwyneth fan as much as I loved the trial. I’m here to reclaim my half a day of skiing.
F.G.: I just wish you well.
When did you make these?
C.G.: Tuesday. It’s iron-on letters with a blank tank top from Amazon.
Willow Pill
Drag performer
Lives in: Chicago
Did you have to do any Gwyneth Paltrow research for tonight? I’m mostly familiar with her as an anomaly and less as a celebrity. I wanted to do Goop, which I think most people know and have, at least, heard of some of these absurd products that they have.
What is the most absurd product? They have all sorts of crystals. I don’t know if they are scientist recommended, but they are making money off of them.
Have you bought any: Absolutely not, I would never waste my money. I’m making money off of this.
Tea Rose Pankey and Morgan Antisdel
Nanny and recent college graduate
Live in: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and St. Louis, Mo.
How do you two know each other?
M.A.: This is my sister. We’re siblings.
I love your looks. Where did you get them?
M.A.: All of our friends’ things!
T.R.P.: I wish I knew the names of the artists, but they’re all, like, small Brooklyn businesses. This skirt is from Crown Heights. This top is from a small business on Tompkins. I made this disco bra myself.
Pattaya Hart
Drag performer
Lives in: Washington Heights, Manhattan
What song did you just perform? That was the “Glee” version of “Forget You.” I was making this mix until 2 in the morning.
Did you watch “Glee” when it was on the air? I loved “Glee,” but I stopped watching it when the plot didn’t make sense. So I was like, “Wait, Gwyneth was on this show?”
Lives in: Sugar Hill, Manhattan
How did you decide what to wear tonight? I was really trying to channel white woman, to be honest. I’ve got my Birkenstocks. I went and got myself a blond wig.
This isn’t natural? Oh, you’re too kind. I’ve got gold jewelry. I’m just feeling the Gwyneth fantasy.
