Dragapalooza – Our Biggest Year Yet!
Dragapalooza – Our Biggest Year Yet!
May 15th, 2013 by Nina with No Comments
Saturday night of Pride just got bigger!
CRYSTAL WATERS!
ROXXXY ANDREWS!
PENNY TRATION!
Hosted by Nina West & Virginia West
with Alexis Stevens, Anisa Love, Freesia Balls, Fancy Punasti, Akasha O’Hara Lords, Amaya Sexton, Cool Ethan, Pretty Punasti, Bianca Debonair, Chutney Sinclair, Kiley Dash-West, Selena T. West, Mathilda Longfellow, Vivian Von Brokenhymen, Cookie Crumbles, and introducing Plenty O’Smiles.
Nina’s Official Pride Kick-Off Show
May 15th, 2013 by Nina with No Comments
Can you believe Pride is almost here? My, how time flies. One of my very favorite Pride events, that has become known as the local bang to kick off our fabulous pride weekend in Columbus is the my Pride Kick-Off Show at Axis!
This year, the girls are more excited than ever to douse you in rainbows and glitter and the festive love of Pride!
Tables are on sale now!
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3592384
CBUS Gives Back
April 26th, 2013 by Nina with No Comments
I can’t believe the experience that was NINA DOES CBUS. Truly, one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences I have had and I loved every second of it. The cast, crew, and crowds were some of the best ever.
Since 2003, when I did my first show, Nina Network News, the charity component has been one of the most important pieces of my shows. This component has come in many forms, from the XXXposed Strip Benefit to the closing number and it’s tips being dedicated to an organization. These shows have raised considerable funds for Columbus AIDS Task Force and now AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Project: Zero Ohio, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, Project Open Hand, Camp Sunrise, The Trevor Project, Broadway Cares:Equity Fights AIDS, The Columbus Stompers, The Human Rights Campaign, Stonewall Columbus, CLGSA, Freedom To Marry Ohio, among many others. Your countless hard-earned dollars have been crumpled, balled up, and thrown on the stage for amazing causes and charity. You sit there and laugh and drink long after the show is over to help us reach a goal of being able to make a difference. It is one of those things that make this city I proudly call home absolutely amazing.
With NINA DOES CBUS, I worked with so many different people and organizations who all were connected, in some fashion or another, to charity and this city. In the vision of the show, to really celebrate Columbus and finish this love letter, I wanted the organizations to represent some of the great things about this unique city and the people who said “YES!” to working with a 6’7″ drag queen and not batting a lash. To honor these individuals, an organization was chosen and a donation will be made to an organization on their behalf.
Jeni Britton Bauer, Local Matters, http://www.local-matters.org/
Elizabeth Lessner, Project: Zero Ohio, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Zero-Ohio/194772307241509
Lesley James, CD102.5 For the Kids, http://cd1025.com/about/in-the-community/cd1025-for-the-kids
Joel Diaz, ARC-Ohio, http://www.arcohio.org/
Joshua Snyder Hill & Stephen Snyder Hill, Freedom To Marry Ohio, http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/entry/c/ohio
Gabrielle Burton, Kings, Queens & In Betweens Kickstarter, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/981223409/kings-queens-and-in-betweens-a-documentary-on-drag?ref=live
Karla Rothan, Stonewall Columbus, http://www.stonewallcolumbus.org/
The staff and board of COSI, COSI, http://www.cosi.org/
I am proud to announce the cast of NINA DOES CBUS, with the help of this incredible community, has raised over $6,000 for local charities.
Thank you to everyone who came out to this show, supported the love of this city and the entertainers that call it home. Thank you to everyone who pulled out $1′s, $5′s, $10′s, $20′s, wrote personal checks, and gave their money to these organizations. We are a better community because of you. THANK YOU.
February is gonna ROCK!
January 31st, 2013 by Nina with No Comments
And this is just a sampling of all the fun in store!
Million Dollar Quartet Showtunes! Feb 3!
The rock sensation concludes with 5 shows! February 7-10! Only at Axis Nightclub!
Fat Tuesday! Feb 12!
AND MORE COMING?!?!?!
I love my job.
Heels of Horror V: Nina’s Haunted Playhouse
September 14th, 2012 by Nina with No Comments
It’s coming.
The Hungry Games
August 24th, 2012 by Nina with No Comments
Playing all weekend long! Join us for a fabulously fun evening with some of your favorite girls!
TONIGHT!
July 12th, 2012 by Nina with No Comments
This Legendary Long Island Show features Alexis Stevens, Freesia Balls, and Leena De La Valentine! Hosted by Nina West!
Where in the World is Nina West?
June 8th, 2012 by Nina with No Comments
My Pride schedule this year is everywhere YOU want to be!
TUESDAY, JUNE 12
Come to Camelot Cellars Winery on June 12th from 7-9pm and have none other than ME, as your bartender. I will pour your glass of locally crafted vino for you and enjoy your company.
There will be $1 off selected glasses of wines and $2 off all flights. A portion of the Wine Bar sales for this event will go to my selected charity, Project Zero: Ohio, which raises funds for HIV/AIDS research here in Central Ohio. Also, for every bottle of our Limited Edition or Specialty Wines purchased that evening, Camelot Cellars will donate $1 to the charity. Come to Camelot Cellars Winery for the start of Pride Week to enjoy some wine and support Project Zero: Ohio.
Following this event, I will be heading down to Union Cafe for Nina’s Pre-Pre Pride Party at Union Cafe! 10 pm! And it is Tequila Tuesday!! 
Wednesday, June 13
I will be joining the Pre-Pride celebration with Virginia West at Virginia’s Top Shelf Wednesday! This cast is fantastic and features special guest INDIA FERRAH, from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3, as well as some of your favorite entertainers!
THURSDAY, JUNE 14
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for this event. It really is one of my favorite shows to do every year, and this year, i have really tried to bring you some of the best in female illusion and impersonation. Make sure to get your tables early as they always sell out! The cast for the Pride Kick Off Show this year is stellar, featuring Virginia West, Maria Garrison, The Royal Renegades, Freesia Balls, Candi Panties, Kari Kerning, Stefanie Sexton, a cameo by Kiley Dash and more!
FRIDAY, June 15
Such a hot night is planned for YOU! First, we have the Diesel Underwear Fashion Show, featuring the very hot and sexy Rod Daley. I will be hosting outside with Rod and an amazing Torso Fashion Show, and then we will head inside and join Virginia West, Anisa Love, Maria Garrison for the Axis Lounge All Male Review happening all night!
SATURDAY, June 16
After the Pride Parade and Festival, make sure you get some rest in because we are gonna party all night long! UNITY BALL and DRAGAPALOOZA are the biggest Pride parties in the city! First, join me and Virginia West outside for the largest drag event in the midwest, and starring PHI PHI O’HARA from RuPaul’s Drag Race 4 and LATRICE ROYALE from RuPaul’s Drag Race 4! The event will also feature India Ferrah, RuPaul Drag Race 3 star, Nova Star, former Miss Gay United States At Large, Toledo’s own Deja Delaterro, as well as many of your local favorites including Anisa Love, Alexis Stevens, Maria Garrison, Freesia Balls, Kari Kerning, Candi Panties, Samantha Rollins, Paige Passion, Vivi Velure, Barbie Roberts, Sandy Von Lipshitz, Vivian Von Brokenhymen, Cassandra Terrace, Akasha O’Hara Lords, Kiley Dash, Sonya Ross, Selena Terrace-West, Drew Terrace, Stella Boheme, Mathilda Longfellow, Britney Blaire, Mikaila Denise! And if that isn’t enough, come inside for the hottest dancing at UNITY BALL 2012, with an all-male review downstairs in the lounge hosted by Virginia West, Anisa Love, and Alexis Stevens, and a fabulous drag review in the cabaret hosted by me and featuring Phi Phi O’Hara, India Ferrah, Deja Dellaterro, Nova Starr, and Maria Garrison and more!
SUNDAY, June 17th
Just when you thought the weekend was over, it is time to come out for that game of games BAT N ROUGE 2012! Where else will you see a bunch of drag queens play softball? This year, the event is hosted by myself, Virginia West, and special guest Latrice Royale!
I hope you make it out to one or many of my appearances, but more importantly, i hope you have an amazing Pride 2012!
Bat N Rouge All Star Show 2012
May 2nd, 2012 by Nina with No Comments
We will be making a big announcement about Bat N Rouge next week at the bat N Rouge All Star Show! Friday, May 11, at Axis Nightclub!
That’s What – ‘He Said’
April 25th, 2012 by Nina with 1 Comment
This is blog entry #301. It is almost like an advanced Literature Class in college. Almost.
Two weekends ago, several of us shared this amazing moment where it all seemed to come together. Over the last year, a variety of us have been part of an amazing piece of film history, working on a documentary with Five Sisters Productions, roughly called Kings, Queen, and In-Betweens, that has a variety of through lines and subject matter within it, but has primarily been about 6 entertainers in Columbus. Sure, the film has political, social, and gender identity commentary, but what the film really seems to capture (or so I hope) is the willingness of these enterainers to want to work together on making our community a better place. I am proud to be one of those 6. Honored really.
I don’t want to lose sight of what I want to write about – the amazing experience that was HE SAID/SHE SAID.
We have been flirting with the idea of doing a show together for years. A lot of back and forth and conversations, sometimes whispers, to make sure that we could find any way to do a show together. I don’t think it is any secret that the Columbus community loves their kings and queens, but the audience has not had the chance to love them TOGETHER like this show.
Why now? I am not sure. I think there is a great respect from both parties for one another. Personally, we all have known each other for years and just never had the chance to work together. And with the documentary connecting us now for…well..forever…it seems right. We have been filming for over a year. And Gabrielle (our director and friend) was coming close to wanting to finish shooting. We had one show and one interview segment left to film collectively and it all just made sense to do it TOGETHER. It really just seemd like the perfect storm for a joint show.
I just want to thank this amazing troupe for holding us all to it and making this show happen. It honestly would not have happened without the drive of Cool Ethan and The Reverend Roy Rogers and their vision for a truly theatrical and hilarious collaboration. And if I can share anything with my readers, these kings are the real deal. They are hardcore and work so diligently to make sure that the audience is having fun. They are artists. They have a vision. They love the craft. They are sincerely our brothers in all of this.
I know this may seem a bit rambling, but I had the best time being part of this show. And when I got to thinking, i realized that there is so much to be learned from this moment that we shared. I think so many people thought it wouldn’t work. I think the thought was that lesbians and gay men are, at their core, so different in their asthetics, that that would actually transfer to the stage and the show and put up walls between the kings and queens. I know I had heard that from people before. “I don’t like kings because…” or “I hate queens because…” and either of those statements would settle back into something that would be offensive at deeper thought — maybe based on gender or sexual identity.
Well, we proved them wrong. Isn’t it about the show? Ultimately? I mean, when push comes to shove, you have to jump on that stage and entertain. And that is the main similarity. Renegades, Wests, and beyond – we want to make that stage our bitch. And in the process make our audiences laugh, cheer, and jump out of their seats for moments of happiness. We want to give them moments away from the serious things outside those bar doors. We want to help people forget about that awful day at the office, that fight with the boyfriend or girlfriend, the pressures of coming up with rent or mortgage payments – we want to provide an escape from reality. Because we are not reality.
People have to remember that. We are not reality. And that was one of those lessons I was reminded of – and that lesson is essential. Thank you, Renegades for giving us all something to hope for – a community that can come together and celebrate each other. I know we will be celebrating more together soon.
