On Tuesday night, I went to the Adele concert in New York City at Madison Square Garden, dressed as Adele. I mean, why not? I was one of the lucky ones who did the fan club pre-sale back in December and lucked out with 3rd row tickets. And, I have done an Adele impersonation in my act many times. So, I felt it was fate knocking on my door. I wasn’t going to let the chance pass and miss a weird once-in-a-lifetime moment to have her see me. But, it went further than I ever thought or imagined and Adele pulled me up on stage.

I should say, I knew Adele had a fondness for queens. After all, at two previous concerts, she brought two different queens, Kristie Champagne of Seattle and Delta Work of Los Angeles, up on stage. So, I was hoping it would happen to me. I was praying it would. And then it did.

I was ready. I was walking confidently to the stage. This was a dream actually coming true. It was happening. I was in complete control. And then I turned to walk up the steps and I saw Adele at the top of the steps. I don’t know who I was expecting. Cher? NO. This was my queen, Adele. I suddenly lost all sense of what I wanted to say. SHE was standing right there, at the top of the stairs, waiting for ME. In front of a sold out crowd. At Madison Square Garden.

Here are things I remember saying:

1. “Oh my god, you smell so good!”
2. “I love you.”
3. “I LOVE YOU!”
4. “Ohhhh my god…”
5. “I…love…you…”

I know I said a few other things, but I haven’t watched the videos floating around. Yet.

God. It was happening.

If I had to go back and do it again, here is what I WOULD have liked to have like to have said.

1. THANK YOU. Thank you for getting me and millions of others through break-ups, loses, and grief. I have been on the Adele bandwagon since 2008. I remember I heard “Chasing Pavements” first. And I heard it at I time when I was losing all focus and hope in this crazy world of drag. It somehow reinvigorated me. And then, I experienced my first real heartbreak in 2012. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I always loved a power ballad. But I had never experienced that loss or that kind of pain first hand – the kind of pain where you are just so unsure if you can go on. The kind of pain where you stop eating and just sink into yourself. You get it – depressing nasty breakup. And I heard Adele and 21 in a new way. “One and Only”  “Take It All” and “Someone Like You” were on repeat. But, I understood it. Finally. And it was therapy. So…I wish I would have said THANK YOU.
2. THANK YOU – Thank you for standing beside and behind LGBT people and celebrating and cherishing us. Thank you for loving queens. Thank you for being so authentically yourself and pushing us all to be who we are. So, again, I wish I would have said THANK YOU.
3. My last name. She asked, “what’s your name?” And I said “Nina”. True. But damn. Nina West would have been better. Then she could have fallen even more in love with me and we could be besties.:)
4. I would have loved for a little lip sync fun with her, you know…she sings live and I stand there and lip sync her singing. That would have been hysterical. And amazing. And epic.
5. “Come to my wedding!” Why I would have said this? I don’t know. I am single as they come, but that way I could get the invite in early and she could clear her schedule for that special day. I had better find the man, I guess.

Truthfully, it was perfect. I mean, I am really, supremely lucky. And I will never forget that night and how incredibly wonderful and generous she was to me and my friend John. And Adele, if you are reading this, let me know if you wanna grab a nosh and do our own lip sync battle. And then, hopefully, I could say thank you.