Friday, July 18, 7-11 pm (8 pm showtime)
Coney Island USA Sideshows by the Seashore Theater (1208 Surf Ave, Brooklyn)
Tickets: $30 General/$10 City Reliquary members. Buy Now!
The City Reliquary will present the 2024 Miss Subways spectacle on Friday, July 18. We’re once again working with our friends at Coney Island USA, NYC’s historic nexus of the weird and whimsical. Join us at the Sideshows by the Seashore Theater (1208 Surf Avenue). Tickets are on sale now! ($30 general, $10 for City Reliquary members).
A diverse lineup of contestants will represent their subway line of choice for a panel of local celebrity judges in Costume, Talent, and Interview categories.
The winner will receive the transit tiara, the subway sash, and the title of Miss Subways 2025. (Photo credit: Kevin Jackson @actionjackson_tm_)
The winner will be crowned by Miss Subways 2024, Brooklyn bombshell Queerly Femmetastic! (Photo credit: Kevin Jackson @actionjackson_tm_)
The 2025 Miss Subways Contestants
- Izzy B (she/her), transit justice advocate and performer. Representing the 1 train.
- Teresa Hui (she/her), actor, opera singer, and marathoner. Credits include the Apollo Theater, the Brooklyn Cyclones, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Representing the B/Q.
- Fortissima of the F Train (she/her), operatic mermaid, community builder, and professional sparkle distributor. Representing the F train.
- Pete Zaparty (they/he), artist and Irish dancer. Recently awarded “Best Plumage” in the Pigeon Impersonation Pageant on the High Line. Representing the L/M.
- Sally Ann Hall (she/her), award-winning standup comedian and cabaret singer. Representing the J.
- Amazing Amy (she/her), senior yoga practitioner and contortionist who spreads the yoga love. Representing multiple lines.
- Bimini Cricket (she/her), comedic burlesque performer from the land down under. Representing the B train.
- Emily Hupp (she/her), history buff and style icon, frequent participant in the Easter Bonnet Parade. Representing the 42nd Street Shuttle.
The Master of Ceremonies
Presiding over this year’s subway-themed extravaganza is performer and director Tom Meglio. Tom is the co-writer and host of the musical-sketch-comedy show Ze Follies Dorée!, which just completed a sold out run Off-Broadway at the AMT Theatre on 45th Street. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, 54 Below, The Slipper Room, and the Laurie Beechman Theatre. As a director Tom has staged productions at Adult Film Theatre Company, and The Brooklyn Centre for Theatre Research. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Director for Dilaria, by Julia Randall, currently running Off-Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre. @tommeglio @zefolliesdoree
The Celebrity Judges
This year’s Miss Subways judges come from the worlds of performance, comedy, and journalism. They’re artists who help make and keep NYC a cultural hotspot, advocates for the best of local culture, style icons, award winners, and the voice of our daily commute.
Brini Maxwell, domestic doyenne
Described as part Donna Reed, part Mary Tyler Moore, Maxwell makes kitsch feel classy through her unparalleled personal flair for home design, entertaining and savvy household tips. She began sharing her domestic know-how on her eponymous show on cable access and later moved to the Style network. Her love of 20th century culture and design means she’s tickled pink to be a judge for the Miss Subways Contest. She’s currently producing content for YouTube and acting as a muse for the art of her creator, Ben Sander.
Charlie Pellett, voice of the New York City Subway
Charlie is a veteran news anchor and reporter for Bloomberg Radio. Most importantly, as one of the designated official voices of the New York City subway system, Charlie Pellett asks riders to “Stand clear of the closing doors, please!” Before joining Bloomberg in 1992, Pellett spent a decade at 1010 WINS in New York City. He also worked as a news writer for CNN, as a disc jockey in Northampton, MA, and co-hosted a Friday night call-in show with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
Ella Louise Smith, “Miz E with a Z”
Co-Producer, Powell Leonard’s “The Kong Show” & Powella Production’s “We Make Events!” Ella Louise is an actress and performer. She appears as Miz E with a Z (and as her own twin sister) on Powell Leonard’s web series, “The Kong Show on TV,” filmed in Astoria, Queens. She is currently promoting an upcoming filmmaking workshop with independent filmmaker Keith Powell of Urban Artistic Films at Dave Silverberg’s film, photography and event studio, 3636 Studio, in the Kaufman Arts District, Long Island City, Queens. Ella was awarded Miss Congeniality at the Miss Subways 2023 event. She is thrilled to be a judge for the Miss Subways 2025 contest. Follow Ella Smith on Instagram at Miz_E_with_a_Z
Lisa Levy, Miss Subways 2017
Lisa Levy is a comedian, conceptual artist, and Miss Subways 2017 (the first postmenopausal Miss Subways!). Her performance work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times and The London Times. Her visual art has been exhibited at The New Museum, The Bronx Museum, SPRING/BREAK Art Fair, The Pulse Art Fair, and The Brooklyn Academy of Music. She hosts a weekly show on Radio Free Brooklyn, Dr. Lisa Gives a Sh*t, where she conducts funny, emotionally revealing “psychotherapy sessions” with a range of creative guests. @misssubways2017 @drlisalevysp @lisalevyartwork
Don’t miss the crowning of this year’s metro monarch! See you at the seashore!
Tags: Events, Miss Subways