Friday, May 31, 2024, 7-11 pm (8 pm showtime)
Coney Island USA Sideshows by the Seashore Theater (1208 Surf Ave, Brooklyn)
Tickets: $30 General/$25 City Reliquary members. Buy Now!
The City Reliquary will present the 2024 Miss Subways spectacle on Friday, May 31. 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, $25 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 2024. (Photo credit: Matt Josephson @matty2jay)
This year’s event will also celebrate the 120th birthday of the New York City subway system!
The winner will be crowned by Miss Subways 2023, Harmony Hardcore (shown here at the 2023 Brooklyn Public Library’s People’s Ball!) (Photo credit: Scott Lynch @scoboco)
The 2024 Miss Subways Contestants
- Christine Stoddard (she/her), writer, artist, filmmaker, and one of Brooklyn Magazine’s 50 Most Fascinating People in 2023. Representing the C train.
- Sally Ann Hall (she/her), award-winning standup comedian and cabaret singer. Representing the M.
- Julia Schemmer (she/her), puppeteer and producer/production assistant. Credits include Broadway, television, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Representing the J train.
- Dani Riedel, author, cosplayer, comedian, and cosplaying comedian representing the A/C/E.
- Kandi Spindler (she/her), femme lesbian public defender who moonlights as an artist. Representing the 2.
- MeanLadyTiff (she/her), business socialite representing the R train.
- Kate Zibluk (she/they), bird, person, performer, and aspiring Funeral Director. Representing the M.
- Queerly Femmetastic (she/her/ma’am), Brooklyn-bred bombshell inspired by Black shake-dancers, strippers, and hoochie-coochie girls across generations. Representing the A train.
The Master of Ceremonies
Presiding over this year’s subway-themed shenanigans is performer and director Tom Meglio. Tom is the co-writer and host of the musical-sketch-comedy show Ze Follies Dorée!, which recently completed its residency at The Brooklyn Comedy Collective. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, 54 Below, Theatre 555, and the Laurie Beechman Theatre. His most recent project as a director, Little Miss Ransom by Julia Randall, just completed a sold-out run and extension at Adult Film theater in Bushwick. @tommeglio @zefolliesdoree
The Celebrity Judges
This year’s Miss Subways judges come from the worlds of performance, comedy, advocacy, journalism, and local politics. They’re the artists who help make and keep NYC a cultural hotspot, our local elected officials and transit activists who fight for a fairer system, and the voice of our daily commute.
Aurora North, Miss Coney Island 2024
Aurora North is a Circus/Sideshow Performer and Miss Coney Island 2024. Major performance highlights include the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, Jazz at Lincoln Center, PULP at Radio City Music Hall, and Michael Clark’s residency at Whitney Museum of American Art. Together with her wife as The Brides, she is regularly produced at The Box NYC, House of YES, and Coney Island USA. The two own BODYHOO Studios, a Pilates and Yoga studio in Ridgewood, and co-direct Kinetic Cabaret Productions. @aurora_north
Bernie Wagenblast, Transportation Icon
Please stand away from the platform edge! Bernie Wagenblast’s iconic voiceover work for the Department of Transportation and Port Authority has been part of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers’ daily commute for years. Bernie transitioned in January 2023, and her story has since been featured in several media outlets. She now edits several transportation e-publications and hosts podcasts for Transportation Radio and Cranford Radio. @cranford_radio
Derrick Holmes, Riders Alliance
Derrick Holmes is the Digital Strategist for Riders Alliance, a nonprofit organization that fights for reliable, affordable, world-class public transit to build a more just and sustainable New York. Derrick aims to help improve access to mobility and opportunity for millions of New Yorkers and ensure that New York continues to set the most progressive example for transit agencies around the country and the world. @ridersalliance (IG/FB), @helplessdelta (X)
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
Emily Gallagher, NYS Assemblyperson
Emily Gallagher represents District 50 (Greenpoint and Williamsburg) in the New York State Assembly. A self-described socialist who previously served on Brooklyn Community Board 1, Emily was elected in 2020 on a platform of environmental sustainability, housing justice, and transit improvement. Since taking office, Emily has fought to address New York’s deep inequality and dire housing crisis while accelerating the state’s transition to renewable energy. As a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, Emily is a leader on local and statewide initiatives to make streets safer for all users of the road. @emilyassembly
Don’t miss the crowning of this year’s metro monarch! See you at the seashore!