SUNBURY -- Despite the inherent gaudiness and spectacle of a drag show, previous winners of the Miss Gay Northeast Pennsylvania American pageant say the competition is no joke.

The pageant starts with the male interview. Contestants come out completely sans drag -- no makeup, no jewelry, no dress -- in a business suit and sit down for a formal interview, almost as though they were applying for a job, with questions aimed more at personality than experience.

The idea, said 2008 pageant winner Guadalupe del Fuego, is to appear "as masculine as you can."

The interview is not open to public and is only for the judges.

"After that, it is complete drag," said del Fuego.

Next comes the solo talent portion of the competition, in which contestants have to entertain the audience without the aid of props or lighting.

That's followed by the evening gown competition. As part of the evening gown competition, contestants are also asked a series of onstage questions, ranging from humorous -- "If you were a hoagie, what kind of hoagie would you be?" -- to serious, such as, "What are your feelings on gay marriage or gay adoption?"

"(The judges) want to see you communicate," said 2007 pageant winner Tequila Daniels.

"And you have to be very poised with your answer," said del Fuego. "You can't throw vulgarities out there."

The final, and most important, round of the competition is talent. Unlike the solo talent portion of the pageant, participants get to use props, lighting, backup dancers, whatever they need.

"It's like a mini-Broadway production number," said del Fuego, who did a number from the musical "Chicago" to win last year. "That's literally what makes or breaks someone's pageant."

In between each round, past winners and other stars of the drag circuit will entertain the audience.

This year's pageant is sponsored by RK Stained Glass, Countryside Inn, Thomas S. Cook Esquire and R&C Sinko Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning.

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