Drag Series: Miss Vodka Singer, Cacophany Daniels and more

God bless 54 Below/Feinstein's for giving New York's drag performers the opportunity to move several rings up the ladder from Ninth Avenue's bar scene to one of the toniest nightclubs in town.

Granted, the shows start at 11:30 p.m. but considering any self-respecting NYC drag queen doesn't drag herself out of bed until mid-evening, this seems perfectly reasonable. On May 11, there will be don't-miss show of two truly talented performers, Joey Arias and Sherry Vine.

In late April, I braved the late-night subway to experience Miss Vodka Stinger, the drag de plume of Garth Schilling, the impresario of 54's mini-dragaganza. The press release promised "only the most refined and upmarket numbers," meant to evoke the heyday of the city's cabaret scene in the 1950s and 1960.

If only.

Backed by the male-female duet Martha Rayes, Stinger has a firm, clear mezzo voice with a natural growl when the song veers toward the vampy, although at one point she asked for a do-over after missing a note on the high end of her range. (She hit it nicely the second time around.)

The show started well enough, with Stinger riffing on how "very sophisticated" the audience, the club, her three-man back-up (piano, guitar, drums), her repertoire, and, of course, herself, were. More banter (a lot more) followed about one of the most sophisticated women to have graced this planet, Kay Thompson.

So why, after that lovely intro, give us "Myrtle of Sheepshead Bay," a throwaway novelty number that's anything but sophisticated?

I could have accept that all this soign�e stuff was a set-up, except that there were some genuinely sophisticated numbers, like the smooth, bluesy "Easy Street" and "I Happen to Like New York"? And why, oh why, cover a nothing burger like Patti Pag's "Old Cape Cod"? (Patti Page was definitely not sophisticated.)

A medley started with the singing trio "Whaddya Talk," the opening number from "Music Man" that may well be the world's first rap song, which was worked in -- sampled, really, with disparate songs that included "The Trolley Song."

For an encore, Stinger came out in a glittery version of a man's dress shirt, tails out, with black leotards, a tribute to Elaine Stritch (sophisticated) and one of her signature numbers, "Ladies Who Lunch."

Except that midway through, she forgot the lyrics. OK, it was amusing.

But shouldn't a night at 54 might expect a drag performer to ratchet up her game? Well, the adoring crowd certainly ate up every gaff. And, after all, it's the applause at the end of the show that really matters.

Miss Vodka Stinger appeared for one night only, April 27, at 54 Below, Feinstein's, 254 W. 54th St. For more information and reservations, call 646-476-3551 or visit the club's website