The "Red High Heel Shoe Drop" at Bourbon St. Pub in Key West by owner Joe Schroeder saw female impersonator "Sushi" lowered in an oversized shoe on New Year's Eve for 25 years. An event that was seen by tens of thousands and broadcast to even more.
After appearances by Christopher Peterson and Randy Roberts, the next version will see a new face.
The recent launch of the “If the Shoe Fits” national search by Bourbon St. Pub with prizes courtesy of the Monroe County TDC, Stoli Vodka, and Island House, saw finalists from different states face off in Key West for the title where Mulan Alexander was selected to make the famed midnight descent later this year.
But before that widely anticipated drop happens, there are three hours of live entertainment. This is largely overseen by showrunner and musician Bria Ansara who performed at this event for about a decade and came into the role of a producer and host soon after.
Ansara, one of the judges for the “If the Shoe Fits” finale, revealed that the competition was stiff with extremely close scores between the two runners-up CC Glitzer and local Beatrix Dixie. Ansara believes that it was a good decision to open the proceedings to the entire country as this resulted in more eyes on the event.
Patrik Gallineaux, a global LGBTQ ambassador who worked with Schroeder on the inaugural 2025 pageants and who returns as a NYE co-host, shared that thought.
Based on his experience with other events in Key West, he suspects that if this "shoe" tour can keep going, it will lead to more visitors making the island their travel destination.
It is, however, the three hours or so of live performances that help excite the crowd of onlookers ahead of midnight, when their numbers, by then, have dramatically increased. The show remains free to anyone who wants to watch from the street with the option of purchasing tickets to Bourbon St. Pub to access its compound or balcony.
"You can come up on the street, find yourself a good spot near the stage, and stay all night, or you can pop in and out. It's an over three-hour long show," Ansara explained.
What she thinks really makes the show stand out is its entertainment value.
"The production from behind the scenes is more impressive and the performances are up to a whole different caliber as we work on it year after year."
Each edition, Ansara is prouder of the work she and her coworkers put into the show and is excited about the level of professionalism and how the night turns out.
Pulling off a New Year's Eve spectacle requires the participants to have things down to the second. And for Ansara, she feels like every year she gets closer and closer to that perfect timing.
"Red High Heel Shoe Drop"
DEC 31 | 9 PM
Bourbon St. Pub
