By Lindsay Peyton

Cookie Couture is ready to shake things up in West Seattle.

The Drag Queen who describes her style as “’I Love Lucy’ meets Pamela Anderson,” is planning her next show in her own backyard – at the Skylark West Seattle, 3803 Delridge.

“I’m sick of paying for an Uber to Capitol Hill for my shows,” she said with a laugh. “So this is personal for me.”

The event “West End Girls: A Drag Extravaganza!” is slated for 8 p.m. to midnight on Friday, March 31. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

“It’s going to be one of the best shows you’ve ever been to,” Couture said. “We’re bringing you Las Vegas quality at West Seattle prices.”

She is inviting 10 performers to the stage.

“You’ll see scary queens; you’ll see funny girls and celebrity impersonators,” she said. “If you’ve never been to a drag show before, you’ll walk away with a complete understanding of what it’s all about. If you’ve been to a lot of drag shows, then this is the show to be at for sure.”

Couture will serve as hostess for the evening – kicking off the night with a screening of the first “RuPaul’s Drag Race” show of the season and then introducing each performer.

“There’s no way you’ll come and not have a good time,” Couture said. “It’s my goal to see smiles on everyone’s faces.”

She explained that the Skylark was the first venue on her list of options – because the venue has hosted drag shows in the past.

Co-owner Matt Larson is looking forward to the event. “I don’t think there are a lot of venues that get to do something like this,” he said.

Larson said the “West Side Glory” drag show held at Skylark in the past was a fun time for all. “It’s always been one of our favorites,” he said.

Couture was also a fan of the Glory days.

When she learned that organizers did not have the resources to bring drag to West Seattle more often, she stepped up to fill the gap.

Couture grew up in Bellingham. “The second I turned 18, I high-tailed it out of town,” she said.

She moved to Seattle with a group of girlfriends – knowing that she wanted to plunge into performance of some kind one day.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” she said. “I always wanted to do something, but I wasn’t quite sure what.”

Her then-boyfriend, now husband, Jared Mills taught her to play piano at age 21. They performed together in a band for a number of years.

Two years ago, Couture made the switch to singing in drag.

“I had a really big appreciation for drag performers, but it felt unobtainable,” she said.

Not only would she have to master hair and make-up – but she would also have to become a pro at going solo, instead of having a back-up band.

“You’re up there by yourself,” she said. “Your song is going, and it’s all you.”

Still, after going out in drag a couple times, Couture signed up for a talent show at Neighbours Nightclub.

“I actually felt really comfortable,” she said. “And a lot of my friends came out to support me.”

She won first prize in the competition – and was instantly hooked on taking the stage.

“It’s just never stopped since then,” she said. “I feel really lucky, because I get booked for a lot of shows.”

Couture hopes to make performing at the Skylark a regular gig – and wants performing in drag to be her full-time job.

“It’s just a really fun thing to do,” she said. “I want to be entertaining – and I want to help everyone forget about everything that’s going on in the world.”

For more information, visit www.skylarkcafe.com/calendar/. Follow Cookie Couture on Instagram at @cookiecouturequeen.