On the fourth night of Viña del Mar Festivalthe humor block featured Asskha Sumathra. The comedian arrived at Quinta Vergara backed by her victory in the program Coliseum of Mega, assuming the challenge of his debut in the contest and, at the same time, setting a precedent like the first transformist artist at the viñamarino event.
For a good part of the public it was a new name. Although he has 20 years of experience in bars, circuses and smaller format stages, Viña is another dimension.
The comedian also understood it and expressed it in her previous press conference where she commented on the difference between the intimacy of a pub and the spaciousness of the Quinta, highlighting the difference between the audiences and the massive dimensions that the contest delivers. “We are going to have a good time,” she assured in that same instance, appearing confident..
In the cross-dressing circuit, her figure gained notoriety after her time on the reality show Amigas y Rivales.where he shared the screen with figures such as Janin Day and the late Katiuska Molotov. With that journey in tow, he arrived at the Viñamarina night with a sharp humor and irony that would become the hallmark of his proposal.
Quick engagement with the public and LGBTIQ+ demand
Right at midnight, he burst onto the stage with It was difficult by María José Quintanilla as a backdrop. The staging, inspired by the aesthetics of the café-concert, sought to transfer that feeling of closeness and intimacy to the spaciousness of the Quinta Vergara.
After the Colombian Juanes’ show and before the cumbia of the Argentinian Ke Personajes, the routine had the task of sustaining the pulse of a night marked by the fusion of styles, where rock and Latin cumbia coexisted before a lit Quinta Vergara.
Without the pressure of a public demanding the return of the previous number, the atmosphere was favorable from the start. In fact, the attendees, far from leaving the Quinta after the first show, stayed to wait for the comedy act.
Wearing a black dress, she opened her routine exclaiming “I am the piece of the puzzle that was missing to be on this stage. With this, absolutely all artists are.” The applause and ovation quickly came from the public, who attentively followed the routine.
Soon came the LGBTIQ+ reinvention and since it was the first drag queen at the Festival, the allusion to the milestone could not be absent. “Here I am, representing a large community,” he said.
That was followed by comments that reinforced the connection with the public, especially those in the gallery. “I want to give a round of applause here to the people below, who are full of free tickets that I love.” “It must be said, assumed, not omitted. The entire production family is there, the Mega people are all sitting here,” he launched.
“I am from there, I am from there, I am from you,” pointing to the gallery and quoting the phrase coined by Raquel Argandoña at the 1981 Viña Festival. “Not from the Reñaca Alto gallery,” he concluded, eliciting laughter.
A triumph marred by the interruption of routine
In her presentation, Asskha Sumathra covered multiple topics at high speedlinking one after another with the dynamics of a direct conversation with the audience. The monster had to stay attentive: the pace was fast and its humor was loaded with irony and unexpected twists.
Among anecdotes linked to the drag community, he added laughter with phrases like: “We are like a happy meal. You buy it and it comes with a surprise.” That playful and foul-mouthed tone allowed him to consolidate the connection with the public.
With the audience completely on their side, the victory seemed undisputed. The public asked for the Silver and Gold Seagull and the entertainers appeared to give it to them..
Everything indicated that an encore would come to crown the night. However, the announcement of the definitive end and the transition to commercials surprised the Fifth. The abrupt ending disconcerted those in attendance. It didn’t take long for the mistakes to be heard, in the midst of the confusion due to a closure different from that of other comedians who have had the opportunity to continue after receiving their awards.
