Radar Naughty List: Maria TopCatt
- Mandy
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Maria TopCatt is the drag persona of Anthony Mauriello, an adult burlesque performer who has turned his nightclub routine into a children’s attraction across Philadelphia. Marketed as a “local drag superstar,” he is regularly placed in front of toddlers and grade-schoolers at Mister John’s Music for Drag Queen Storytime. The event blends runway walks, drag slang, gender ideology, and adult performance aesthetics…all repackaged as enrichment for preschoolers.
Maria TopCatt (Anthony Mauriello), born and raised in Winslow Township, New Jersey, grew up immersed in theater, singing, and dance, later earning a degree in Theatre and Dance Performance from Stockton University. He taught ballroom, Latin dance, and other styles at Society Hill Dance Academy before moving into the drag and burlesque scene. On social media, the drag queen openly jokes about drug use, and his “Devil Drag” performances include routines where he dresses as Satan and mocks Christianity. This is the public persona now funneled into children’s spaces.
In an interview with Philadelphia Gay News, the performer described his drag persona as an “old-school showgirl” inspired by Hollywood glamour. He boasts of hosting drag events “back when we were still freaks,” before drag went mainstream. He has won several drag awards, including the 2016 Philly Drag Award for Best Dancer and Miss Fancy Brigade 2016, and has worked with both drag and burlesque troupes such as Philly’s Foxes and the Peek-A-Boo Revue. Promotional materials praise his “polished intensity” and theatrical flair.
All-ages events where adult nightlife performers dance and read books to toddlers have become a trend across the country, but Mister John’s Music has institutionalized it. Their Drag Storytime features Maria TopCatt leading kids through a curated program of gender-themed books, dress-up, and drag-style performances. The school markets it as a celebration of “diversity” and “acceptance,” encouraging families to “come dressed in bold fashion choices.” At these events, the drag queens physically interact with children, hold them for photos, and teach them to “walk the catwalk.” Parents are told this is harmless fun – even empowering. In reality, it normalizes adult sexual aesthetics and performances for very young children.
A glowing article from Philadelphia Magazine reveals exactly what happens at Drag Storytime. Maria teaches children to chant “YAAASSS QUEEEEN” with their fingers in the air. The reporter calls this the new “Baby Shark,” urging parents to have their toddlers use drag slang in everyday life, even at the grocery store. The highlight of the event is the catwalk. Children, some as young as THREE, walk an illuminated runway while Maria TopCatt describes their outfits and “what makes them special.” One girl strutted in a sparkly dress and Crocs, and a pair of siblings were praised by everyone in the room for using “they/them” pronouns. At the event, Maria TopCatt stripped down to a sparkly outfit, sat down in fishnets, and read “I Like Myself” as children gathered at his feet.
This is NOT a literacy program. It is drag culture: costumes, runway modeling, adult vernacular, and exaggerated stereotypes, delivered directly to small children. Mister John’s Music frames Drag Storytime as part of its mission to destigmatize hard conversations with children about gender and sexuality. Parents are encouraged to model participation and embrace the adult-driven messaging woven into the activities. Listings on parenting websites promote drag queens “showing off their breasts” during story time as if this were normal and wholesome. Maria TopCatt is on our Naughty List because parents deserve to know exactly who is being presented as a role model to their kids. A cross-dressing nightclub stripper has been repackaged as a children’s educator. Even without a criminal record, this performer's public behavior raises red flags. He:
• performs burlesque routines for kids, including religious mockery
• jokes about drug use
• parodies womanhood as a sexualized costume
• inserts children into inappropriate drag performance dynamics
Child drag shows blur the line between adult club culture and children’s spaces, and queer activist organizations get paid to cheer it on. Maria TopCatt coaches little kids to use crude slang, perform runway modeling, experiment with pronouns, and view exaggerated, sexualized femininity as empowering. None of this represents healthy modeling for children. The issue is not whether drag exists; it is whether an adult performer steeped in burlesque culture should be instructing kids to strut and dance for a crowd of cheering adults. This is an issue of boundaries, and Anthony Mauriello’s persona is rooted in adult entertainment, NOT childhood development.
References
Aversa PR – Topcatt Cabaret Concourse Dance Bar Philadelphia
Drag Queen Storytime Sparks Joy in Havertown – Main Line Parent
Drag Storytime – Mister John’s Music
Drag Storytime With Maria Topcatt – Facebook Event
Instagram – Mister John’s Music
Maria Topcatt – X
Maria Topcatt Drag Storytime – Philly Family
Mister John’s Music Presents Drag Storytime – Mommy Poppins
Philadelphia Inquirer – Drag Story Time at People’s Light
Philadelphia Magazine – Why You Really Need to Take Your Kid to Drag Queen Storytime
Broad St Burlesque – Facebook
NJ.com – Miss'd America 2023 Gallery
Philadelphia Gay News – Anthony Mauriello: Dancing in the Street
Maria TopCatt – Punchline Philly (YouTube Video)
Maria TopCatt – Devil Drag (YouTube Video)