Vera Galupe-Borszkh Veteran of numerous farewell recitals, the Queen of fractured divadom, La Gran Scena Opera's beloved travesti "traumatic" soprano Vera Galupe-Borszkh ("La Dementia"), known in another life as Ira Siff, is appearing in a series of riotous "Comeback Soirées" at the elegant La Belle Epoque, in the Village this month. Malapropisms, doubles entendres, and deliberately bad puns (real groaners) fly by fast enough to make one's head spin. In equally generous helpings, unearthly pianissimi, shattering high fortes and growled out chest tones are dished out. Many singers change their gowns during the course of a recital. Mme Vera not only shows off her fabulous diva duds, she also changes her hair for the second half! At the keyboard in tails and goatee, and providing invaluable support, is Maestro Sergio Zawa (Metropolitan Opera Assistant Conductor Lucy Arner). In the audience to enjoy this delightful event, on the night I attended, were opera's Anna Moffo, Eve Queler and Paul Plishka. Capping her glittery finery with a sailor cap with a silver ship clipped to it, Mme Vera declares her love for the service in a "don't ask, don' ;t tell" aria, "J'aime les militaires," from Jacques Offenbach's "La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein" (or " Geritol"), at once furious, frothy and flirtatious. She ends the air, studded with sudden pianissimi and cavernous low notes, with an extended, synthesizer-accompanied, military march cadenza and a couple of raucous top notes. Though Madame insists this is "not a political statement," she does declare herself personally affected by conservative Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum's recently stated opposition to "homosexual acts," as she looks herself and her drag Maestro over meaningfully. Our prima donna dedicates emotional Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky song " Utchevwuh," or "V hy," to her late Uncle Sergei of the KGB (Kirov Gay Ballet), building from gossamer legato to full-throated, breast- (and piano-) beating climax. She dons a multi-faceted hat, part crown, part baby bonnet and so on, to augment the different speakers' voices in a vivid "Erlkönig" of Franz Schubert. Honoring soprano Victoria de los Angeles (or "Vicky of L.A.") with Fernando Obradors' gorgeous "Del Cabello mas Sutil," Mme Galupe-Borszkh recites lyrics better sung in Cath tilian than spoken in English and graphically illustrates the text (rope scene, anyone?). In a serious moment, she salutes her audience with a heartfelt "An die Musik," the Schubert ode to music. She unveils her Beijing Opera voice in a thousand-year-old Mandarin folksong, with a long, unpronounceable title, which translates as "The Horse." She proceeds to a "Suicidio," from Amilcare Ponchielli's " La Gioconda," that finds her investigating methods of suicide that Dorothy Parker never could have imagined (Cleopatra's asp, Tosca's dagger and crucifix, Drano), while sustaining endless dulcet high notes and belting ferocious low ones. After holding forth on trendy and destructive stage directors, the Three Tenors (yawn), and her marriage and assorted dalliances, Mme Galupe-Borszkh focuses on opera's unhinged heroines. She makes palpable the soaring dramatic coloratura madness of Arrigo Boito's (or Maestro Blotto's) Margherita in "L'altra notte," from "Mefistofele." Her scorching "Condotta," of Azucena, from Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore," comes straight from the guts … er … heart and encompasses an impressive array of registers, decibel levels and hair heights. For a change of pace, Madame channels the spirit of Ella Fitzgerald and goes scatting through the octaves in the Gershwins' "'S Wonderful" before veering (or Vera-ing) off into the "Lucia di Lammermoor" and "I Puritani" mad scenes for a final cadenza. She ends with "Ride on, Jesus (Conquerink Kink )," a rousing spiritual, because one must. La Belle Epoque, 827 Broadway at 12th Street April 23 & 30, May 7 at 7:30 pm Tickets $25 + $20 food or drink minimum 212/254-6436