It’s amazing what you can do with puppets. Especially when you add glitter, catchy tunes and the incomparable stylings of drag artist and cabaret singer Joey Arias.

Arias is a New York institution, well-known for his work with legendary musician Klaus Nomi. But he’s long-since stepped out of Nomi’s shadow, emerging as a performer and entertainer to be reckoned with. “Arias with a Twist” is his stage show collaboration with puppeteering legend Basil Twist, which has been dazzling audiences in New York and on the West Coast since the summer of 2008. The chorus line? Puppets. Extras in a scene? Puppets. Billy Holiday and Joan Crawford? Even the divas are puppets.

This sparkling documentary chronicles the evolution of the joint project, intercut with fascinating archival material that traces the lineage of the “Arias with a Twist” stage show. Precursors include films by Andy Warhol, works by Jim Henson and Keith Haring, as well as rarely-seen excerpts featuring David Bowie, Divine, Grace Jones and Klaus Nomi. Arias with a Twist is an original “docufantasy” about glittering art from one-of-a-kind artists.