So-Cal drag show draws big names

"I respect drag, and illusionists, a hundred percent. And I don't have anybody in my show who doesn't look like who they're doing." The drag show will bring the likenesses of Cher, Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, ...

[Cpetr13]

God, i miss fun drag shows. Most of them now are just cokeheads wearing wigs and bad make-up, lip-syncing poorly and are personality-free. We had some great ones in this state, like Ruth Dix, Ronee Sommers, and many whose names I no longer remember.

They weren't intense or pretending to be women; they were drag queens and they knew how to work an audience.

[ScottyMatic]

Cpetr13 wrote:

God, i miss fun drag shows. Most of them now are just cokeheads wearing wigs and bad make-up, lip-syncing poorly and are personality-free. We had some great ones in this state, like Ruth Dix, Ronee Sommers, and many whose names I no longer remember.
They weren't intense or pretending to be women; they were drag queens and they knew how to work an audience.

You make a great point... there is a not-too-subtle difference between a drag queen and a "female impersonator." Any skinny boy in a dress can lip-sync and dance. But it takes stagecraft, humor, and guts to really work the room.

[Ralph]

Cpetr13 wrote:

God, i miss fun drag shows. Most of them now are just cokeheads wearing wigs and bad make-up, lip-syncing poorly and are personality-free. We had some great ones in this state, like Ruth Dix, Ronee Sommers, and many whose names I no longer remember.
They weren't intense or pretending to be women; they were drag queens and they knew how to work an audience.

I wish you won't do this. Now you got me thinking of the 60's and 70's drag queens in St. Louis. Wow, some of that entertainment is lost to history, but since I was involved in the bar scene I knew many of them, and I even took movies. I also have records that they mimed, so I can play them when I show the Super 8mm movies at holiday parties. Many of them are dead now, but we remember them fondly have have a whooping good time remembering. I have often thought of how we could establish an archive for photos, movies, etc. so the younger folks can see them. After I am dead the stuff will probably be thrown in a trash can.

[Ralph]

In the first sentence of previous post the word "won't" should be "wouldn't"

[Selecia Jones- JAX FL]

My favorite was Tasha Wallis in Atlanta in the early 80's....just beautiful. She was from Hawaii. And I got to see Diamond Lil one time in 1975. First time in a gay bar and that is who I saw....16 and went right in. The Sweet Gum Head...what a name for a bar.

[Cpetr13]

There are gay archives in many cities; your precious memories don't have to be tossed out in the trash.

Ralph wrote:

<quoted text>
I wish you won't do this. Now you got me thinking of the 60's and 70's drag queens in St. Louis. Wow, some of that entertainment is lost to history, but since I was involved in the bar scene I knew many of them, and I even took movies. I also have records that they mimed, so I can play them when I show the Super 8mm movies at holiday parties. Many of them are dead now, but we remember them fondly have have a whooping good time remembering. I have often thought of how we could establish an archive for photos, movies, etc. so the younger folks can see them. After I am dead the stuff will probably be thrown in a trash can.

[dante2810]

ScottyMatic wrote:

<quoted text>
You make a great point... there is a not-too-subtle difference between a drag queen and a "female impersonator." Any skinny boy in a dress can lip-sync and dance. But it takes stagecraft, humor, and guts to really work the room.

Very true. I remember my first "official" drag show I went to in San Diego (uggg cant remember the name of the place, was on 5th ave and this was in 1998) and absolutely fell in love with the whole thing and have a been a fan since. The MC was amazing and really worked the room (there were only like 15 of us) like it was the most important show in the world.

Now most shows are just guys that like to dress and dance... and that is fine. But I miss those who took it from a hobby (sorry, cant think of a better word, no disrespect intended) to an art form.

BTW, has anyone notice this: the guys that I met that did drag show routinely always were polar opposites in personality when in drag and out. I found it fascinating.

[Ralph]

Cpetr13 wrote:

There are gay archives in many cities; your precious memories don't have to be tossed out in the trash.
<quoted text>

Well, I was hoping for one here in St. Louis, but I may google "gay archives" today, and see if there are any in the midwest that might want to accept the donation. Thanks for the input.

[ScottyMatic]

dante2810 wrote:

<quoted text>
Very true. I remember my first "official" drag show I went to in San Diego (uggg cant remember the name of the place, was on 5th ave and this was in 1998) and absolutely fell in love with the whole thing and have a been a fan since. The MC was amazing and really worked the room (there were only like 15 of us) like it was the most important show in the world.
Now most shows are just guys that like to dress and dance... and that is fine. But I miss those who took it from a hobby (sorry, cant think of a better word, no disrespect intended) to an art form.
BTW, has anyone notice this: the guys that I met that did drag show routinely always were polar opposites in personality when in drag and out. I found it fascinating.

My freshman year in college, the apartment my dad picked-out for me was next door to a drag queen. I didn't know till I saw the individual returning from a show in Nashville in the small hours of a Sunday morning. Later, I befriended him, and met all of his drag queen friends. I used to go with them to Nashville (to an absolute DIVE called The Jungle... maybe it's still there?) Their personalities were very different in and out of costume.

I wrote not long afterward that drag queens, collectively, were not only responsible for taking the initiative in the stonewall riots which changed the entire LGBT landscape in America, but during the 80's and early 90's, they were the single biggest fundraising segment in the fight against AIDS (back when the government was pretending that AIDS didn't exist... remember the Reagan years? Six years of Zero funding for the CDC on AIDS. Unforgiveable.)

Just last year, I did a series of voiceovers for a California charity drag show, and afterward, the producer sent me a video of it. I was impressed that there are still SOME drag performers out there who really know their stuff.

As for me, the one and only time I ever wore a dress was my Highschool Freshman initiation. Boys had to wear a dress, and girls had to wear pajamas... or the seniors would beat the tar out of you.(This was encouraged by the sadistic faculty.) I wore an ugly green frock that my stepmother gave me for the purpose. I wore it over my street clothes, with sneakers. Trust me, you've never seen a LESS ladylike vision.

[Cpetr13]

I first went to a drag bar in college-- a catholic college, mind you--with some friends from th4e theater dept. It was a little bar called "the Door" (The FAMOUS Door, I might add). And the first drag queen I ever saw was an immense black queen named Jeanetta Williams. Sure, she lip-synced instead of sang, but she put so much joy and passion into her song that as a performer I was inspired more than I ever had been at local theater productions. There were many others as well, and they all had that same love of performing that is so rare to see these days.

As for "Trust me, you've never seen a LESS ladylike vision."--yes, I have, and she is running for vice president.

ScottyMatic wrote:

<quoted text>
My freshman year in college, the apartment my dad picked-out for me was next door to a drag queen. I didn't know till I saw the individual returning from a show in Nashville in the small hours of a Sunday morning. Later, I befriended him, and met all of his drag queen friends. I used to go with them to Nashville (to an absolute DIVE called The Jungle... maybe it's still there?) Their personalities were very different in and out of costume.
I wrote not long afterward that drag queens, collectively, were not only responsible for taking the initiative in the stonewall riots which changed the entire LGBT landscape in America, but during the 80's and early 90's, they were the single biggest fundraising segment in the fight against AIDS (back when the government was pretending that AIDS didn't exist... remember the Reagan years? Six years of Zero funding for the CDC on AIDS. Unforgiveable.)
Just last year, I did a series of voiceovers for a California charity drag show, and afterward, the producer sent me a video of it. I was impressed that there are still SOME drag performers out there who really know their stuff.
As for me, the one and only time I ever wore a dress was my Highschool Freshman initiation. Boys had to wear a dress, and girls had to wear pajamas... or the seniors would beat the tar out of you.(This was encouraged by the sadistic faculty.) I wore an ugly green frock that my stepmother gave me for the purpose. I wore it over my street clothes, with sneakers. Trust me, you've never seen a LESS ladylike vision.

[CLeVeR TDK]

Man i showed up thinking it was Drag Racing car show man was i shocked!!!

[Cpetr13]

You have no idea what they wear under those leather jumpsuits...

CLeVeR TDK wrote:

Man i showed up thinking it was Drag Racing car show man was i shocked!!!