 Logo | |
 The entrance to Darcelle XV Showplace and neighboring CC Slaughters in 2012 | |
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| Location | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°31′29″N122°40′23″W / 45.5247508°N 122.673112°W |
| Owner | Darcelle XV |
| Type | Entertainment venue |
| Genre(s) | Drag show |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Darcelle XV Showplace is a drag venue in Portland, Oregon, opened and formerly operated by drag performer Darcelle XV.
The club opened in 1967. In June 2020, the venue was nominated for national historic registry status by the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, marking the first time an LGBTQ-related establishment was considered in Oregon. [1] The site was listed in November 2020. [2] The venue launched drag brunch in September. [3] Darcelle XV, the founder and namesake of the showplace, died of natural causes at the age of 92 in March 2023. [4]
From July 10 through July 12, 2023, Darcelle XV Showplace hosted a 48-hour Drag-a-thon attempting to break the Guinness World Records for longest drag artist stage show. [5] In addition to attempting to break the world record, the event also raised money for the nonprofit The Trevor Project that provides crisis intervention services for LGBTQ youth. [5] [6]
Cast members have included Alexis Campbell Starr, Bolivia Carmichaels, and Poison Waters.
Darcelle's won in the "Best Drag Show" category of Willamette Week 's "Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020". [7]
Darcelle XV Plaza is a square that was a small park and fountain at the intersection of Southwest Park Avenue and Southwest Harvey Milk Street in downtown Portland, Oregon, in the United States. It received the current name in July 2023. It was named after Hugh O'Bryant, Portland's first mayor.
Darcelle XV was the stage name of Walter Willard Cole, an American drag queen, entertainer, and cabaret owner and operator in Portland, Oregon. Guinness World Records had certified him as the oldest drag queen performer in 2016, with a career as an entertainer spanning 56 years at the time of his death.
CC Slaughters is a gay bar and nightclub located in Portland, Oregon, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Portland bar is located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and the Puerto Vallarta bar is located in Zona Romántica.
LGBTQ culture in Portland, Oregon is an important part of Pacific Northwest culture.
Stag PDX, or simply Stag, is a gay-owned nightclub and strip club in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States. The club opened in May 2015 as the second all-nude gay strip club on the West Coast.
Crush Bar is a gay bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Buckman neighborhood, in the United States. Established in 2001, the bar was scheduled to permanently close at the end of 2023, until an employee's investment kept Crush open into 2024. The bar is slated to close permanently in late 2024.
The Elmer and Linnie Miller House is an historic house in Portland, Oregon, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1896 Queen Anne-style house in the city's Eliot neighborhood is owned by Walter Cole, the drag queen known as Darcelle XV, as of 2020.
Local Lounge was a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2010 to 2021.
Kevin Cook, known by the stage name Poison Waters, is an American drag performer. Since the 1980s, Poison Waters has been an emcee, entertainer, and community activist. She is a longtime hostess at Darcelle XV Showplace and has participated in fundraisers, LGBTQ events, public service announcements, and other community activities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Cook has also taught at Portland Community College.
Flawless Shade is the stage name of Tajh Jordan, an American drag performer and make-up artist based in Portland, Oregon. A former Miss Gay Oregon, Flawless Shade has been featured in campaigns by Adidas, GLAAD, and Top Level Design.
Daniel P. Elliott, known professionally as Bolivia Carmichaels, is an American drag performer based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1995, she has performed at LGBTQ establishments such as CC Slaughters, Darcelle XV Showplace, and the defunct Embers Avenue, and has also participated in many community events.
Drag-a-thon was a drag show held during July 10–12, 2023, at the drag venue Darcelle XV Showplace in Portland, Oregon. The event was a successful attempt at setting a Guinness World Record for the longest drag stage show. Drag-a-thon was conceived and produced by Emma Mcilroy, co-founder of Wildfang, in response to the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act and similar anti-drag legislation across the United States. Eden Dawn, the host venue Darcelle XV Showplace, and its longtime performer Poison Waters were also credited as co-organizers. Drag-a-thon was also a fundraiser, yielding approximately $290,000 for LGBTQ support service The Trevor Project.
The year 2023 in Oregon involved several major events.
Mars is an American drag queen, performance artist, and event producer based in Portland, Oregon.
Lulu Luscious is the stage name of James Luu, a drag performer based in Portland, Oregon. Lulu Luscious has performed at Darcelle XV Showplace, competed in the La Femme Magnifique International Pageant, and participated in various community events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she performed in and organized Shine Distillery and Grill's drive-through series of drag shows. Outside of drag, Luu has worked at his family's restaurant, been a property manager, and hosted events to sell sex toys.
Nicole Onoscopi is the stage name of Cole Cozart, an American drag performer based in Portland, Oregon. Nicole Onoscopi was first runner-up and the first Miss'd Popularity in the annual drag pageant Miss'd America in 2019, and was named Miss Gay Oregon in 2021 and Miss Portland Gay Pride in 2024. She has performed throughout Oregon, including at pride events in her native Albany as well as McMinnville, Portland, and Salem.
Alexis Campbell Starr is an African-American drag queen based in Portland, Oregon. She is a resident cast member at Darcelle XV Showplace and has performed at CC Slaughters and other events and venues. She is active in the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court of Oregon and has been crowned Rose Empress.
Summer Lynne Seasons is the stage name of Brent Blackwell, an American drag performer based in the Portland metropolitan area, in Oregon. Summer Lynne Seasons is part of the cast of Darcelle XV Showplace.
Weird Portland United is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Brian Kidd, who is known as the Unipiper, founded the collective in 2018 in an effort to "Keep Portland Weird".
