Drag show

Last updated
Drag show at the Stonewall Discotheque in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1972 1972 Miami Beach Drag Show.jpg
Drag show at the Stonewall Discotheque in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1972

A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub. Shows can range from burlesque-style, adult themed nightclub acts to all-ages events with sing-alongs and story times.

Contents

The modern drag show originated in the speakeasies and underground bars of 1920s and 1930s Prohibition America, in what was known as the Pansy Craze. Drag became a part of gay culture and a form of entertainment usually enjoyed by adults in bars. [1] Modern drag shows continue to evolve, incorporating various elements of performance art and entertainment. Weekly drag shows often feature a blend of Cabaret style drag and TributeDrag acts with adult comedy, providing an immersive experience with audience participation and special celebrations. [2]

Typically, a drag show involves performers singing or lip-synching to songs while performing a pre-planned pantomime or dancing. There might also be some comedy, skits, and audience interaction. The performers are often given cash tips by the audience members. [3] The performers often don elaborate costumes and makeup, and sometimes dress to imitate various famous opposite sex singers or personalities. Young male dancers have often been included. Some other events are centered around drag-show type entertainment, such as Southern Decadence where the majority of festivities are led by the Grand Marshals, who traditionally are drag queens. [4]

History and development

Early existence

The first known drag balls in the United States were in Harlem in the 1920s, at the Rockland Palace. [5] These shows featured extravagant performances of gays and lesbians impersonating the opposite sex and competing against one another in fashion shows. Harlem drag balls were primarily made up of people of color. White people were not excluded but did not typically participate. Drag balls were social events that brought people together who were on the margins of society and they often had to meet in secret. [5]

During World War II, parody drag shows were also a regular kind of entertainment for soldiers who dressed up as humorous-looking women and put on shows for each other. [6]

Jewel Box Revue

Doc Benner, and Danny Brown produced the show which started in Miami, Florida, at a gay bar known as Club Jewel Box. [7] This show would go on to set the stage for the touring drag show known as the Jewel Box Revue. The Jewel Box Revue was the longest running drag show that performed from the 1940s until the 1970s across the United States. They had at least ten specific performances in their repertoire, which was helpful for shows that ran for longer periods of time at the same place. [7] The show had their own music and dances that were composed and choreographed for performers, they also did comedy sketches and some stand-up performances. [7] The revue was made up of a diverse group that included African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and whites, which was unusual for the times before the Civil Rights Movement.

From 1955 to 1969 the Master of Ceremonies and only drag king of the revue was biracial, butch lesbian Stormé DeLarverie, whose June, 1969 scuffle with police was, according to DeLarverie and many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall uprising in New York City's Greenwich Village. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Many of the venues they performed at were part of the "chitlin' circuit", the Howard Theatre (Washington, D.C.), the Baltimore-Royal Theatre, Uptown Theatre (Philadelphia) and the Regal Theater in Chicago. In 1959 they began performing at The Apollo Theater in New York City and it was always a full house when they came to town. [7]

In the 1960s laws and regulations were put in place against cross-dressing and the Jewel Box Revue slowed down a bit. Although places like Los Angeles had bans in place they were still allowed to play at certain theaters. [7] Ultimately the laws and regulations against cross-dressing made it difficult for the Jewel Box Revue to perform.

In 1975, the Jewel Box Revue performed for the last time in a production at the Bijou Theater in New York City. [7]

In 1987 Michelle Parkerson released the first cut of the movie, Stormé: The Lady of the Jewel Box, about DeLarverie and her time with the revue. [12]

Pearl Box Revue

In 1955 the Pearl Box Revue began its performances in New York City. Pearl Box Revue was an all Black drag show that ran for twenty seven years until 1982. [7] Dorian Corey was a performer in the Pearl Box Revue and also one of the drag queens in the documentary by Jennie Livingston known as Paris is Burning. [7]

Disposable Boy Toys

Disposable Boy Toys (DBT) were a drag king group out of Santa Barbara, California. [13] The group was started in May 2000 and had 31 members, mostly white, queer and transgender, and were a feminist collective. [13] Their performances were centered on dismantling racism, sexism, gender binaries, ideal bodies and even militarism and they mostly performed in queer spaces or progressive spaces for fundraising and marches. [13] Lip synching and dancing were regular components of their shows. DBT was known for performing at benefits to raise money for political and community causes. [13]

DBT disbanded in August 2004, and although they did not officially break up they never performed together again. [13]

After Dark

Swedish drag show ad from 1976 Lars Jacob's Monday Night Drag Show ad 1976.jpg
Swedish drag show ad from 1976

After Dark was a Swedish group founded in 1976 which performed for over 40 years, mostly in Sweden, but intermittently also in the United States and Spain.

Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown, Massachusetts, is home to some of the most famous drag performers and in the summers months there are several performances on any given night. On July 24, 2018, Provincetown was home to the first ever Drag Camp, a camp for drag performers to hone their skills and perform for live audiences. [14] The camp lasted for two weeks (until August 4, 2018) and showcased famous drag performers. [14] Jinkx Monsoon, Peaches Christ, and Raja were some of the most famous drag performers who attended Drag Camp and had their own workshops sessions on how to apply makeup, or comedic performance, amongst many others. [14] The drag performances in Provincetown, also known as Ptown, are legendary, hence why Drag Camp landed there.

Drag brunch

South Beach brunch and drag show during memorial weekend Drag Brunch.jpg
South Beach brunch and drag show during memorial weekend

A drag brunch is a type of drag show in which drag kings and drag queens perform for an audience while the audience is served typical brunch foods and drinks. [15] [16] The events feature dance, song and comedy performances, and some venues offer a full open bar. [17]

Although typically held at LGBTQ bars and nightclubs, restaurants have also become a popular site for drag brunches. [15] [18] The practice is especially popular in urban centers with large gay populations, such as cities like New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Quebec, and New Orleans. [15] [18] Drag historian and New York University professor, Joe E. Jeffreys, believes that the drag brunch's rise in popularity has been due to LGBTQ venues that arose between the 1950s and 1990s, such as Lucky Cheng's, Lips NYC, and Club 82. [15] In an article titled "The Importance of Drag Brunch in NYC", Jefferys described how these venues have the ability to expose new audiences to drag performance. [15] "[People] are able to sit at drag brunch and have a lovely spinach frittata and Bloody Mary while learning this lesson through observation. They start to understand that gender and drag aren't these scary things," said Jeffreys. [15] [19] "It's fun and festive like brunch can be." [15]

Gospel-themed drag brunches have been staged across the United States. The drag venue Lips first started gospel drag brunches in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2007. [20] [21] Other places, such as San Antonio, Texas, have also seen a rise in gospel drag brunches. [22] In addition to food, drinks, and the usual performances one would expect to see at a drag brunch, gospel drag brunches also feature performers in choir robes doing renditions of classic gospel songs. [20] [21] [23]

RuPaul with All Stars 7 Contestants at LA DragCon 2022 by dvsross RuPaul with All Stars 7 Contestants at LA DragCon 2022 by dvsross.jpg
RuPaul with All Stars 7 Contestants at LA DragCon 2022 by dvsross

Drag shows have become more popular with the documentary Paris is Burning, and shows like RuPaul's Drag Race. Films such as The Birdcage and Too Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar have popularized drag culture too. [6] These films along with RuPaul's Drag Race have a large heterosexual fanbase. [24] Both the stage musical and film version of A Chorus Line reference drag shows, with the character of Paul relating his experiences as a performer with the touring company of the Jewel Box Revue.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall riots</span> 1969 spontaneous uprising for gay liberation

The Stonewall riots, also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, Stonewall revolution, or simply Stonewall, were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Although the demonstrations were not the first time American homosexuals fought back against government-sponsored persecution of sexual minorities, the Stonewall riots marked a new beginning for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drag queen</span> Entertainer dressed and acting with exaggerated femininity

A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and have been a part of gay culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drag king</span> Mostly female performance artists who dress and behave in masculine way for performance

Drag kings have historically been mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. As documented in the 2003 Journal of Homosexuality, in more recent years the world of drag kings has broadened to include performers of all gender expressions. A typical drag show may incorporate dancing, acting, stand-up comedy and singing, either live or lip-synching to pre-recorded tracks. Drag kings often perform as exaggeratedly macho male characters, portray characters such as construction workers and rappers, or impersonate male celebrities like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Tim McGraw. Drag kings may also perform as personas that do not clearly align with the gender binary. Drag personas that combine both stereotypically masculine and feminine traits are common in modern drag king shows.

Drag is a performance of exaggerated femininity, masculinity, or other forms of gender expression, usually for entertainment purposes. Drag usually involves cross-dressing. A drag queen is someone who performs femininely and a drag king is someone who performs masculinely. Performances often involve comedy, social satire, and at times political commentary. The term may be used as a noun as in the expression in drag or as an adjective as in drag show.

<i>Stonewall</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Nigel Finch

Stonewall is a 1995 British-American historical comedy-drama film directed by Nigel Finch, his final film before his AIDS-related death shortly after filming ended. Inspired by the memoir of the same title by gay historian Martin Duberman, Stonewall is a fictionalized account of the weeks leading up to the Stonewall riots, a seminal event in the modern American gay rights movement. The film stars Guillermo Díaz, Frederick Weller, Brendan Corbalis, and Duane Boutte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Rivera</span> American LGBT rights activist (1951–2002)

Sylvia Rivera was an American gay liberation and transgender rights activist who was also a noted community worker in New York. Rivera, who identified as a drag queen for most of her life and later as a transgender person, participated in demonstrations with the Gay Liberation Front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everlasting Night</span> 1999 single by Dannii Minogue

"Everlasting Night" is a song written by Australian singer Dannii Minogue, Mark Percy, Tim Lever, Ian Masterson and Terry Ronald for the compilation Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras of 1999 (1999). The song was produced by Ian Masterson. It was released as a single in January 1999 in Australia and reached number 42 on the singles chart, largely helped by the fact that the song was the official theme of the 1999 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Epperson</span> American drag artist

John Epperson is an American drag artist, actor, pianist, vocalist, and writer who is mainly known for creating his stage character Lypsinka. As Lypsinka, he lip-synchs to meticulously edited, show-length soundtracks culled from snippets of outrageous 20th-century female performances in movies and song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stormé DeLarverie</span> American singer, activist and instigator of the Stonewall Uprising (1920–2014)

Stormé DeLarverie was an American woman known as the butch lesbian whose scuffle with police was, according to DeLarverie and many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall uprising, spurring the crowd to action. She was born in New Orleans, to an African American mother and a white father. She is remembered as a gay civil rights icon and entertainer, who performed and hosted at the Apollo Theater and Radio City Music Hall. She worked for much of her life as an MC, singer, bouncer, bodyguard, and volunteer street patrol worker, the "guardian of lesbians in the Village". She is known as "the Rosa Parks of the gay community."

The San Francisco Drag King Contest is an annual contest for drag kings held in San Francisco, California and founded by performer and producer, Fudgie Frottage. It is the biggest drag king contest in the world, and the longest running drag king competition in the U.S. The related International Drag King Community Extravaganza (IDKE) is the largest drag king performance event in the world but not a contest. The 26th Annual San Francisco Drag King Contest will be held Sunday, August 21st, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey Mahogany</span> American drag queen

Honey Mahogany is an American activist, politician, drag performer, and singer. She first came to national attention on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, followed by releasing her debut EP Honey Love. She was instrumental in setting up The Transgender District in San Francisco, where she served as the first director. In 2024, Mahogany was appointed director of the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture in Eugene, Oregon</span>

LGBT culture in Eugene, Oregon predates the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969, but that event coincided with organized efforts in Lane County, Oregon, to support and celebrate LGBT people. Even though Eugene has been rated on lists of cities friendly to LGBT populations, there are very few venues specifically for the LGBT community in the Eugene/Springfield metropolitan area.

Gay Liberation Monument Monument in New York City, U.S.

The Gay Liberation Monument is part of the Stonewall National Monument, which commemorates the Stonewall uprising of 1969. Created in 1980, the Gay Liberation sculpture by American artist George Segal was the first piece of public art dedicated to gay rights and solidarity for LGBT individuals, while simultaneously commemorating the ongoing struggles of the community. The monument was dedicated on June 23, 1992, as part of the dedication of the Stonewall National Monument as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Parkerson</span> American filmmaker and academic (born 1953)

Michelle Parkerson is an American filmmaker and academic. She is an assistant professor in Film and Media Arts at Temple University and has been an independent film/video maker since the 1980s, focusing particularly on feminist, LGBT, and political activism and issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African-American LGBT community</span> African-American population within the LGBT community

The African-American LGBT community, otherwise referred to as the Black American LGBT community, is part of the overall LGBT culture and overall African-American culture. The initialism LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019 was a series of LGBTQ events and celebrations in June 2019, marking the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots. It was also the first time WorldPride was held in the United States. Held primarily in the metropolitan New York City area, the theme for the celebrations and educational events was "Millions of moments of Pride." The celebration was the largest LGBTQ event in history, with an official estimate of 5 million attending Pride weekend in Manhattan alone, with an estimated 4 million in attendance at the NYC Pride March. The twelve-hour parade included 150,000 pre-registered participants among 695 groups.

Tony Midnite was a female impersonator, costume designer, activist, and book reviewer.

Elaine Lillian Romagnoli was an American businesswoman and community leader. She founded and ran successful restaurants and lesbian bars, including Bonnie & Clyde's, The Cubby Hole, and Crazy Nanny's in New York City.

The Jewel Box Lounge, also known as the Jewel Box, was a nightclub & lounge opened by John Tuccillo in 1948. Located on the historic Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri it was one of the earliest establishments in the area to feature drag queens and impersonators as entertainers. At its peak, the Jewel Box Lounge was one of the largest and best-known drag nightclubs in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ "The Evolution Of The Art Of Drag In 33 Stunning, Historical Images". allthatsinteresting.com. 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  2. ↑ "Drag Show in Las Vegas". Hamburger Mary's. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ↑ "How to Navigate a Drag Show When It's Your First Time". Study Breaks. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  4. ↑ "Southern Decadence Official Website". Southerndecadence.net. 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  5. 1 2 Wilson, James F. (2010). "'That's the Kind of Gal I Am': Drag Balls, 'Sexual Perversion,' and David Belasco's Lulu Belle". Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies: Performance, Race, and Sexuality in the Harlem Renaissance. University of Michigan Press. pp. 79–111. doi:10.3998/mpub.1175684. hdl:20.500.12657/64171. ISBN   978-0-472-11725-3. JSTOR   10.3998/mpub.1175684.6.
  6. 1 2 Kaminski, Elizabeth; Taylor, Verta (2008). "'We're Not Just Lip-Synching Up Here': Music and Collective Identity in Drag Performances". In Reger, Jo; Myers, Daniel J.; Einwohner, Rachel L. (eds.). Identity Work in Social Movements. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 47–76. ISBN   978-0-8166-5139-9. JSTOR   10.5749/j.ctttt85v.6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Coleman, Bud (1997). "Jewel Box Revue: America's Longest-Running Touring Drag Show". Theatre History Studies. 17: 79–91. ProQuest   1311934985.
  8. ↑ Yardley, William (May 29, 2014) "Storme DeLarverie, Early Leader in the Gay Rights Movement, Dies at 93" in The New York Times .
  9. ↑ K, Kristi (May 28, 2014). "Something Like A Super Lesbian: Stormé DeLarverie (In Memoriam)". thekword.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  10. ↑ "K. Stormé DeLarverie, "Storme on Stonewall"". STONEWALL Veterans' Association. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. ↑ Chu, Grace (July 26, 2010). "From the Archives: An interview with lesbian Stonewall veteran Stormé DeLarverie". AfterEllen.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Women Make Movies | Storme The Lady of the Jewel Box". Wmm.com. n.d. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Shapiro, Eve (2007). "Drag Kinging and the Transformation of Gender Identities". Gender and Society. 21 (2): 250–271. doi:10.1177/0891243206294509. JSTOR   27640961. S2CID   145789681.
  14. 1 2 3 "Provincetown Will Host the First-Ever 'Drag Camp' Featuring Some of the World's Most Famous Queens". Hornet Stories. 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Importance of Drag Brunch in NYC". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  16. ↑ Jordan, Susan (2014). "Brunch". Empty Closet.
  17. ↑ "Drag Brunch in Las Vegas". Hamburger Mary's. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  18. 1 2 "South End club will become Charlotte's first drag queen restaurant". charlotteobserver. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
  19. ↑ Kravitz, Melissa (2018-04-16). "The Best Places to Catch Live Drag Shows in New York City". Thrillist. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  20. 1 2 Fortino, A. Sebastian. "Lips Gospel Brunch: Drag for Jesus" . Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  21. 1 2 "1. Lips". BizBash. Archived from the original on 2018-04-23. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  22. ↑ Walker, Bonnie (May 17, 2002). "W.D. Deli brunch anything but drag". San Antonio Express-News.
  23. ↑ Burgos, J. (2016). "Brunch at Lips is such a Drag!". Hotspots Magazine. Vol. 3124. pp. 112–113.
  24. ↑ "Are straight people 'stealing' RuPaul's Drag Race?". Radio Times. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.