Darcel Stevens
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
Over 30 years. What "hooked" me to the art form is its ability to instantly impact the disposition and lives of those who spectate; it's euphoric!
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked for you.
My first Drag experience as an entertainer was phenomenal! The sisterhood of professional entertainers styled me, from makeup, clothing, to the choice of music. I had little to do with the preparation process, only show up and perform. My performance was met with enthusiastic applause and gratuity, I was instantly hooked!
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
My aesthetic and persona — think the beauty and elegance of Diahann Carroll with the soul and temperament of Aretha Franklin. That's Darcel Stevens. On stage giving the illusion of a woman who's sophisticated, beautiful, approachable and mysterious. While offstage, assertive, vocal, approachable, curious and engaging! All of these characteristics are what makes Darcel Stevens uniquely authentic.
What are (and were) your favorite spots to perform in Orlando? Parliament House, Hammered Lamb, Island Time, Hamburger Mary's Orlando.
Who are some local performers who have influenced or assisted you over the years?
Miss P (deceased), Tasha Diane (deceased), Tasha Long, Jazell Barbie Royale, Angelica Sanchez, Danielle Hunter.
What was your reaction to the news about the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year, and, conversely, the Hamburger Mary's lawsuit victory? My reaction to the anti-drag laws was to create a counter-reaction. I was extremely proud and privileged to create and organize The Drag Queens March 2023: a mobilization of Drag Queens and their allies from around the state of Florida to the state capital in Tallahassee! With the help of personally chosen City Coordinators from 13 major cities, over 540 protesters marched approximately one mile, converging on the steps of the Florida State Capital in direct protest against anti-drag bills/laws.
The bravery and anger Hamburger Mary's Orlando displayed was motivating and heroic! While Mary's Orlando was not the focus in crafting anti-drag legislation, Mary's Orlando's owners knew the bills/laws were unconstitutional and must be challenged. The entire state of Florida owes Hamburger Mary's Orlando a great debt of gratitude for their courageous actions. The injunction handed down by a federal judge allows Drag to continue in Florida, thanks to Hamburger Mary's Orlando.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug? Saturday, Sept. 9, at Hamburger Mary's Orlando: Darcel's Birthday! Featuring Darcel Stevens, Daisy Dior and Danielle Hunter.
Danielle Hunter
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
I have been performing for 32 years, 25 in Orlando, and have been very fortunate to have won numerous titles such as Miss Florida 1999, Miss Continental 2000, Miss Continental Elite 2007 and Entertainer of the Year 2019. The pageant world has been a significant force in my life as a performer. I think the excitement of a crowd and my competitive nature have been the driving forces in my career.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked.
My first show was on Halloween in Carbondale, Illinois. Like many other entertainers, I just thought it would be fun. Turns out I just discovered myself and would never look back.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
I remember growing up. My family was impoverished, and I would spend my afternoons watching a show called Green Acres with this character that wore chiffon and high heels on the farm. Zsa Zsa Gabor was very classy and never had a hair out of place. I have learned years later, in a way, she was the woman I always aspired to be and look like.
Where are your favorite spots to perform in Orlando?
I love to perform in the City Beautiful. Just a few of my favorite spots are Island Time, Amore, Secrets, Savoy and Southern Nights, just to name a few I have coming up on my schedule.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you?
Performers that have helped me become the performer I am today ... Carmella Marcella Garcia, who I worked with at Southern Nights for about 15 years. I enjoyed performing at the Parliament House for about eight years, and a significant influence was Darcel Stevens.
What was your reaction to the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
I am a little shocked about the new laws in our state, like [restricting] gender-affirming care. I have been living female for 35 years, and on July 1 of this year, I learned that I would need to start a process to find a psychiatrist to state that I need the medication to keep the hormones to live my life as a transgender woman. I might add that, at the moment, most psychiatrists fear taking on clients due to the threat of lawsuits. I never thought that after living this way for the majority of my life, I'd need someone to tell me that I am approved to continue.
Natalia Taylor
How long have you been performing drag and what was it that hooked you on this art form?
I have been doing this for about nine years and I initially started doing community theater. I started as Angel in a local production of Rent while I was in college. I was at Valencia, and we got the first rights in the state of Florida to do Kinky Boots so I was one of the drag queens in that again, and it kind of stuck.
Tell me about your first drag performance where everything clicked?
I don't know, it just always felt right. The stage just feels like home for me. Whether that be in a restaurant doing brunch, or in a theater with lights and bass and all of that, it just clicks. I love performing and I love being in front of people.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona and the work that goes into perfecting a look for a show.
It depends on what you're doing for a show. Like you can spend up to like four or five hours getting dressed, doing your hair down, shaving, showering and all that fun stuff. But if you're doing a full production or like a beauty pageant or something, that can take months up to weeks. I fancy myself a little bit of an older-school drag so I do like pageants and I don't mind spending money to put on a production or a big show. You know, I do love my icons like Beyoncé and Ariana, but I also love Shirley Bassey and Liza Minnelli and stars of the past, when everything was huge.
What are some of your favorite spots to perform in Orlando?
Wherever! I do love Hamburger Mary's, and some brunch spots here in Orlando, right around Lake Eola and downtown.
Who are some local performers who have either influenced you or assisted you along the way?
Darcel Stevens, MysTree and Carbon Cavalli I think are not only innovators, but drivers in this community for equality, for perseverance. And just to do the right thing and to be a good person. Be nice, you know, so the world would be nice back to you.
What was your reaction to all of the anti-drag legislation passed in Florida?
I think it's absolutely ridiculous. Like what you like and dress however you want, it doesn't mean that's who you are. Drag is what I do, it's not who I am. I'm not a woman. I'm not pretending, I'm not telling you that. I just like wearing makeup and putting on a great show and I just so happen to be wearing six-inch heels.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
I don't. I actually broke my pelvis, believe it or not, about a year ago so I'm still recovering from that. I don't have anything lined up because I don't do the splits like before, just to make sure that everything can heal. I broke my pelvis in two places during a drag show. But that's not something obviously to push me away. You saw me with high shoes and long hair and makeup. I'm not scared to come back and come full force. So if anybody out there is willing to, contact me. We will be all over the state.
Kitana Gemini
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
Over 20 years now ... wooh. I've loved it since the moment I first saw a certain entertainer, Nazhoni T. Foxx, host her college nights back in the day. Actually she started college nights here in the Orlando scene.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked. My first performance was to Britney Spears "I'm a Slave 4 U" with backup dancers, and it was my first solo show under my stage name. I was usually doing backup dancing for other entertainers until that point. After that show I knew it was something I wanted to do for the long run.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
I like to stand out from the crowd of performers and do my own thing. Nowadays there's so many entertainers that dress, paint and perform alike. I like to mix some dance, comedy and old-school with my Kitana persona. I go on stage knowing the beat and lyrics to every mix I perform, and I try my best to include the audience as well as show my appreciation for every dollar that I get tipped.
Favorite spots to perform in Orlando?
Island Time, Southern Nights, Shots Orlando.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you? My Drag Mothers Nazhoni T. Foxx, Avalon Infiniti and Power Infiniti. They are the perfect combination of Drag and Clubkid mixed with Old School representation.
What was your reaction to reading the news about all the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year? I literally turned to my friends and said "This is some bullshit!" Drag is a performance art and should not be illegal. A lot of us make a living from performing. For many of us it has saved our lives.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
I'll be hosting the last Sunday of every month at Island Time for their award-winning Drag Brunch. I will also be bringing back my event #ODRL (Orlando Drag Race Live) with a special AllStars Edition ... more info coming soon about that event.
Davi Oddity
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
Coming up on two years of performing! Being completely honest, I was interested in traditional burlesque until I watched Dragula. I was instantly hooked and switched gears.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked.
This actually just recently happened. I was performing at my good friend MysTree Hugga's show out in Sanford. I was dressed to kill and the makeup wasn't any less impressive. I've been working so hard on my craft lately and I finally felt it all come together. When I was done performing, I felt like I had left absolutely everything on the stage in the best way possible. It's that "A-ha!" moment where you're like "wait, I'm actually really meant to be doing this."
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
I have always said that Davi is a shapeshifting demon. It's like I take over a personality for a day, but in such a true-to-my-persona kind of way. It's like Tim Burton meets Bettie Page with a touch of camp. To perfect my looks, I really get into the details. I spend about 30 minutes in the mirror after I'm done with makeup and outfit just trying on various accessories, adding gems to my face or glitter to my body. I love finding little things that I just know people are gonna want to look at.
What are your favorite spots to perform in Orlando? I am a huge fan of Treehouse Thursdays at Manikin Lounge and Off the Record Wednesdays at the Renaissance Theatre. Of course I can't leave out The 808, where I have my shows as well. Such a cool setting for drag!
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you? My first influences were Victoria and Opulence Black. I saw Vicky on Dragula and started attending her show where I met Opulence! Once I began getting into drag myself I was pulling a lot of emotional support and drag help from the lovely Carbon and MysTree Hugga.
What was your reaction to the news about all the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
At first I almost didn't take it seriously because it seemed so unreal to attack a community that is so heavily concentrated in Florida. As things continued, I was so disheartened for our future as a community. We are far from done fighting the good fight, but I am ecstatic to see queer and trans performers still going strong and doing what they need to do to keep shows running.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug, and do you have any big plans for the rest of the year that you could fill us in on? Sept. 9 is Spikefest! A new alternative drag show at Austin's Coffee hosted by my good friend Pup Rocky. Showtimes are 10:30 and 11:30 p.m. Door is donation-based. Coming up for October I'm working on a really exciting project with some really killer queens for a collaborative spooky pop-up, as well as a ton of themed shows of my own. This is the time of year where I thrive but also don't sleep much.
Allie Slasher
How long have you been performing drag and what was it that hooked you on this art form?
So I, weirdly, was a Shakespearean actor when I was a little kid. The first time I actually did any of it was a traditional Shakespeare play. And then I fell in love with the art form the way I'm doing it now. Right before the pandemic, I think, was my first time on stage — in February, and then everything shut down in March. A brief little unveiling in Orlando and then immediately went to streaming and Twitch and stuff for the length of that. So now I'm kind of coming back out and getting to do shows in the public eye around town and stuff.
What was the first drag performance where everything really clicked for you.
I don't know if I've had that one yet. I always have big nervous energy before shows and stuff like that. Took me a while to sort of get around all of that kind of thing. But I've had some really, really close points. I did a number at Spikefest that went well, I performed to ... [Orlando band Super Passive, who Slasher plays bass for] had just come off that tour with Korine, so I did one of their songs, and no one has ever performed drag to their songs before. It was a really cool moment.
Tell us about your drag persona/aesthetic.
My drag character is a little weird. On purpose. Obviously, it's drag, it's supposed to be a little extra. But Allie Slasher is a dead alien who's been stuck on earth for a long time and really bored and it's exciting to inhabit humans to kind of understand what humanity is so they can at least kind of enjoy their time while they're here. It's strange, but it allows me to perform gender in a way that is really nonspecific. I don't ever want anyone to confuse me with a woman. I want to make sure I am a big drag monster, a gender-amorphous thing of beauty and joy.
I was curious also about the work that goes into getting your looks ready for each show.
A lot of artists will start with a look and find the song and I start with the song and find the look. Typically I'm going to try to tie it into some greater theme within the musical piece and then start throwing stuff up on a dress form until it looks right. I don't have a lot of sewing skills or anything like that, but I've done it enough to sort of get by if I need to make some alterations. I tend to not build a lot of stuff from scratch. I tend to start from pieces and then modify those pieces. Kind of build the silhouette, then build the fine details, and then kind of put it on myself. Make sure everything looks right. Try to perform it, practice how you're going to be performing it, and go from there.
In terms of the makeup, I've got some signature stuff that I include on every piece; other than that, I'm usually trying to draw from one of my icons, like Madeline Kahn.
What are some of your favorite spots to perform in Orlando?
You can't go wrong with Southern Nights. It's amazing. I like a lot of the smaller stuff. What we're doing at Austin's Coffee is fucking great. I love having a space like that, where it's sort of ended up outside of directly queer spaces. I think that's really helpful and really different. We've done stuff with like Iron Cow and The 808. That's so much fun.
Local performers that have influenced or assisted you?
All the girls in Black Haus. Opulence Black is probably my favorite queen in town. She's incredible, she's beautiful. She's unbelievable on a microphone, she is such a good host. And Zade Black, the way that he moves and performs is so mesmerizing and clearly like a classically trained dancer, I just — my body doesn't move like that. So I tend to really like dancers. And Davi, we help each other and it's great.
What was your reaction to the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
It's really terrifying. I remember we were doing a show and I'm in full drag and this child walks in, one of like the owner's children or something like that, and I literally froze where I'm standing, staring at it like "I'm going to jail now." So yeah, that is like a kind of weird near-constant threat. What's always going to happen anytime you kind of try to [ban art], it's never really going to end well. It's just going to propagate itself even further into more widely diverse spaces. It's not something that you're ever going to be able to stop — like, it's just art. You can't stop it.
Yeah, it's terrifying, especially with the kind of ways they're labeling people in the community as groomers or pedophiles, it's transparent and it's gross. Hopefully this will not be something that we'll have to deal with forever, but Florida is not doing great with that. So we will see how that goes.
Do you have any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
Nothing that I can really talk about just yet. I will say that hopefully there is going to be a really nice semi-regular event based around music and drag that will be happening very soon.
Kaija Adonis
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
I've been performing for 21 years ... being a theater kid, the first time I went to the bar when I was 18 and saw my first drag show, I was hooked instantly.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked.
I think it was my first performance on my birthday, the audience really responded to me.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
My drag persona is all over the place. I don't really try to stay with one look. My drag consists of cosplay, club kid and traditional drag.
Favorite spot to perform in Orlando?
My home bar, Southern Nights.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you?
Nazhoni, my first drag mother, will always be an inspiration to me.
What was your reaction to all the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
I think it's just really stupid. The right is always looking for something to get people all up in arms when there's really nothing backing it up. Next they will say something stupid like eating ice cream goes against their values. Drag performances do absolutely nothing harmful to anyone. It's entertainment, it brings people joy.
Drag has been around for hundreds of years, it's been in movies, on Broadway, on television and now you're trying to say it grooms children? Girl, bye. Go outside and touch some grass, drink a glass of milk and calm all the way down!
Are there upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
On Aug. 25 there's a new dinner show that I'm performing in hosted by Mr Ms Adrien at The 808. Later this year in December I will be presenting my annual charity event called Broadway Christmas! Local entertainers come together and we perform numbers from Broadway, animated and movie musicals, and 100 percent of the money collected goes directly to the Trevor Project.
Natasha / V
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
I've been performing for around two years now. Ever since I was little I enjoyed performing, but being a boy experiencing what would later be diagnosed as dysphoria, I never felt comfortable taking boy roles and playing boy parts. Once I started doing makeup at the age of 12 and watching a show called RuPaul's Drag Race, I realized exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked. MX OTR 2023 would definitely be when I realized that drag was my true passion. Wearing big hair with draggy makeup but still looking sexy made me feel so confident. I had never felt fully put together and fully realized up until that point.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona and the work that goes into perfecting your look for each show. My drag aesthetic is forever changing; sometimes I'm glamorous, sometimes I'm a pregnant waitress who doesn't know what to do with her unborn child (IYKYK). My persona however has always been the same: V might be the dumb bimbo that thinks 2+2=orange, but she knows that she's not the one to play with. I have a lovely family of people around me that help me make costumes, design fully realized concepts, let me borrow jewels and jewelry. Drag is a community. It's very rare to find a lone drag queen that is successful in this industry.
What are your favorite spots to perform in Orlando?
Considering we don't have that many places to perform, I'd have to say Southern Nights and the Renaissance Theatre. When my home bar, Stonewall, abruptly shut down, Southern was the place to make me professional and polished, while the Ren was the place to push my creativity.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you?
My drag mother Carbon, drag father Eros, my auntie and uncle Cara Cavalli and Axel Andrews, Mr Ms Adrien, Myki Meeks, Opal Cavalli ... all of those people have influenced my costume decisions, my performance choices, the way I lip-sync, act in a professional setting, etc. When they say "It takes a village to raise a child," I'm Orlando's child and the Orlando drag scene is my village.
What was your reaction to the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
I honestly thought it would all blow over from how dumb it all sounded. I have young siblings, nieces and nephews, and I couldn't imagine them ever going through something as traumatic as "sexual grooming"... let alone being the one to groom them. I believe that parental decisions should be made by parents at the end of the day. If you don't want your child to see drag, don't let them watch Drag Race, don't take them to a drag show, don't take them to Pride. If you don't want your child to transition, don't give them hormones, don't take them to a psychiatrist that specializes in dysphoria, deadname them to hell.
At the end of the day, you're not the one who gets to decide if you're a good parent — your child does. Do you want them to have a parent that listens to their struggles, helps them navigate through their experiences, and teaches them about things before the world does? Or do you want them to walk through life when they're an adult confused about the wonderfully diverse world around them as if they've been in a coma for the past 18 years? It's the parents' decision.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
Aug. 28 I'm in Shecago: A Dragsical at the Abbey, Unity Nite shows at Southern Nights should be back sometime at the end of the month, and me and my best friend Beatrixxx Oddity's brand-new show Playhaus will be announcing our monthly dates at Iron Cow soon! I'm hoping to do more traveling out of town and even out of state for bookings, so if you're interested in having this performer at one of your shows, let a girl know!
Kimberly Embers
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you?
I've been doing drag for about three years now and the thing that attracted it to me was the way they looked. And the very first drag queen I ever met gave me the nicest words of encouragement, especially when I was going through a tough time. I knew that I wanted to be that person for others. Drag performers are almost like superheroes, people look up to them.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked. My very first drag performance was at Southern Nights Tampa, and I did the song "Work Bitch" by Britney Spears. And after the number so many people loved it, but the person that told me I have something special and I should keep going was Jade Embers, my now-drag mother. I didn't think I was going to keep going, but just to be noticed by someone in that community that people loved and adored gave me that confidence I needed to pursue something I've loved since I was younger.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
My drag aesthetic is very much sexy Barbie vibes. I call myself the Black Barbie, very glamorous and put together, but also I'm a dancer so when it comes to putting a look together I make sure it's something I can dance in but also breathe in.
What are your favorite spots to perform in Orlando? I love performing at Southern Nights Orlando but other good venues to perform at are Ember on Sundays, Chillers, Café DaVinci, along with others I'm excited to work with, like Island Time and Iron Cow.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you? Local performers who have helped shape me in the Orlando community are Sassy Devine, Axel Andrews and Natalie E. Devine (my drag sister) — just to name a few.
What was your reaction to the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year? My reaction with all of these anti-drag laws was very upsetting. I didn't like that not only lawmakers but also the media were painting not only drag performers but also the LGBTQ+ community as a whole as villains. They called us things like predators and unfit to be in front of children. They all think that we are the ones hurting children but in actually we are not. These lawmakers need to realize that guns are the thing hurting our children. These laws were just another attempt to try and keep my community quiet or contained. This plan failed and we are stronger and more together than ever before. Look at what we did when we marched up to the capital building in Tallahassee. We are here and Queer and we aren't going anywhere.
Are there any shows you'd like to plug? If you all would like to follow me on my drag journey you can follow me on Instagram @kimberlyyembers. There I will be posting upcoming shows week to week, like the Aug. 23 Beyoncé Renaissance party at the Renaissance Theatre.
Athena Embers
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
I have been performing in drag for about five years now. When I moved to Orlando seven years ago I saw my first drag show and was hooked. I fell in love with the art of it all and the power it has over not only myself but the audience as well.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
I would describe my drag aesthetic as fun, body positivity, a little humor and all the emotions. I try and make the most of my outfits.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you? Some of the local performers who have helped me are definitely my two amazing drag moms: Tashae Royale Sherrington and Jade Embers. They have molded me into the artist I am today and I feel so lucky to have them in my life. Others include Sassy Devine, Natalie E. Devine, Addison Taylor, Axel Andrews and Kaija Taylor Adonis.
What was your reaction to the news about all the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
When the anti-drag bill was passed I was in disbelief. How can someone say that we are harmful to anyone? We just want to have fun with our friends and make people smile.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug? In the coming months I am competing in two pageants: Tampa Pride and Large and Lovely.
Daisy Dior
How long have you been performing drag?
I have been performing in drag for four years! At first it was never on my radar but when I was adopted by my drag mother, RuPaul's Drag Race legend Ginger Minj, I decided to give it a try and it ended up clicking!
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked.
I wasn't in full drag, but I was a backup character for a friend at the time, during a pageant they were competing in. And the moment it clicked was when I stepped out from behind the curtain, the spotlights hit me, the crowd started screaming and it was showtime!
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
My drag persona is a mixture of my true self and the femininity I always had to hide growing up in West Virginia. I consider my drag to be a female impersonation. I have always had strong female figures in my life and drag allows me to feel more confident in my true self!
What are your favorite spots to perform in Orlando? Many venues in the Orlando area have given myself and so many other performers a safe place to express ourselves and our art, but I always have the best time at Hamburger Mary's Orlando and Island Time Brunch, and there are so many more I would love to dip my heels into!
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you?
Orlando is full of amazing talent and there have been quite a few local entertainers that have really made their stamp and have become true friends. To name a few that I love and admire: my drag mother Ginger Minj, Mr Ms Adrien, MysTree Hugga, Darcel Stevens, Melony Munro and so many more!
What was your reaction to the anti-drag laws passed in Florida?
When the anti-drag laws were introduced in Florida, it broke my heart. Drag is an outlet and a safe space for so many and to see Republican lawmakers try to paint drag queens as monsters and push false narratives about us — narratives that put us in danger — it hurts. I started drag when I moved to Orlando and to have my character and morals attacked by complete strangers, I will not stand for it! Drag queens are warriors and the queens before us have fought for us to be where we are now. We cannot let their hard work go to waste, we must continue to fight and vote, vote, vote!
Do you have any upcoming shows you'd like to plug? I am a queen that's always on the go! I travel all throughout the state to clubs, brunches, campgrounds, private events, bars and restaurants. I also do quite a bit of travel out of the state with visits to Dallas, and I also take my drag to the seven seas onboard many different cruise ships! I love traveling to new cities and states and even countries and being able to share my art, and I am always looking to add the next city, state and country to my list! You can find where I'm going to be next on my Instagram @thedaisydior and if you need an entertainer at your next event, I'm your queen!
Tashae Royale Sherrington
How long have you been performing drag and what first hooked you about this art form?
I've been doing drag for 16 years and what got me hooked to the art form is I've always been in theater and singing, and I've always felt like I was in the wrong body, and I always felt I was supposed to be born a woman. And when I went to my first drag show and saw what was actually going on, from the makeup, to the costumes, the hair and the artistry, I knew I was meant for this art form.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked.
My first drag performance was at a club, Incahoots, in Jacksonville, Florida, and I remember I wore a brown mesh gown and I performed Faith Evans' "True Love."
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
My drag aesthetic is to exceed perfection, glamor, beauty, grace, tantalizing, polished, professional and mesmerizing (haha) and be the singing and entertaining diva that I know I am, and that others have grown to love.
What are some of your favorite spots to perform, past and present?
My favorite spots to perform in Orlando, past and present, are Southern Nights, Parliament House, Pulse, Stonewall, and Irish Shannons for BLM Tuesdays — booze, love and music.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you?
Some local performers that have influenced me: Jazell Barbie Royale, Angelica Sanchez, Tasha Long, Darcel Stevens, Roxxxy Andrews and Aysia Black.
What was your reaction to the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
I really hate discussing this, but I know we have to because it is and was our reality. But when it happened I was angry, scared, confused, mad and all I'm going to say is a lot of people really hate or despise what they don't know or understand, but knowledge is power.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
I would really like to extend my gratitude and thanks to Matthew and Orlando Weekly for this amazing opportunity, and you can catch myself and the Southern Nights divas every weekend at Southern Nights Orlando, and stay tuned for some amazing things I have coming up.
Axel Andrews
How long have you been performing drag?
My first appearance as Axel was back in 2008. So I've been performing for roughly 15 years. I've always had an attraction to the art world and the more I was around drag, the more inspired I was, with the exception that I was never connected to female musicians in the way that I was to male leads and rock bands. Then one night at Pulse Orlando, I saw Kitana Gemini perform to one of my favorite bands — Fallout Boy — and I knew there was a place for me in the drag community.
Tell me about the first drag performance where everything really clicked.
I was fresh out of the closet when I moved to Orlando from the west coast of Florida. I had no idea what I was like as a gay man, let alone how to do makeup, hair or costuming. But Kitana Gemini knew I had an interest in the art of drag and gave me a spot in her annual show to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Terrified but excited, I convinced a friend who had been performing for years to do a combined number with me. We went back and forth performing to a nine-minute mix of male- and female-led bands.
Describe your drag aesthetic/persona.
My drag aesthetic has always been a punk-rock sex symbol with a splash of goofy banter. I love combining the extremes of drag with a male lead energy.
What are your favorite spots to perform in Orlando? Formerly Pulse Orlando, but my home at Southern Nights is a weekly blessing.
Local performers who have influenced or assisted you?
My Drag mother Roxxxy Andrews, along with legends like Darcel Stevens, Danielle Hunter and Kitana Gemini.
What was your reaction to reading the news about all the anti-drag laws passed in Florida earlier this year?
I've been furious about this whole situation since the minute I heard. Mainly because it's clear that the conservatives' objectives are always the same. They pick a marginalized group that they can shine a false accusation on to distract the public from the real economic issues we face. A Drag Queen's motto is "Be who you want to be and love your life loud and with color." The only grooming and conversions going on are in the churches and the military.
Are there any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
You can find me hosting Orlando's hottest college night [Rush Thursdays] every Thursday at Southern Nights. And I'll be performing in Mr Ms Adrien's brand-new Icons cabaret dinner show Friday, Aug. 25.
