Two Articles This Week In The NY TIMES and NEXT Magazine

In an unusual confluence, two feature articles I've been working on for the past couple of months were published in the last two days. I wrote an article about the emergence and growing popularity of Boylesque for the NY TIMES style section, which appeared in Thursday's paper. And then I have a feature in NEXT magazine's "State of Drag" issue, about the sex and dating lives of drag queens. 

The TIMES piece came about as I've been a bit of a Boylesque fan-boy since attending Tigger's "Man-A-Tease" at the Coney Island Sideshow By The Seashore three summers ago. I think it's a fascinating twist to the whole neo-burlesque revival and really puts an unusual male spin on a traditionally female art form. My story in NEXT came about as they were searching for ideas for the state of drag issue. A friend of mine who has recently been performing in drag told me how it had greatly improved his sex life and that intrigued me.  Not enough to don drag but so much so that it got me to write about the dating lives of drag queens, something I feel is not discussed or heard about even. 

Anyway, hope you enjoy these stories as some weekend reading. And you can look for a couple more stories from me in the TIMES style section in the coming weeks.

Broadway Is Such A "Drag" These Days

What is it about drag and Broadway these days?  In the current season there are three shows where the leading ladies are actually leading men and all of them have stolen their respective shows.  First, there was Douglas Hodge in the new revival of LA CAGE, for which he is likely to win the Tony Award.  The show is closing later this month, with the writer of the show Harvey Fierstein taking over the role (which I plan to catch before it closes). 

Then there was Bryan Bedford's brilliant turn as Lady Bracknell in the revival of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.  To say Bedford is in drag actually understates the sharpness and the simplicity of his commanding performance in this classic role.  It is truly a revelation and, after the generous applause on his opening entrance, you utterly forget there is a man underneath all that fine, Victorian cloth.  This show is still running with Bedford in the role until July.

Finally, the third queen that signals the trend is Tony Sheldon playing "Bernadette" in PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT.  I caught this show last night and Sheldon's take on the over the hill drag going for one last shot of glittery glory is spot-on.  He has a way with delivery which has the audience cracking up before he's even spoken a syllable.  All he needs to do is arch an eyebrow or shift his weight to one leg and that's it--scene over.  The show itself is not great, unlike LA CAGE or EARNEST, but Sheldon keeps you interested and keeps you laughing up until the crazy curtain call.