ROTTERDAM GIRLS

Drag began out of necessity, although that's not to say its participants didn't enjoy it. When Shakespearean theatre was shiny and new in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the stage wasn't just a place of entertainment. It had strong link to the church and with that came rules that only men could tread the boards. If that play you were in featured a few female roles, then it was up to a couple of the men in the cast to dress up as the female parts. And since then, have there been some great drag queen troupes. I would have loved to have been around to see the Jewel Box Revue!! Back when we went to Amsterdam, we spent a few days in Rotterdam, where it appears the time had come finally...Europe had gotten its own large scale drag production. The latest hip and progressive city in the Netherlands had the honor to host this, now legendary drag show. The Rotterdam Drag Show started back up from the pandemic in September of 2021 in the stunning Schiecentrale studio with the same mouthwatering cast of queens. It has gone on to become one of the biggest drag shows in Europe. It was a fond memory of our Netherlands trip. It was like an evening of no other. The show is built in a classic revue form and contains all the elements that make up a fantastic evening. Heartfelt emotions, laughing out loud, stunning over the top frocks, and stunning numbers that follow each other at a rapid pace. And when the show is over, the real party starts, with dancing, drinking and schmoozing with the queens. And now even greater is that the Rotterdam Drag Show, invites members of the Hungarian LGBTQ to come to the performances for free, to welcome them from their own country where they, and their rights are being trampled on. The legendary cast-

The Latin diva of the group, Miss Abby OMG is a Brazilian bombshell who is known for her fierce beauty and looks and full of energy performances.

If I had a list of drag queens who are a must see, this queen would be on it. If you were here last week, I introduced you to Sederginne in this post. Sederginne is the quintessential comedy queen that will fill the room with hilarity. Always crazy, weird and strange things in life are examined, enlarged and brought to the stage, and nothing is off limits, from Gilles de la Tourette parody to ridiculing Celine Dion. This queen has got it all.

Envy Peru is one of the lead performers together with Vanessa. Envy's persona was born in Amsterdam of 2015. Due to her incredible make up skills, (among some of the best I've seen), and her sensual performances, she quickly made a name for herself in Holland's nightlife and television. Known as one of the Grande dames of the Netherlands and a winner of Drag Race, it has now made her a top queen of prominence in the world of drag. Her acts need to be seen. She would be a reason for me to pursue drag if I already didn't. One class act.

This show is proud to present the like of this queen, and one of it's lead performers, Vanessa Van Cartier. Her routines are full of beautiful numbers, stunning frocks, and an evening of magical entertainment. Her stage entrances remind me of the glamours entrances made by the late Danny La Rue. Vanessa is the first trans queen to win the world championship of Drag: Miss Contintential World, not to mention another queen who was crowned in Drag Race. This is a professional kids.

Meet Janey Jacke', a fiery and fierce talent that stole the heart of fans all across the globe. With her astonishing looks and excellent snarky humor, this dancing queen slays the house down. One of the newer members of the show, Janey will definitely shine on the stage of the Rotterdam Drag Show for some time.

The New York queen, Skyla Versai started her career as an international style ballroom champion, professional dancer and musical theater performer. She is the show's host. With her unique sense of humor, lip-synching, wise cracking and dancing skills, she will amaze any audience. She radiates on the stage. At times, she reminds me of a more lethal, snarky Lucille Ball.

With a line up like this how can one go wrong? Just one of these queens is worth the price of admission. If you get to the Netherlands, be sure to catch this legendary show in Rotterdam.

TRANS SISTAS

Here we are again...Arise.... for the next crowned Queen...Vanessa Van Cartier, the latest queen to win the crown of Drag Race Holland... and yet again, another trans female to follow Sonique as a winner,  and about high time these trans sistas get their due. Vanessa has long been very well known and is usually pretty stiff competition if you follow the drag pageant system. Vanessa is truly one of a kind. As a transgender drag queen and performer,  Vanessa is the only queen from Europe to win and hold the title of Miss World Continental, where she beat out the world's most popular and talented queens when it was held in Chicago, and then getting placed on the second season of RuPauls Drag Race Holland, where she pretty much ate up the competition without as much as breaking a sweat. No small feat, as the season had some of the stiffest competition yet for one cast. And About damn time these trans queen are allowed to compete. As I have said before, drag is drag.

We must remember that just a short few years ago, one of the preeminent drag queens in the world expressed his resistance to trans woman participating in Drag Race because when it's not cis men doing it, "drag loses it's sense of danger" And Ru added a trans woman have a "up" by taking hormones, which to him are nothing more then "performance-enhancing drugs." Don't get this wrong though. RuPaul knows that drag queens and trans sisters are and were part of same club and night scene. Ru never had anything against our trans sisters, but I think just had the old fashioned thinking of drag shows were just for cis males competing. Even some of the queens recently like Dahlia Sin and Adian Zane had issue with trans queens competing. Since many seasons have ended,  there have been many queens who went on the transition, many more then most know, most notably recently is the fabulous Gigi Goode. But it wasn't till the last season that a fully trans queen finally got on,  in the form of Gottmik. Ru has since opened the flood gates. Over the past decade with the show's success, Drag Con events, and festivals like Bushwig, drag is experiencing yet another sort of renaissance. Drag queens have become interchangeably our self help gurus and seasonal look books, and make up tutorial how- to's. "Who's your favorite drag queen"  is the new "What's your astrological sign" you ask me.

So it's high time trans can compete. Trans people have had to differentiate and distance themselves from drag queens, asserting that their identities are entrant and permanent, This distancing has come with good reason considering the historic prevalence of transmisogyny with in drag spaces. Where do trans find themselves today: they are burdened with the task of always proving themselves, of the real in a society drunk on the myth of it's own naturalness. In a world where ideology masquerades as biology, they have to convince the doctors, the feminists and the partners and parents they they are real in order to be recognized, let alone respected. These trans performers have just as much right to perform drag as cis men. It blows my mind that as drag queens who have also had it hard with being rejected by members of the community, that no one would date because their considered to "fem" that they wouldn't accept a trans person doing drag. It is all art after all! So I take my hat off and roll out the welcome mat for our trans sisters and brothers to bring their best  drag personas.. So I condragulate Vanessa Van Cartier and Sonique on their crowning's.

So you know I'm all about the first AFAB queen, Victoria Scone being on this UK season. And she was 

FAB.U .LOUS!!!

She just may be the funniest queen on the show since Bianca Del Rio. The hilarity ensued already in the first half hour, where she had RuPaul already in hysterics.

Grande Dame

 

Some queens can get pretty fishy, but I don't think they come fishier than this queen! Vanessa Van Cartier has been entertaining the masses in Belgium for over ten years now. This Brussels diva is known for her extremely tight lip synch and her over the top show girl grab, and to mention her work with various charities for raising funds for the local community. And look at those gams!!!!!!!