Feature: Stephen Mosher's Pandemic Playlist Number Six - The Drag Edition

Cabaret is an all-encompasing art form. It can be any entertainment that takes place in a room where food and drink is served, so people can find themselves seeing singers, comics, story slams, burlesques, magicians, ventriloquists, poetry slams - you name it, you can find it. One of the most frequently enjoyed brands of cabaret is drag, and drag can come in any and all shapes, sizes, and styles. Today's Pandemic Playlist is a tribute to the men and women of drag culture who keep the clubs specializing in this branch of the performing arts up to their rhinestone-studded ears in fans that make family.

1. Doris Dear has, in five years, captured the hearts of the cabaret community, winning awards and praise from everyone. Doris is the perfect housewife, as instructed to be so by her mother, Taffy, and her shows are designed to teach everyone those lessons, so they can be perfect, too. Doris is famous for her Christmas shows at THE TRIAD and in 2017 she invited Lisa Yaeger to join her in a festive little duet that many people might already know: DUET Find Doris Dear online HERE (Photo courtesy of Doris Dear)

2. Leola is an acclaimed performer working on stages around the country, but for the last year she has had a residency at THE GREEN ROOM 42 which has continued into this year. Her sermons are about spreading love and healing the world one cabaret room at a time. The septuagenarian redneck lesbian always pushes the envelope, but in what direction, one has to find out by attending one of her sermons. See a bit of Leola's Gay History for Straight People HERE Find all things Leola HERE

3. Latrice Royale gained fame on RuPaul's Drag Race and has, since, gone global with her ever-growing talent as, show after show, she has proven herself to be a bona fide nightclub performer with something to say. Her shows are a mixture of lessons she's learned, attitude she's earned, and humor she expresses with panache. She says she's large and in charge, but what is really large about Latrice is her heart - please note: HERE's To Life Find Latrice online HERE

4. Jackie Cox is currently to be seen on RuPaul's Drag Race. She's a comedy Queen with a background in theater, so she is always equal to the task, whatever the task may be. When she is not working her solo act in New York, she is a part of the Three-Queen performing troupe The Hell's Kitchenettes, a group that has garnered much praise and many fans that can be found, regularly, at THE Laurie Beechman THEATRE. See Jackie Cox in the action HERE and HERE is a snippet of Jackie working with her troupe HELL'S KITCHENETTES Jackie Cox has Insat @jackiecoxnyc and Twitter @JackieCoxNYC and Hell's Kitchenettes have a website HERE

5. Dottie Maraschino does her own solo show but Dottie is also one of the Hell's Kitchenettes. With a retro-style that makes her perfect for shows involving sequins, tapping, and belting, Dottie is an in-demand Queen who played a number of shows last season at THE Laurie Beechman THEATRE. Her resume is varied and extensive and backs up her breathtaking talent. Dottie can be seen telling a joke HERE and HERE is Dottie's website (Photo of Hells Kitchenettes by Helane Blumfield)

6. Vodka Stinger is a flashy, brassy, but not terribly trashy Queen who has played FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW and THE GREEN ROOM 42. Though it is true that she can, occasionally, let slip a blue word or two, most of Vodka Stinger's act is a straight-up nightclub act with lots of honest-to-goodness crooning and storytelling. Backed up by The Martha Rayes, Ms. Stinger is the kind of Queen whose show you want to see, in or out of drag - great entertainment. THIS is a number by Vodka Stinger that many, many people will ADORE. Find Vodka Stinger on Twitter @MsVodkaStinger

7. Scarlet Envy reached fame on Drag Race, from which she was shamefacedly cut too soon, and she is much more than a pretty face. Once her season of Drag Race was over, she went to work at elevating the level of her drag, including putting together a solo act to impress her fans, which she did, and continues to do as her artistry evolves. Scarlet does a fierce lipsync but she also does a solo show in which she does all her own material. Check her out at THE Laurie Beechman THEATER singing live HERE @scarletenvy is on Instagram

8. Paige Turner burst onto the NYC drag scene in 2006 and she has been working ever since, sometimes as a hostess, sometimes as a nightclub singer, sometimes as an actress. Her star has been shining brightly in shows all around town but she has been seen recently at THE GREEN ROOM 42. Her act includes a lot of comedy, some sketches, some lipsync and some live singing, and it's no wonder she has become so popular, as evidenced HERE Check out Paige Turner's website HERE (Photo by Bobby Patrick)

9. Gloria Swansong describes herself as NYC's Old Hollywood lipsync assassin and that is precisely what she is. She can be found strutting her skills (which include her sumptuous self-made gowns) around town but her regular gig is at THE STONEWALL INN doing Judy Garland Live at Carnegie Hall, and the gig is always packed with appreciative fans. HERE is Gloria in action and HERE is her Youtube Channel and you can book her HERE

10. Mrs. Kasha Davis and Darienne Lake live outside of NYC but, happily they come down to Manhattan to perform now and then. Their last show at THE Laurie Beechman THEATRE packed them in and made them happy. Working together, the ladies bounce comedic repartee around and then do their flawless lipsync acts. Sadly there is no footage of the ladies together online but Mrs. Davis can be seen HERE with Ginger Minj (who we need in NYC, and badly) and Darienne Lake is flying solo with a lipsync HERE Mrs. Kasha Davis is online HERE and Darienne Lake is on Twitter and Insta @dariennelake

I hope everyone enjoyed today's specialty Pandemic Playlist and that everyone is now wearing their lipgloss, heels and eyelashes. Check back tomorrow for a new Pandemic Playlist. Stay safe, stay healthy, and protect your loved ones by isolating.

NamaSTE

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