Drag and Queer Legends Honored At LA MAMA LOVE CABARET GALA Tonight

The Tony Award-winning La MaMa ETC will mark Pride and celebrate its 50+ year history of drag artistry when a bevy of trailblazing queer and drag stars are honored at LA MAMA LOVE CABARET on Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. The LOVE GALA is an in-person event at the Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 E. 4 St.), and will also be streamed live. For tickets and info: www.lamama.org.

The event will be hosted by Sasha Velour, who will be joined by performers Justin Vivian Bond, The Illustrious Pearl, Sweaty Eddie, Pixel The Drag Jester, Jasmine Rice LaBeija, and Untitled Queen.

The following drag and queer legends will be honored at the event, according to Mia Yoo, La MaMa's artistic director:

DARCELLE XV - age 90, Darcelle has been a mainstay in Portland, OR for 55 years as the owner and star of the renowned drag cabaret that bears her name. DARCELLE XV was certified as the oldest living drag queen on the West Coast by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS.

ALEXIS DEL LAGO - age 82, is a celebrated costume designer and was a member of Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company for many years. Now living in Los Angeles, he began his career in cabaret in the 80's under the direction of Scott Wittman.

Agosto Machado - first visited La MaMa in 1961 and has essentially never left. Name a pioneer from the heady days of downtown theatre and Agosto has likely worked with them. A native of NYC, he has said, "I have a grade school education and a degree from the university of the streets."

Michael Arian - is an actor who was a fixture at La MaMa for many years starting in 1971, and later joined the Play-House of the Ridiculous, where he worked with director John Vaccaro for many years and met Ruby Lynn Reyner, whose band RUBY AND THE REDNECKS featured Arian as a back-up singer.

Charles Busch - burst onto the theatre scene as a playwright who portrayed the female star in his own, now-legendary comedies including VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM, THE LADY IN QUESTION and RED SCARE ON SUNSET. He has also written for film and television, and his play THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE was a Best Play Tony Award nominee.

John Kelly - has been performance artist, visual artist and writer for 40 years and is the winner of two BESSIE awards and two OBIES. A longtime audience favorite at La MaMa, John's extensive body of work includes the recent TIME NO LINE. He is particularly well-known for frequently channeling singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell is his work.

LA MAMA LOVE GALA concludes the theatre's 59th season. For ticket information and reservations, visit www.lamama.org.

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