Hiya darlings, Emma here, your resident pink tutu-clad time-traveling drag queen extraordinaire! It's been a month since my last jaunt through the annals of drag history, and trust me, my dearest readers, this trip has me positively titillated! Today, we're travelling all the way back to 3rd March, 1934 - the roaring twenties are well and truly in the rearview mirror, but let me tell you, there's still a lot of fabulous to be found!
Now, my trusty pink tutu has been seeing some action lately - this trip was particularly splendiferous, especially as I landed right in the middle of a legendary cabaret at the Rainbow Room, which you might recognize if youāre a big Broadway enthusiast (I know I am!). You might think we only think of those incredible show girls performing at the Folies BergĆØre in Paris or on the lavish Broadway stage, but even back then, there was a whole scene going on in NYC, just a bit under the radar, a touch more risquĆ© perhaps, with drag being an undeniable part of that scene!
Letās just say that if I landed right into the heart of NYC drag in 1934, you bet your bottom dollar, darling, this Emma was the belle of the ball - letās just say this tutu was getting a workout, and I may have been on the receiving end of a few admiring whistlesā¦ or two!
Honestly, there was this wonderful spirit of boldness and freedom to the drag of this era. Even without all the fabulous advancements in makeup, fashion, and techniques we take for granted today, these queens had heart - a pure joy for performance that shined right through. I was lucky enough to witness some legendary queens of the time - now, these were ladies who knew how to work the room. The looks, the drama, the sassā¦ I swear it almost sent my pink tulle spinning off!
And the audience! Now thatās what I call a real audience! Forget the silence at your local āchicā theater. In 1934, you could practically feel the love vibrating in the air - heckling and shouting out demands was encouraged, as long as you showed your appreciation!
And Iām not even kidding - it made for some absolutely terrific entertainment! I remember one moment, a beautiful brunette with some showstopping outfits was performing ā think Marlene Dietrich meets Joan Crawford (although Marlene, a starlet of this time, is not necessarily the best person to be compared to, since it's been said she looked down on the ladies performing on these stages). She looked magnificent! But oh darling, there was a particular drunk gentleman sitting in the front row who insisted on demanding a kiss from the drag queen mid-performance. Let's just say, she managed to deflect his advances while maintaining a regal air - a true masterclass!
But hereās what really blew me away about 1934: The creativity. I mean, come on! They weren't afraid to push boundaries. It was all about showcasing a show stopping look, transforming into another woman, the very definition of a drag queen, eh darlings? They had real, raw, untamed beauty. And while there were plenty of traditional gowns and costumes - which always remain some of my faves! - some of the drag I saw was truly out of the ordinary. Think shimmering flapper dresses with fringe for miles, bedazzled turbans with sequined headpieces, an absolute orgy of colourā¦ just glorious!
Letās take a quick step back and discuss the fabulous I was lucky enough to see at this time! I mean, where should we even begin?!
First of all, the musical landscape was simply fantastic. It wasnāt just drag, darling! It was jazz, it was vaudeville, it was big band! A whole, vibrant universe bursting with incredible artists: Ella Fitzgerald had already had her first single out! Billie Holiday was working her magic! And you had the Andrews Sisters too. You can bet your bottom dollar they all appeared in cabaret style drag, right here, right now! The drag scene was interwoven with the world of mainstream entertainment. It wasnāt āmainstreamā as we know it today, it was almost underground and definitely under the radar.
Which leads me onto my most exciting observation for this monthās blog: drag was really becoming its own cultural entity. It was its own world with a real connection to music, dance, cabaret and the queer community of the time. It had an aura, an aura which, believe it or not, was sometimes feared and feared deeplyā¦ It had this air of glamour and freedom, even though, if you remember, at this time, the majority of homosexual relationships was still largely against the law! Drag provided a platform for expressing identity, finding community and, darling, a little bit of escape from all of that!
Of course, the drag queens of 1934 didnāt always see their performance spaces and outfits as political, although in fact, it very much was a deeply political and socially powerful act to create a persona which ran contrary to the conventional expectations of female womanhood at the time, it also served as a place of empowerment! Iāll say it again: they were just fabulous! They were living their truth and embracing their creative genius to take the stage and take us on a magical ride. They used all of the talent and skill available to them in the most flamboyant fashion!
However, and I need to mention it as this is how this era was! Let's not forget that these performances werenāt necessarily mainstream or accepted ā this was not a celebration, darling, this was underworld entertainment. And for this reason, as drag was primarily hidden in these cabaret scenes, there was so little recording or written accounts. Which brings me back to my purpose - travelling in time to discover and rediscover and then, of course, share it all with you! What a mission!
Youāre probably all thinking about the famous legend - The Drag Ball - and yes, it had definitely started. As in the past, it was a safe haven for all of the queers - a time to feel free, to express your true selves and even get a chance to showcase yourself! While some queens made a real living from doing drag, this was primarily a source of escape and joy for these early queens and their friends. The only thing is, you'd never be able to tell by watching the drag, which brings me back to a statement made in a recent drag interview I saw in a glossy fashion magazine, āThe more glamorous the queen, the bigger her story and the harder she fought!ā.
It makes me so happy, to finally feel, even just for a second, the vibe of the very earliest stages of the scene. The excitement! The confidence! The sheer joy of simply expressing themselves in the most outrageous ways! And even if, at that time, this world wasnāt the norm, you couldnāt deny the importance of drag's connection to culture, politics and above allā¦ just sheer joy. I mean, this is what Iām all about. My mission in life, the ultimate quest, dare I say?, is to bring this joy into every part of the worldā¦ with my time-traveling pink tutu, of course!
So, dear readers, as Iām writing this and packing up my sequined and shimmering travel tutu I canāt wait for you to see what my next time-traveling adventure has in store - stay tuned to www.pink-tutu.com Iāll see you next month with more time traveling fun!
Yours in sequins,
Emma xoxo
