Oh darling, how do you do? Itâs Emma, your favourite Derbyshire-born ballerina queen of time travel, and Iâm so excited to be whisking you back to the fabulous, fashion-forward year of 1935!
You see, my dear, I just can't resist a good time-travelling spree. Each month, I use my magical pink tutu (which, honestly, looks incredible in this decade's fabulous flapper style - I might need to bring a spare one to do some shopping!), to zap myself back to another incredible era in drag history. This month, the big date to explore is February 2nd, 1935. This time, we're off to the Big Apple!
Now, as much as I adore my Derbyshire roots, New York City was the heart and soul of drag in the 1930s. The city bustled with underground cabarets and speakeasies, where fabulous queens like the legendary Julian Eltinge were redefining the art form. Now, I havenât time-travelled back to the time of Julian himself, because he tragically retired in 1923, bless him. I must, though, pay a very deserved homage to this icon. He was such a trailblazer for all of us. A pioneer! I imagine him with the most amazing feathered boas, sequins, and a hat so big you'd need a second dance partner just to carry it.
Anyway, enough of the âwhat ifsâ! Let's fast-forward to the February 2nd 1935, where a very special event is on the books - a drag show at the newly opened Club Lido in New York City. This was the place to be.
The Club Lido had been a Broadway success with its original production in 1926. By 1935, though, things had slowed down for the original, so this re-launch was a risky one for the management! But hey, the original was one of the first to employ âdrag womenâ â remember, the use of the word âdragâ wasnât in regular usage, yet â and these womenâs stage names would remain iconic in their time! We were talking big stars â such as: Grace La Rue (aka Joseph "Jack" Callahan), and Eva Tanguay, plus those incredible âSinging and Dancing Chorus Ladiesâ. The chorus were not actual âqueensâ, but their gender-bending costumes were as spectacular as any drag act of today. You can almost smell the delicious perfume of all those glamorous ladies just imagining them!
There was one very important and revolutionary rule at The Lido. They only permitted acts of a "high classâ - no camp or humor, as it was known then - just pure and absolute female impersonation at its finest, like my good self, only more dramatic, maybe! Now, just imagine: the lavish gowns, the luxurious feather boas, the showstopping makeup! These were the days of serious glitz and glamour, my darling. No, I haven't gone "Glitz and Glamour" as my stage name, just âEmmaâ, plain, simple and stylishly fabulous â I know my roots, I love to be Emma and everyone is a little bit Emma, right?!
So, there I was, standing in front of the grand entrance of the Lido, which had now gone for more modern neon-style signage, oh, darling â imagine it â sparkling and glamorous. That's my biggest disappointment in modern drag â neonâs everywhere now! The real vintage look of real 1930s theatre signs⌠oh my, oh my, that was an incredible experience. So anyway, with my pink tutu practically floating off of me, (you really do get used to a magical tutu, my darlings, the time travel element just fades into the background. Itâs so very glamorous, after all).
And the excitement? Well, it just took my breath away, honey! The air buzzed with excitement - itâs just the thrill of those "big show nights". Can you even imagine? It wasnât all glamorous though, oh, thereâs a world of glamour, but the hard work that goes into such big shows in the 1930s⌠itâs another level altogether, darlings.
But anyway, after all those amazing times through the centuries⌠I went into that Lido⌠and it was magnificent.
I will share the details of that performance â which involved two absolutely stunning queens⌠Oh, dear⌠you will be able to watch it yourselves! I'll link a clip later! â The performance was just so utterly inspiring. And darling? You know I couldn't resist going out shopping in the vintage stores afterward⌠Some of these beautiful pieces from 1935 would have been simply stunning with a good modern tailoring and, of course, some added pink â pink just makes things look more luxurious!
One thing that's truly amazing about going back in time â at least back to the early twentieth century - is how the audiences seem to be so utterly amazed at the artistry. In today's time, when drag has exploded, the drag performances often focus on âoutlandishnessâ, camp humour and extreme beauty â not a bad thing by the way! A good dose of campness, if delivered just right, really makes the magic of drag! â but in 1935⌠oh my darlings, they were blown away by how much they resembled women!
Which was the most important thing, by the way, they would tell me! As soon as the audience sees your gown and your wig, the trick is to then fully embody the âessenceâ of femininity â there are no shortcuts there, just serious commitment to the art form! Oh, it was truly inspiring, my darlings!
Well, my dear ones, that's my latest journey through drag history for you! As always, remember to keep the spirit of pink tutus alive! Oh, I'm almost ready for my big charity performance for our Derbyshire Womenâs Aid charity, but if I can give a shoutout, please â just a little one, my darling! â itâs www.pinktutu.com to donate and give our local charity all that fabulosity it needs to continue! Thank you, honey! â Now I just have to decide what to wear. Will it be all red sequins, or a glamorous turquoise gown with a big, sparkling headpiece? â My god⌠the choices!
Stay tuned next month, darling, and let's go on a brand new adventure!
Until then, remember: drag is for everyone, and a pink tutu makes everything more fun!
Your dear friend, Emma
