Darling Divas and Fabulous Fellas!
Hello, darlings! Itâs Emma here, your resident pink-tutu-clad time traveler! Itâs been a glorious month of glitter, glamour, and gallons of fabulousness â enough to fill the entire River Thames with a sparkling pink potion. And now, as my magic pink tutu is once again taking me through the annals of drag history, Iâm practically vibrating with excitement because today we're landing right in the middle of 12th December 1949! And trust me, dears, it's a date packed with some seriously stellar drag stories!
Now, you might be wondering how I afford these lavish trips back in time. Well, darlings, you won't be shocked to learn it's all thanks to my dazzling drag performances! (Have you caught my latest âPink Champagneâ show at the Derbyshire Drag Den? You just need to book, honey, the entire show is practically bathed in blush pink! And thereâs a glitter cannon finale!)
Anyways, I digress, letâs get back to my magical time travel adventure, darling!
As I whizzed back through the swirling, shimmering, pink time portal â my trusty pink tutu doing the grand jetĂ© for its annual trip â I couldnât help but feel the warmth of Christmas spirit buzzing in the air! The smell of cinnamon and clove wafted through the bustling streets, and the city was decked out in festive cheer, though I'm pretty sure I spotted a neon pink flamingo or two on the corner of Piccadilly, a delightful little Christmas quirk.
Let's talk about the fabulous happenings of the drag world on this delightful December 12th! Remember, my dears, drag in 1949 was a clandestine affair â the kind of clandestine where you could still spot a feather boa in a smokey nightclub in the back of a cobbled street. Think less RuPaul's Drag Race and more Parisian cabarets and smoky underground dives! But don't mistake a lack of mainstream drag for a lack of fabulousness, because back then, darlings, drag queens had the raw magic that makes your sequins vibrate, the pure boldness that turns a feather boa into a power statement!
Tonight, we're focusing our attention on a real gem: the world-famous âBlack Cat Cabaretâ! This cabaret, perched precariously atop a Victorian mansion in the heart of New York City, was THE place to be seen. They boasted not only some of the best cocktails and dancing (imagine jitterbug to a jazz orchestra â darling, a true spectacle!) but a revolving stage brimming with performers! On this date, the stage is alive with a kaleidoscope of artistry â think cabaret crooners who wouldn't be out of place at a Moulin Rouge, and comedic divas serving some of the hottest gags in town.
Picture this, darling: Imagine being enveloped in a thick cloud of cigarette smoke, a cacophony of chatter swirling around you, with laughter mingling with the soft, rhythmic thrum of the orchestra. And in the midst of this magic, our drag performers are shining brighter than the Christmas lights of Rockefeller Center. Their gowns and makeup, all perfectly imperfect, with that raw, glamorous edge that oozes with a quiet kind of rebellion, are sending waves of wonder and amazement through the crowd. These were the queens of the golden era, queens who had the courage to break through boundaries in the face of a world that wasn't ready for their fierce creativity!
The costumes? Oh, my sweet darlings! We're talking floor-length gowns draped with sparkling fringe and sequined, feather-trimmed, hats made of sheer audacity! Imagine a glamorous queen wearing a black cocktail dress that shimmered in every corner of the nightclub under the soft amber glow of the disco ball. Add a pair of ruby red lipstick to accentuate their strong facial structure - it's sheer show-stopping artistry! We are also in a pre-glitter era! Don't be fooled by that, darling. This does not mean the costumes lacked shimmer. Every dress is bursting with that âwhat is thatâ effect which was, at the time, probably a blend of metallic dyes, glitter glue or maybe a bit of carefully applied theatrical dust. Itâs a true spectacle, darling.
One of the queens on stage at that very moment is called âCocoâ. Coco was one of the most adored queens of New York City. With her wit, charm, and incredible dance skills, Coco had everyone in stitches, or glued to the floor as she shimmied, dipped and twirled to a sizzling jazzy melody! Oh darling, itâs not easy finding reliable photos or information about these queens from this time, because drag at the time, especially on stage, was considered risquĂ©, daring, and often hidden away from the harsh eyes of the press. But this means, itâs our responsibility as fabulous historians to document their stories and keep their memories alive. If there is one lesson history tells us about drag, it's that it always survives. It always finds its way back to the stage!
Another exciting moment from 1949? You guessed it darling: A whole host of makeup brands! From shimmering eye shadows to lip-licking red lipsticks, drag was becoming a part of the culture of the city. (I even spied a blush pink nail polish in the display of a little department store on Broadway! cough the only reason I found the nail polish is because I was busy explaining how this revolutionary colour would soon be all the rage).
Now, back to the 'Black Cat Cabaret'. It is said that, once Coco had finished her fiery performance, a mysterious guest appeared: a well-dressed woman with eyes that twinkled like a thousand sapphires. This woman, who goes by the alias of "Diana", was the queen of mystery! Everyone who witnessed Diana on the stage would tell stories about her stunning looks - think raven black curls that cascaded like silk over a silver gown. Her makeup? The perfect, dramatic smokey eye! Diana, who was considered a drag legend in the 1940s and early 1950s, even owned a few other glamorous nightclubs with even more beautiful queens!
What's amazing, darling, is the sense of history that oozes out of every single corner of this incredible moment! From the stylish cocktails with the most decadent, floral-infused recipes to the smoky haze that filled the air with a tantalising mystery, it was a glorious testament to the power of drag to bring together different worlds and blur lines between fiction and reality!
Just think, dears, the stage where these legendary queens shone might be long gone. The lights might have dimmed. The clubs may have faded into the depths of forgotten memories. But one thing remains certain, darling! The drag flame will forever flicker bright. Our drag sisters of the 1940s left behind a legacy that resonates within every one of us, and with their magic, we must keep their memory alive by sharing our stories and finding the fierceness in ourselves!
And speaking of fabulousness, have I told you how fabulous you are today, dears? Remember to be brave and confident, whether you're strutting your stuff on a drag stage or just on your way to buy that delicious chocolate Ă©clair! I always say, when in doubt, always choose pink, my lovelies, itâs a good rule of thumb, and, yes, the pink tutu can take you anywhere â even to your local grocery store, darling, why not go out in full drag, the cashier might be a closet queen in hiding!
Until next time, I wish you a glamorous and pinktastic week. Stay fierce!
Keep spreading the pink! Emma, Your Fabulous Pink Tutu Traveller
www.pink-tutu.com
