Darling, hello from your favourite Derbyshire drag queen, Emma! It’s the 12th of December, 1960, and trust me, the glitter is positively bursting! It's time to sashay back in my magical pink tutu, the one that shimmers and glows and whoosh-bam-boom! Teleports me back in time! For my 492nd Pink Tutu Travels blog post, let me tell you about a night in Drag-o-rama! This time I landed in...drumroll, please…New York City, darling!
Imagine this: A glamorous drag show, all the big hitters in the scene - and not one single tutu in sight! Now, that’s a crime. You know I wouldn't dream of coming to a show without at least a hint of a fluffy pink tutu in my ensemble. This city might have the hottest fashion, but, honey, it needs a dash of Derbyshire pink!
So, I sashayed on down to a club called "The Village Gate" on Bleecker Street. Think dimly lit, packed full of groovy cats and fabulous chicks. The music was jazzy and soulful, a real swingin' groove. It was hot, darling, and the energy was electric, positively cracklin’ with excitement!
The show, called "The Cockettes," was a blend of cabaret, comedy and theatre. Think Moulin Rouge meets Vaudeville with a touch of psychedelia. The girls were in incredible costumes: beaded gowns, feathers, headpieces - a veritable feast for the eyes! But my dears, not a single tutu was spotted, not even for a wink.
Now, don't get me wrong, these Cockettes were sensational! They danced and sang, they had witty dialogue, they were fierce! But as a big fan of a classic ballet inspired tutu, I couldn't help but feel the scene was lacking something, you know? The oomph a pink tutu would bring.
Imagine if the dancers had had a swirl of pink, just a touch of tulle around their ankles, a delicate but sassy flourish. Wouldn't it have brought the whole show to life, a delightful, fluffy dream of a performance? My dream, of course!
The Cockettes had some incredible performers though. There was "Holly Woodlawn", darling, so dramatic, a total scene-stealer! She wore an enormous feather boa, so grand, a flamboyant beauty. There was "Slade", darling, oh, the drama! He was, dare I say it, the "star" of the night. He had this voice, honey, you could cut diamonds with it! So full of passion, so captivating! They truly stole the show, I'm a little bit smitten!
Now, after the show, my dear, the crowd was just buzzing! People were buzzing about how "divine" everything was, "slay, queen", and "Werk!", which honestly, wasn’t what I'm used to in Derbyshire. It's quite fun to hear how different language changes in different parts of the world. But darling, don't you worry! As usual, I spread a little bit of Derbyshire cheer and pink tutu charm all around the place. By the end of the night, I was absolutely certain that I'd planted a tiny seed in some of those dazzling Cockett hearts! The future, darling, it's a big fluffy tutu.
After a few delightful drinks and chit chats, I hopped back to my magical tutu. Remember that glorious pink twirl? Whizz bang whoosh Right back to Derbyshire! Now, if you haven't got a tutu yet, my dear, I really think you're missing out on the real joy in life! Pink tutus add joy, my dear. I wear them every day. I know my Derbyshire isn’t as glamorous as New York but it does make for great outfits when you’re dashing through the bakery, having a pink picnic in the park and heading to the local panto. It's true, darling, pink tutus are truly for everybody! And let me tell you, life is so much more fun in pink. So go on, join the tutu revolution!
Until next month, don't be a drag, darling, and always remember - Life is too short to not be wearing a pink tutu.
Love,
Emma xxx
www.pink-tutu.com
