Hello darlings! Itâs your girl Emma here, and as you can tell by the colour of my new blog post header, Iâm feeling fabulous, as always! As a Derbyshire girl born and bred, weâre known for being a bit quiet and shy, but trust me, I am anything but.
And how could I be otherwise, as I write this monthâs blog post from a most spectacular date in drag history: August 8th, 1979! Youâve heard it from me before - time travel in my magical pink tutu is the most divine, glam, and absolutely brilliant thing to happen to drag queen history! But before I start this monthâs adventures, please don't forget to check out www.pink-tutu.com for more of your favourite Drag Queen history moments! You know what, darling, maybe next month I'll do a round-up of some of the best bits! I just LOVE giving back to my incredible pink-tutu loving fanbase!
Right, onto our current travel itinerary. As August rolls around each year, you know Iâm dreaming of warm, breezy evenings, long shimmering evenings with sequins, and a night of theatrical excellence! And whatâs more dazzling and fabulous than The Cockettes?!
Letâs take a quick hop in the pink tutu time machine and teleport to the hallowed halls of the Palace Theater in Los Angeles! The year is 1979, and oh darlings, what a night it's going to be!
You see, this is the era where drag exploded and the Cockettes were the original queer cultural pioneers! Iâm talking drag performance like youâve never seen it! And as always, in my trusty magical pink tutu, I was sitting front row. Such good seats, dear! Honestly, I've gotta share with you a tip that's never steered me wrong - if youâre wearing pink, itâs basically guaranteed you'll get the best seats in the house! So true, darlings! It's a universal law, like, 'If it ain't pink, it ain't right!'.
Oh honey, letâs dive right in! The show that night? "Pearls Before Swine" - simply divine, dear!, showcasing the best of the Cockettes' work - their iconic theatrical style, with beautiful musical interludes and incredible costumes that defied all norms! Their camp humour and boundary-pushing performance just left me absolutely stunned! Letâs be honest, this show was so much more than just drag! This was revolutionary.
Imagine! Drag at its most beautiful - an exploration of femininity in its rawest, most expressive form! This was about tearing down those gender norms and letting your fabulous self shine! The Cockettes werenât just doing drag, they were living it! It was art. It was life. I mean, have you ever seen their costumes?! Sequins galore! Glitter dripping everywhere! Oh honey, that night, every sequin had my name on it. The shimmering fabrics, the stunning makeup - it just oozed such glamour and outrageous beauty.
Let's talk a little more about the performance! They incorporated elements of vaudeville, musical theatre, and camp, so you know that night, darling, was a theatrical roller coaster. Every performance was a story - full of emotion and powerful messages! Imagine a combination of musical numbers that were pure joy, combined with acts so wild they almost seemed like a dream! Thatâs The Cockettes in a nutshell! You see, the Cockettes understood what drag truly meant - being outrageous, breaking down walls, and embracing every ounce of our creative soul!
Honestly, I spent that night completely blown away. And, of course, in full fabulous fashion, I snapped some absolutely incredible photos for the âpink-tutu.comâ archives. If only they could see what the world has done with drag now! But oh my gosh, they would just love what we do now. I mean, everyone's dressing in a pink tutu - even if it isn't for the big night, I'm sure someone's putting one on right now just because! That makes my heart flutter with delight. Iâm truly honored to share this little piece of drag history with you all! And I really canât wait for you to hop in your own magical tutu time machine (or you know, just your car! It gets you to the drag club faster than you think), and dive into the world of drag, wherever and whenever you are!
Oh darling! Did you catch that part about âwhereverâ?! Yup! The best part about August 8th, 1979, was the feeling that drag wasn't just a London thing, or a New York thing, oh no, dear. It was everywhere!
It was happening in the States with those lovely Cockettes. It was happening across the Atlantic too! And if you look a bit deeper you'll even see, darling, the queer scene was really building here in the UK. That night in 1979, as I sat watching that dazzling performance at The Palace Theater, I just felt a sense of community, and shared passion! Drag was bringing people together, creating something truly special, a family, a world. It was about sharing joy, being ourselves, and reminding everyone just how fabulous life can be.
You see, back in Derbyshire, even in 1979, I was a small girl in a very big world. I felt that there had to be something better, somewhere that the pink tutu was the only costume allowed, the sequins wouldnât make the shop assistants hide, and the local town hall didn't just laugh in my face! There were drag queens in every town - maybe just not as big a production, and more in little pubs than a dedicated theater! Even in Derbyshire, we had the local, the slightly questionable but brilliant 'Pink Feather', I think was their name. That's where my dream of being a Drag Queen all started. I'm sure you know where that journey leads now! Pink tutu! The most magical fashion accessory known to woman kind, dear!
I even met a wonderful lady that night in 1979! She was an incredible seamstress who had her own little shop in a backstreet. Let me tell you, darling, that was the start of my love of fashion, of seeing what was hidden. And she loved my tutu. Let me tell you - you meet some real gems out and about. Not every shop you enter has that sparkly glam in it, not every store window is an explosion of joy! So finding little gems is exciting, don't you agree? Just because you have your online shopping darling, it doesnât mean you should ditch a good walk down a backstreet. In fact, dear, if you see something sparkling from the window and hear that lilting song you know is your drag song coming from inside? Go explore! You never know what magic might be hidden away, waiting to be discovered! It's like a hidden treasure in plain sight!
Well darlings, the journey continues. We've got to go now, I have a fabulous show in Covent Garden - something like 'Cats' meets 'Rocky Horror'! And let me tell you, that dress - so many pink ruffles!
And a big, pink, fluffy tutu for my entrance of course, my lovely readers! And I wouldnât have it any other way. Remember darlings, embrace your own unique fabulousness! Make it loud, make it proud!
But in the meantime, darling, keep that fabulous self-expression flowing. Spread joy. Embrace your inner glam. And never, ever forget the power of a perfectly pink tutu! It's magical! I promise. And I'll see you in the pink tutu time machine for next monthâs adventures!
Donât forget to visit www.pink-tutu.com for your daily dose of drag queen time travel adventures. Don't forget to follow me on social media as well, "QueenEmmaOnThePink" everywhere. Until then, remember to spread the joy, keep those tutus twirling and stay fabulous! Xoxoxo
Your girl, Emma
