Monday, March 23, 2009

Queen of the Week - Ginger Snap




Name: Ginger Snap

Age: 31

Location: TenderNob area of San Francisco

Single or taken? Single

What is your drag style like? Happy Pop, Pretty Queen with BIG features. T&A baby. Curves in all the right places.

How long does it take you to get ready in drag? I can do the makeup process in 35 minutes if need be, but I prefer to take up to 2 hours.

Do you have a favorite number you perform? I've had many favorites over the years... From Christina Aguilera's "Come On Over Baby" to my new favorite, Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop The Music".

Where can we see you perform? Deco Lounge for my show Snap-a-licious, Truck for Cocktailgate, The Cinch for Charliehorse.

How did you first get into drag? Like a lot of the queens I know, Ginger was born on a Halloween; specifically, Halloween 1998. Freshly out of the closet and feeling GAY AS HELL, I had to try it and instantly loved it.

Who have been your biggest inspirations? Grizilla Prestley, Daffney Deluxe, RuPaul, Varla Gene Merman.

What would be your three biggest tips for a new drag queen? Don't wait until the last minute to style your wig and rehearse your music. Be organized and on time. Never leave the house without hairspray, eyelash glue, and a few CD's.



If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Las Vegas, New York, Australia. Vegas because you can make some serious money doing drag there (I've been told). NY because I've never been. Australia because some of my favorite queens are from there and I've always wanted to visit... plus "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert," duh!

What is something that might surprise us all about you? From 2002 to 2006 I took a break from drag and San Francisco and did construction. I can pour your foundation, fix your plumbing, wire your light switches, paint your ceiling, and fix your leaky roof.

What makeup items could you not live without? Spirit gum, long lashes, MAC Bombshell Lipstick, Kryolan Purple Shimmer Shadow and Shaboie Foundation.

Do you design any of your clothes, create any of your wigs, etc? I used to make most of my stuff. I have very little time to make all my own costumes, so I get a lot of stuff off the internet, then re-work things to make them Ginger. I can style my own wigs and put in hairlines, I just don't like to. I would rather pay someone to do it for me: less frustrating that way.



What has been your all time greatest moment in drag? Oh my! There are 3 moments that stick out in my mind.

Number 1 is the first time I did my Cher number with a back up video produced by my friend (named "3") and outfit made by another friend, Mr. David. This performance was at Cookie Dough's Monster Show at Harvey's in the Castro. In the backup video, there were 2 Ginger Snaps backing me up.

The second Moment was performing in the Desperate Diva Pagent 2008. This event was put on by the Aids Housing Alliance. I won Miss July 2009 and I'm in a calendar produced in connection with the event, on people's walls all across America! I didn't win the pageant, but had the most fun performing another favorite artist of mine, Yma Sumac!

The third moment is more like 7 months of moments. In June of 2008, Deco Lounge asked me to start my own show, and I created Snap-a-licious! February will be my 8th show there, and I'm having the time of my life!



What else should we know about you?  My full performance schedule and all the details are on my website: www.GingerSnapSF.com

Monday, March 09, 2009

Queen of the Week - Bolivia Carmichael



I met Bolivia shortly after moving to Portland.  I was out having cocktails with a couple friends and she came over, introduced herself, and shortly after invited me to perform at her "Superstar Divas Show".  She has been nothing wonderful every time I've seen her since!  Not only is she an incredibly talented performer, she is also an extremely sweet person!

Name:
Bolivia Carmichaels / Daniel Elliott

Age: 34

Location: "No-Po" Portland, Oregon

Single or taken? Single

What is your drag style like? Like no other :)

How long does it take you to get ready in drag? I like to take just over an hour or so, but if I'm in a hurry I can get it done in 20 minutes.



Do you have a favorite number you perform? Not really. I love to perform all of the numbers I do.

Where can we see you perform? C.C. Slaughters' Superstar Divas - Sunday Mega Show - 8:00 p.m. - No Cover!!

How did you first get into drag? I was watching an entertainer by the name of Lady O at The City Nightclub in 1993 or so. She inspired me to give it a try. Little did I know that it would lead to so many years of joy.

Who have been your biggest inspirations? Lady O, Monica Boulevard, Tiara Desmond, Patti O'Dora.

What would be your three biggest tips for a new drag queen? Blend your makeup - Know the words to the music you are performing - Remember: It's not about YOU. It's about your audience. So get over YOURSELF and have fun.



If you could perform anywhere in the world where would it be and why? Besides Portland, I guess I would love to perform in Hawaii. I hear it's beautifull there. :)

What is something that might surprise us all about you? I'm kinda boring at home.

What makeup items could you not live without? foundation, powder, eyeliner, lip liner, eyelashes, eye shadow, contour, lip stick, lip gloss, eye lash glue, mascara. Yes, these are things I CAN'T live without! lol



Do you design any of your clothes, create any of your wigs, etc? No. I'm creative, but not in that manner.

What has been your all time greatest moment in drag? Passing a field sobriety test right in front of the old Silverado. ;) It was stellar!

What else should we know about you? I don't like to yell, I don't like to hurt peoples feelings, I don't like to hang around with people that say mean things about other people, and I think that if when you're faced with the choice between doing the right thing and the wrong thing, it should be easier to do the right thing. :)

To find out more about Bolivia check out her Myspace page as well as the Superstar Divas page!