GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It is one of the hottest tickets in Grand Rapids: the Michigan Drag Brunch by DT Promotions.
The show has been selling out its two Sunday performances since it started in July of 2018.
The drag brunches are held at different restaurants all over Grand Rapids every week. The performers not only practice the art of transforming from a man to woman, but they showcase other talents as well.
There are two emcees. One of them is Dia Elektra. She showed us the man behind the makeup and what it takes to transform to a Drag Queen.
Elektra says it came about while looking for a creative outlet as a child. “I ended up living with a drag queen who just kind of taught me the magic of drag and the ability to not just do theater but improv theater on a much bigger scale.”
Elektra agreed to show us what goes into her transformation and it’s pretty complicated.
“Obviously starting with a lot of shaving cream and a razor. Then it goes into about eight pounds of makeup and gluing down wigs, gluing on lashes. I hop pad myself, so I create that silhouette of a woman that makes a woman so beautiful and lots of Danskins, which are very thick tights to hold everything in place.”
Elektra talked about each phase of the transformation.
“I am just starting with a primer, starting with a nice clean slate. Then, I'm actually going to start with an orange foundation, which is going to help color correct my beard, because nobody likes a stubbly lady."
She uses stage makeup to change her looks. "Using contrasting colors of highlight and contour to reshape my face."
Her favorite part is the eyelashes. She wears two pairs of very dramatic, long false eyelashes. Elektra’s motto on lips, “If they look like they got stuck in a pool drain, they’re perfect!”
From makeup to a wig and catsuit, it took Elektra almost two hours to get ready. She says when she’s finished it feels like when Clark Kent takes off his glasses and puts on his cape.
What’s behind the success of the Michigan Drag Brunch. Elektra says “I think that being present in venues we normally wouldn’t be present in and during the daytime makes us, it humanizes us. I think that people see us as actual people instead of something that’s just kind of hidden in a dark club somewhere, which the art of drag is known for. So being able to come out and use our voices to an audience that normally doesn’t hear us, I think is showing West Michigan and Michigan in general that we’re people too. We’re all here together and it’s only through celebrating life and being able to laugh with each other and ourselves that we’re ever gonna get through this crazy world so it’s just been absolutely amazing.”
A portion of every ticket and Michigan Drag Brunch items sold are donated to the H.Q. Foundation in Grand Rapids. H.Q. is a drop-in shelter for homeless youth.
The Brunchettes are holding a night performance on Thursday, May 23. Queens of Fashion will host a fashion show. There are also food and beverages. It’s at the J.W. Marriott from 6-9 p.m. General Admission tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the show’s website www.midragbrunch.com.
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