Drag In Dewey
Fans of drag are spoiled with options on where to see queens in the Delaware scene, and summer 2022 is shaping up to offer even bigger and better shows. For one, North Beach in Dewey will host drag shows every Wednesday from June 1 to August 31. Adored local queens and nationally-known stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race will entertain audiences all summer long.
“It’s the second year we’re having it in Dewey. They’ve never had shows there before,” said Rehoboth’s own Tyra Parker, the show host. “It’s something new for everyone, which is very exciting.”
“We’re excited to be stepping it up this year, and to be supporting CAMP Rehoboth,” said North Beach co-owner John Snow, who also owns other Dewey favorites like Bottle & Cork and Rusty Rudder. As Snow notes, $5.00 covers for these shows will generously benefit CAMP Rehoboth’s mission and free programming.
Letters got the chance to chat with some of the shows’ key players, including Tamia Gisele Mykles and Drag Race season six’s Laganja Estranja.
Walking in the Heels of Tamia Gisele Mykles
Tamia Gisele Mykles, along with Tyra Parker, took charge of producing the North Beach affair. The pair, plus emcee Pinkky, will perform at each North Beach outing with a rotating cast of local stellar talent that will regularly include Kristina Kelly and Amethyst Diamond.
Hailing from Federalsburg, Maryland, Tamia’s drag name comes from: a) the R&B chanteuse Tamia, known for singles like “Stranger in My House,” b) Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bündchen, and c) a surname from drag mother Shanel Mykles (now known as Miss Peaches). Performing for over 11 years, Tamia started her drag career in Philadelphia with the Attic Youth Center. “We started doing a drag program, where anyone who thought of entertaining could practice, get it out there, and when the time came, they’d be ready to perform,” said Tamia.
Fast forward a bit, and Tamia first came down to Rehoboth when her drag mother (at the time) was performing at Rigby’s Bar & Grill for a mother-daughter show. Soon, Tamia was regularly performing at Cloud 9, Blue Moon, Purple Parrot, The Pond, Rehoboth Ale House, Cypress, and other hotspots around town.
Eventually, Tamia progressed to competing in pageants. Currently held titles include Miss Lancaster Pride and Miss Gay Wilmington, the latter of which she calls a “family title” following wins by her drag mother and her sister, “fallen angel” Isabella Frost. Compared to bar performances, Tamia noted that pageants require queens to be much more polished, prepared, and practiced.
Pageant skills are transferable, of course, and have allowed Tamia to elevate her performances at other venues. From these competitions, “styling, hair, makeup techniques, and creativity all have translated into my shows.”
At these shows, Tamia’s knack for performing is electric. But what makes a signature Tamia Mykles number? “I love a good split, and a good-time dip. One of my favorite moves when I host shows at Touchdown in Dover is jumping off the bar into a split. That’s always a crowd favorite.”
Inspired by the fierce performers like Finesse Ross and Erica Andrews, Tamia’s drag career eventually brought a revelation: she identified as trans. Simply put, “Drag gave me a schooling. When I graduate, I will be a woman. Drag has helped me immensely with my identity,” she said.
To differentiate her drag from her trans identity, she explains, “Drag is a job, and trans is a way of life. People will say ‘oh, she’s trans so she can’t be a drag queen.’ Yes, she can.”
Now, with the North Beach shows, Tamia’s got on her producer hat. After a great kickoff last year, Tamia wanted to raise the stakes this summer. “I had to think more outside the box, and say, ‘if this is going to be a good show, and we’re going to have RuPaul’s Drag Race stars come to this establishment, the quality needs to reflect that,’” said Tamia.
Then, there are audience considerations at North Beach. From her own performing experience, Tamia noted that she is actually more excited for Dewey’s predominantly “straight” crowd. “When you’re performing for the straight audience, there’s a lot less criticism in it. They’re enjoying the artistry, the costumes, and the energy you’re putting into it. When you’re performing for gay audiences, they will judge you head to toe, giving you the harshest critique. I perform a lot easier for a straight audience than I ever would for a gay audience,” said Tamia.
“It’s hard to say, but when it comes down to it, gays are more critical. It comes from our culture—we have to be harsher on ourselves, and I get it, but sometimes we need a break.”
Plus, the tag of “drag at the beach” rings the truest at North Beach’s open-air space. The water, sand, and all beachy elements are right there. “If you’re not a coordinated queen, I would suggest not coming,” warned Tamia, with a hint of shade.
No matter the audience or the conditions, Tamia plans to make each Wednesday night a unique experience. “Tyra and I are not going to have the same show twice at North Beach.”
That comes down to rotating the cast each night. Queens from all over the Delmarva region will show out, including Katrina Colby, Mona Lotts, Miss Troy, Shanae Morgan, Dreaux Sidora, Emma Zon Prine, Kandy Fuentes, and Indiana Bones. “Just as there are queens that want to branch out, there are queens from out that want to branch into Delaware,’’ said Tamia.
Catching Up with Laganja Estranja
One of those queens “branching in” is Laganja Estranja, the tongue-popping, cannabis-loving queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race season six. Famed for her catchphrases, death drops, and remarkable dance skills, Laganja is one of the most recognizable names from the Drag Race franchise. In the past year alone, Langanja returned as a lip sync assassin on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars 6, released singles like “Hypeman” and “Poison Ivy,” continued her work as a cannabis activist, and came out as transgender last June.
Matty Brown: What excites you about drag at the beach, and about returning to North Beach in Dewey?
Laganja Extranja: The first time I went, I had such a fabulous time. The location is amazing. I’m from Texas, but I’ve been living in LA for over 15 years, so I definitely describe myself as a beach gal. I felt right at home the minute I got to North Beach. To be able to perform right there on the beach sand—I’ve never had an experience like that before. As someone who’s traveled the world, it’s really cool when you can find a space that’s really unique. I was super excited when they asked me to help produce this year, because as much as I love being a queen, I love being an organizer and promoter as well.
MB: Can you speak more to your role as a producer/organizer and bringing in more girls from RuPaul’s Drag Race?
LE: I’m following in my sister Shangela’s footsteps. Shangela started Say What Entertainment, her talent management company, many years ago. I used to be beneath her wing back when I was touring with the Haus of Edwards. I’ve always known that I wanted to do something similar and use my talents as an organizer and as a Capricorn. I’m really grateful that I’ve made a long list of friends in the industry, specifically RuPaul’s Drag Race girls, and I wanted North Beach to have access to them. Right now, we’ve got Morgan McMichaels, Mayhem Miller, and Biqtch Puddiń, who’s the winner of Dragula, coming to perform, and I’ll be performing once a month as well during the summer.
MB: As June approaches, how do you celebrate Pride?
LE: I believe in living out loud and proud 24/7. As much as I love Pride, I try to stress that I don’t just celebrate myself and my community that month, I really try to celebrate it all year-round. But I think what’s really special about Pride is, for a lot of people, it gives them the excuse to come out and be one of many. For a lot of people, I think Pride is so important because it’s a safe space for them to be who they are, because maybe they’re not afforded the same luxury as I am to live out loud and proud at all times. Pride is really special, especially in Dewey, a predominantly straight venue, so it’s really cool they’ve created this space where members from the LGBTQIA+ can feel safe.
MB: You came out as trans last June. In what ways did the art of drag help you in your gender journey?
LE: If it wasn’t for drag, I would’ve never found my truth. Drag helps in almost every way. It was a way for me to explain my femininity not only to other people but to myself. Once I began to realize that gender is on a spectrum, that’s when I discovered my truth during the pandemic. Being able to share that with Dewey last year was so special. When I first went, I had trans individuals come up to me and say how much it meant to have someone representing them, that they’ve been coming to this bar for years, and to finally have someone up on stage that was a part of their community was really impactful. That made me feel good not only as an artist, but as an activist.
MB: Your All Stars 6 jump-split stunt was, for a lack of a better word, iconic. What was it like to return to the show as a lip-sync assassin?
LE: Dewey got to see it first! I did that stunt for my first performance there. Returning to Drag Race was stressful, I’ll be honest. There’s a reason I have never returned as a competitor, and that is ultimately because of the stress levels I went through during season six. I will say I was much more confident knowing I was going just to lip sync because that’s really what I do. I’m a dancer at heart, classically trained, and have a BFA in dance and choreography. So even though I was nervous and had a little bit of PTSD, for the most part I was confident and excited to return and tear that stage up.
MB: You dropped “Poison Ivy” last October. Is there any more music on the horizon?
LE: Yes, my EP Daily Basis will hopefully be dropping sometime in the fall, which will include all my previous singles and my new single called “Daily Basis.” I’m very excited about that. Eventually, we’re going to be working on a new album as well.
MB: Is there anything else coming up for you that you would like to plug?
LE: I’m in a new movie called God Save the Queens, where I am acting opposite Alaska Thunderfuck. It’s going to the Tribeca Film Festival this year, which we’re very excited about. It’s also going to be showing in the Out Festival. So we’re hopeful that will be up for distribution very soon. I’m also working on season three of Muse Me, a show that I’ve done on YouTube for the last two years with my best friend Robert Hayman, who is a photographer, makeup artist, director, and all-around fantastic artist. Right now, we’re in talks with a production company to fully produce season three, so we’re really excited about that because we’ve self-produced everything during corona and shot it on our iPhones, so to elevate that, we’re looking forward to sharing that project on a larger scale.
MB: That’s very exciting. Is there any more you’re allowed to share about God Save the Queens and its premise?
LE: The film is done in different vignettes. It follows three different sets of drag queens. It’s not your typical gay, drag movie. It really tries to show the struggles we go through. One section features Kelly Mantle, who plays an aging drag queen who talks about her struggles with the new kids and the Drag Race girls coming up. In my section with Alaska, our story is about two friends who have separated in their lives and are coming together for the first time to enter a competition. It’s a really interesting movie because it provides a lot more depth than we usually see and not just tongue-pops and “yes gawds” and wig changes. There’s a lot of heart to the film.▼
Matty Brown is the Operations Administrator at CAMP Rehoboth and Editorial Associate for Letters.
Tamia Mykles photo: Murray Archibald
Laganja Estranja photo: Alexander Frost