Pride Toronto
Drag ON! with Lady Bunny
Drag ON! takes over Dundas Square on July 2nd starting at 2pm, as Pride Toronto serves up a ferocious sequel to last year’s over-the-top and overwhelmingly successful event. Be a part of drag history as DRAG ON! snatches the official Guinness Book of World Records title for Largest Drag Stage Performance. Featuring the fiercest looks and freshest routines of more than 50 of Toronto’s reigning queens, kings, and other gender-benders, with a backdrop of dramatic beats by Britney Spears impersonator extraordinaire Derrick Barry (RuPaul’s Drag Race, X Factor) Co-hosted by legendary lovelies, Lady Bunny and Bianca Del Rio.
Featured Performer – Lady Bunny
1) What kind of vision or performance are you bringing to the Drag ON! event?
Pride events are careful to include representatives of everyone in our community from twinks to leather men to lesbians to transgender to AA gays. So I’m happy to represent the loudmouthed, crazy, twisted drag queen contingent–which Bianca Del Rio will also be representing as only she can.
2) The Drag ON! event is sure to draw a huge crowd, are you excited or nervous?
I’m excited! I’m both emceeing and djing. Because of it’s connection with the UK, I often find that people have better taste in dance music there than in the US. So wear your dancing shoes.
3) The event features over 60 drag artists most of which will be Canadian performers, Which Canadian drag performer do you admire and respect and why?
I respect Mado Lanotte from Montreal. Her dressing room is bigger than my apartment! She has her own look (no one else would want it) so she really stands out because so many queens are just trying to copy what they see on Drag Race. Drag has almost become a uniform with everyone wearing the same nose contour, hip pads and something in their hair like RuPaul. So many young kids think that they’re experts on the “rules of how to do drag” but I’d rather see individuality like Mado’s than cookie-cutter drag. I don’t speak french so I couldn’t understand everything Madame Lamotte says in her act, but the very mixed crowd at Cabaret Mado was eating it up. She’s a treasure. A soon-to-be buried treasure, but a treasure nonetheless.
4) How about on the international front?
Lots of talented queens in London. I’m a fan of Divine David, Baga Chipz, Lady Lloyd, Danel Lissmore, Tasty Tim, Lana Pillay. And I have a lot in common with Susan Boyle. Neither of us look good dressed as a woman.
5) Who is your ultimate diva superstar (musical/stage) and why?
My favorite diva is Patti Labelle. She’s the only singer I’ve seen ten times or maybe more. She’s a mind-blowing performer and combines a genuine warmth with humor, great songs and that stellar voice. Some of the older soul greats claim that people throw around the word “diva” too easily these days, and use it for people who don’t deserve yet it. You could never say that about Patti. Some of the superstars I grew up with are getting on in years, so I try and see them while they’re still touring. Like many folks, I spend too much time on social media. After David Bowie and Prince dies, there were months of tributes online. I’m glad they were loved, but I had to ask “Did you buy any of their last ten albums?” Don’t take your favorite performers for granted. Appreciate them while they are on this planet so they can hear your applause! They can’t hear it when they’re dead.
6) This should be a memorable event for Gay Pride Canadian History aiming to be the largest drag show in history, What is your most memorable/career highlight so far?
I’m best known for organizing Wigstock, the outdoor festival of wigs, peace and love which ran for over twenty years in NYC. At it’s height, the show drew crowds of 30,000 and featured performances by Debbie Harry, RuPaul, Boy George, John Cameron Mitchell as Hedwig, Anohni, Justin Vivian Bond and some of the best singers making dance music. Wigstock was a hipper version of gay pride. After it rained for a couple years in a row, we stopped the event. But last year, we brought it back as a cruise around NYC’s Hudson River. Clearly, people missed the event because we sold out the first boat, got a bigger one and then sold it out, too. Everyone came in costume, the performances were stellar and the djs electrified us with a mixture of disco and vintage house. So we’re doing it again on August 21st this year as part of the Sea Tea cruise line. But this year, I have to be careful about my shoe choice. Last year I wore stilettos and pushed a hole in the hull of the ship!
Please check out gorgeous new Bun-Bun t-shirts with an illustration by Michael Economy on the newly revamped http://LadyBunny.net !
And Bunny’s latest musical collab with the super-groovy Ursula 1000 called Blast Off. On iTunes now! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/voyeur/id1027923109
Lady Bunny talks about the Orlando tragedy.
Mark your calendars folks for yet another unforgettable moment and catch many more drag personalities Saturday July 2nd for “Drag ON!” at Dundas Square at 6 PM. Check the official Drag ON! Facebook Page for the latest schedule of performers and performance times.
About the Author
Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.