Craig Russell awash with rapt fans!
The lure of late-night theatrics at the Insomniac Cinema at the Regency Theatre inspired me to snap up a couple of tickets for the transgender road-trip feature - "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert".
As Terrence Stamp and Guy Pearce camped it up on the screen in full drag, I was inclined to harken back to the old days when the "art" of cross-dressing was just blooming in secret out-of-the-way nightclubs in downtown Vancouver (B.C.) in the seventies.
One day, I was strolling along Granville Street (I was about 18) when a glamorous statuesque blond sashayed up and gave me a peck on the cheek. Huh?
"So, who 'ya been doin," the sexy siren joked.
When I stared at her with a puzzled expression on my face - say what? - she was quick on the uptake.
"Remember the blond kid that you used to say hi to on Yonge Street?"
My eyes just about popped out of my head.
"I crossed over," she cackled.
Yup, that was my first encounter with a female impersonator, that I know of!
Shortly after trekking out to the West Coast from the big-city environs of Toronto (known as Hog Town, to locals; I wonder why?) my acquaintance from T.O. started dressing up in women's clothing - and proceeded to promptly crown herself with the glorious stage name - Sandy St. Peters!
In about ten seconds flat, Ms. Peters was wowing the showbiz world with her uncanny, bang-on impersonations of Peggy Lee, Carol Channing, and Tammy Faye - to name a few.
Although Sandy was born in Germany, she grew up in Calgary for some inexplicable reason. Who knew a town brimming full of cowboys wrestling cows could conjure up such a dazzling gem?
For a brief time, Ms. Peters gravitated to Toronto (where she met moi!) but later felt quite at home on the comfy West Coast where she was well-received.
In fact, Sandy was crowned "Empress" by the Gay Community in 1973.
Later, Ms. Peters hit the road and toured western Canada with a sold-out show - the "Illusion Factor" - until November of 1983. In her wake, she left a trail of admiring fans.
Although the illness which caused her death was not related to an AIDS condition, and she allegedly remained uninfected, Ms. Peters dedicated herself to the cause nonetheless. Like the real showbiz pro that she was, Sandy co-organized and performed at the first AIDS benefit in Canada in 1981 - and in the process - helped raise over $10,000 at a time when the bucks were crucially needed.
As I penned this piece on her (and prepared to "paste" a photograph with the post) a shiver ran up and down my spine. Uh-huh, the grand lady is ever-present, in spirit, at least.
Of course, there was another giant on the female impersonator scene in those "heady" days of the pioneer drags.
Craig Russell!
Russell was President of the "Mae West Fan Club" when he was a teenager - and the experience, without doubt - influenced his ideas about persona for years to come.
By 1971, he was topping the bill in Toronto gay clubs, as a lusty female impersonator with a burgeoning International following.
I caught him perform at the Manitee, a boy-toy hot spot, back in his glory days in Toronto.
Craig starred in the feature film - "Outrageous" (1977) - which catapulted him to stardom and recognition in the mainstream; something that eluded many "drags" prior to the advent of shows like "La Cage aux Folles".
The film was one of the first North American features with a gay theme to receive widespread distribution. In it, Russell played Robin Turner, a gay hairdresser who wanted to be a drag queen.
Craig's signature style was to speak and sing in the voices of the celebrities he was impersonating, which included the likes of...Carol Channing, Bette Davis, Mae West, Peggy Lee, Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Midler, Anita Bryant, and Judy Garland.
One day at Studio One in West Hollywood, I passed Craig in the hall on the way to the back room, and shouted across the heads of the crowd,
"Heh, Craig! I'm from Scarberia, too."
That was the affectionate name given the suburb of Scarborough by the kids who managed to escape its lethal grasp.
He rolled his eyes and shouted back, "Good to see 'ya, dahlink!"
Unfortunately, shortly after that, he was appearing on a popular American talk show when he suffered an emotional breakdown. The show's producers had to cut to commercial break for a moment (if I recall correctly) so Mr. Russell could collect himself.
At the peak of his success, Russell was unable to cope with the pressures of fame. In fact, substance abuse and psychological problems increasingly affected his performances - so much so - that his career faltered.
In 1990, at the young age of 42, he passed away in Toronto of a stroke as a result of alleged excesses.
In recalling his gift, some noted how overwhelming it was to hear him go from an impression of Carol Channing in "Hello Dolly" one moment, into a gravelly-voiced Louie Armstrong timbre, the next.
Some claimed that if an audience closed their eyes when he "did" Connie Francis, they'd swear afterward it was the legendary singer who performed on stage that night.
But, Craig could be a hoot, too.
One impression that often whipped up audiences into a frenzy in the late 1970s was his rendition of Anita Bryant singing an old-time favorite - "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
In sum, Russell's satirical impersonation of the anti-gay crusader established to many - an astute political awareness and commitment on his part - which stood him apart in the early years of the Gay Civil Rights movement.
In the final analysis, it was tough for Craig Russell to inhabit the skin of a "female impersonator" twenty-four hours a day, in the glare of the International spotlight.
Yeah, I expect it's tough being a drag Queen!
Maybe there is an identity crisis that goes along with the territory.
Which reminds me of one of the most embarrassing experiences of my entire adult life!
Back in the old days, when bottle clubs - like the infamous "Faces" - were prevalent in Vancouver, I used to bump into this tall exotic woman with a flair for dressing in a chic flamboyant way.
One day, I spied her on the nude beach (Wreck Beach at the University of B.C.) and was quite stunned by her exquisite perfectly-shaped breasts.
But, a little voice inside of me whispered for some unknown reason,
"That's a man, a sex change."
After kibitzing a bit with "her" for weeks at "Faces", I finally got up the gumption - prompted no doubt by a couple of strong whiskies in my gut - to lean over and jokingly chide,
"So, are you a real woman?"
Well, I was flabbergasted by her response, to say the least!
Without skipping a beat, she suddenly pulled up her dress (I understand from onlookers that she wasn't wearing any panties) and shouted at me,
"Look, I have a pussy!"
Everyone in the room stared at her crotch in shock, while I looked away in embarrassment, in desperate search of a quick exit.
I wanted to fall through the dance floor!
Fortunately, a friend standing nearby, retorted on my behalf,
"Well, if you're a lady, then why don't you act like one?"
Ah, that was the crux of it, really.
The young beauty just recently had a sex change operation. And, although her body had been transformed into the feminine ideal, she was still thinking like a man!
Her desperate need to prove herself was a typical male response.
In contrast, a woman might have teased,
"Well, if you don't know now honey, you never will."
Or, something confident, witty, or clever like that.
The psychological "stuffing" is the key, I guess.
Sandy St. Peters was well-adjusted, and sure-of-herself, both onstage and off.
A class act!
On the other hand, Craig Russell needed to exorcise a couple of ghosts from his past.
Dame Edna?
Well, she's a different silk stocking, altogether.
Catch her act, if you can!
Dame Edna hails from down under!