The first Krewe Bohème parades through the Marigny and continued through the French Quarter in New Orleans, La. Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. The procession is led by a symbol of the bohemian spirit, a green absinthe fairy seen here, followed by several inner krewe marching clubs including: the Krewe of Goddesses, the Merry Antoinettes, Krewe of R.U.M. (Really Unsophisticated Men), Krewe of King James: The Super Bad Sex Machine, Krewe of Hellarious Wingnuts, Krewe of S.L.U.T.S. (Sexy Ladies Up to Something), Krewe What Thou Wilt, Les ReBelles, Flora & Fauna, Skinz N Bonez, Dystopian Paradise, The Bayou Babes, Krewe D'Ensite, Krewe of Full Bush, Krewe de la Renaissance, Interrobang Parading Krewe, and Menage-a-Trike. Photo by Matthew Hinton

It’s draguation time! Some of the city’s newest drag queens are going through the gauntlet

New Orleans Drag Workshop's Draguation is the culminating event of 10-weeks of hard work.

by Mary Staes | March 25, 2019

Can you remember the butterflies on graduation day? My worst fear was walking across the stage in my heels, getting my diploma, hitting my pageant girls wave and and SPLAT! Down I go, face first, into the stage.

So I can’t imagine doing that dreaded walk TWICE in one night, in a night club full of people. But that’s what 13 fearless new performers are doing Monday night, during the New Orleans Drag Workshop’s Draguation, the culminating event of 10-weeks of hard work.

Founded by Vinsantos DeFonte, the curriculum includes fine-tuning the art of drag, like lip-syncing, and perfecting makeup and wig styling. Some refer to it as New Orleans’ version of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” but instead of a fierce competition, the goal here is a learning experience.

“People came into the workshop and said, ‘I want to look like Christina Aguilera.’ … I really encourage them to keep an open mind and be flexible, because we’re discovering these characters as we go along,” DeFonte said in a 2017 interview with the New Orleans Gambit.

According to the workshop’s Facebook page, the first show sold out before invites were even sent out. So a second show was added for 10:30 p.m., but door open at 10 p.m., so make sure to be there early! Click here for tickets.

What: New Orleans Drag Workshop Draguation
When: March 25, 2019
Where: Allways Lounge
Price: $20

The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret
$$$$
Getting there
2240 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117, USA
Hours
Mon-Sun 6 PM – 2 AM

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Mary Staes

Mary Staes

Mary Staes is Digital Content Lead for Very Local. She works with our freelancers and crafts content for our social media platforms and website. Before Very Local, she worked with CBS affiliate WWL-TV as a web producer and weekend assignment editor for about 4 years. She has also handled broadcast coverage for 160 Marine Reserve training facilities while she served as an active duty Marine. As a native New Orleanian, she takes being "very local" to heart. She loves being intertwined with the culture and figuring out how there are less than two degrees of separation between us all, whether we're natives or not.

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