I was thinking of Raul Esparza and ......well I was thinking of Raul Esparza when ..

...A call logged on my voicemail. Finishing my solitary yet joyful ruminations, reflecting upon the glory of the manifold charms of the man that is THE RAUL,  I was delighted to hear that I was invited to the world premiere of my dear friend and ex-roomie Matthew Martin's movie,  Baby Jane?  Mathew is the lead in a film production based upon the drag parody of  Bette Davis's, "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane".

Matt's performance in the long running stage production led to a half dozen copycat productions mounted from L.A. to Sydney.   Drag Queens, a lot like designers, are  prone to feel they can do it better than the other guy or whatever, can.  So too the awful after feel one feels as a result of viewing the bad acts or wearing the bad clothes.   The edgy urbanity of Galliano as example, is highculture art, Friend John and all High Couturier's ability to make clothes  look both flawless and effortless stand in glorious opposition to the rag merchant knockoffs.  Visualize Donnatello Versace versus Vicky Pollard.  The proof of the genius is as example, the glorious Carolyn Herrera spring gowns at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf-Goodman. My dearest Maddies flawless performance in Baby Jane?  is peformance art at it's very best.  As to the copy cats, well keep at it girls but as of yet no one has called me to attend your opening night at the holy of holies The Castro. 

 Maddie's always held that imitation is the highest form of flattery which is consistent with his being a superb female impersonator of the Great Movie Diva's of the Golden era of movies, a gracious man and someone who can take the memory of the star which the audience has and like Dali  and clocks turn it upside down to stunningly fun effect.  So too the sadder performers torturing the denizens of  obscure gay bars, clubs and karoke bars, the knock off rag traders struggle to get the idea which the couture houses create and shove a poorly made soon to be car wash rag to HM

 That is it really the understanding of the huge difference of  creation versus copy.  Here's to you all the Maddie Martins, Raul Esparza's ..everyone rise....you are simply IT!