Transgender Showbiz! 8/5/24
Victoria Bazu?a
Apple TV+ is the home of a new series called Land of Women. One of the women, the daughter of Eva Longoria’s character, Kate, is a trans teen. She is played by trans actress Victoria Bazúa. Bazúa is a Mexican model and actress and Land of Women is her first ever acting job. Longoria and the producers of the series committed from the start that Kate would be played by a transgender actress and when they found Bazúa they knew she was perfect. The only problem was her Mexican accent. They changed the series family’s back story to have them living in Mexico and New York before going back to Spain.
For a first time playing a lead rollin television series people who have seen the first episodes say Bazúa is very confident in front of the camera. When asked in an interview for Glamour she said what made her confident was bullies. “It was students, teachers, moms, everyone…. I got to a point where I was like, “Am I really going to let these comments and this bullying affect me? That’s so lame. No.” I knew I was way more than those comments, so I started faking being confident. And then eventually I got to this point where I’m super comfortable with myself. I literally don’t care what people say or think about me. I just do me, and that’s enough.”
Watch Victoria Bazúa star in Land of Women, available now on Apple TV+.
Blair St. Clair
RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni keep showing up in every media. Blair St. Clair, a fave queen from the 10th season of Drag Race, has been cast in a theater production of Everyone’s Talking About Jamie. The story is based on a 2011 documentary of Jamie Campbell, who won out over prejudice and homophobia to become a schoolyard drag queen legend.
St. Clair says “I am thrilled to be playing my absolute dream role in my dream show,” added St. Clair. “This show feels like it was written about me and my story. As a queer person, I continue to push for gender equality in theatre, and as a non-binary actor, I am constantly battling being seen as a queer person for who I am internally—not just on the outside.”
St. Clair’s film credits include Bittersweet and John Waters’ upcoming musical remake of Bollywood & Vine: The Original B-Musical. You can see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at New Hampshire’s Weathervane Theatre Now till August 29. For ticket information visit WeathervaneNH.org.
Latrice Royale
Fourth season Drag Race fave, Latrice Royale, self-described as “large and in charge” is a drag performer, pageant queen, ordained minister, and a queer icon with a big heart and even bigger personality. She is the co-host of HBO’s award-winning reality series We’re Here. A troupe of drag legends travel to small towns around the country and empower members of local LGBTQ+ communities to embrace their authentic selves through no-holds-barred drag performances. She is wrapping up her residency at RuPaul’s Drag Race Live in Las Vegas and preparing to takeover the role of the role of Audrey II (the plant) in an off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. When she was interviewed recently by Slate and asked about the upcoming election she said, “We cannot do Trump, because I’m not going to live in a world of dictatorship. I’m not going to have my rights stripped away from everything I’ve worked for. Are you crazy?” She went on to say, “The only way we stand up to the bullies is in the polls. What counts is that little checkbox. That is the only way.”
Read the whole interview in Slate.
Yasmin Finney
Transgender actress Yasmin Finney of Heartstopper and Doctor Who stepped out for a fun night of clubbing in London and turned heads. She wore a sheer spider-web, sparkly mini dress that was barely there. She accessorized the sexy look with white fishnet gloves, a silver diamond necklace, and silver drop earrings. As the French might say, magnifique!
Stiletto, a new musical exploring the lives of castrati performers in 18th century Venice, will play London’s Charing Cross Theatre next year. The castrati were boys who were castrated to preserve their high treble voices before the onset of puberty. Most came from poor families and the most talented singers could have a career, lifting their family to a higher status. If a singer did not measure up they were tossed aside.
Playbill says this of Stiletto, “Set in the 1700s, this story follows a castrato who falls in love with the daughter of an African slave and tries to help her achieve a stage career. At a society event, a mysterious death leads to his love being imprisoned, pitting the young singer against the demons from his past and the corruption of his present.”
The musical will play London’s Charing Cross Theatre next year. Running March 24 through June 15, 2025, opening night is set for March 31.
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Category: Transgender Fun & Entertainment
