by Greek correspondent Dimitrios Machairidis
Photo credit: Dimitrios Machairidis
“It took me a while because I had to shave and wax my legs. I am grateful for the razor blade. Just wearing a wig does not make me a drag queen. I have to work hard on preparing numerous costumes and songs. Thank you, straight people for your patience!”
Epiphany is on stage at the Elysium Sunset Cabaret in Mykonos, participating in one of the best drag shows in Europe. The show takes place on the terrace of the Elysium Exclusive Gay Hotel, the straight friendly hotel according to the five-star hotel general manager Vassilis Chouliaras. The cocktails on the terrace complement the beautiful sunset, one of the best sunsets in the Aegean. The Elysium terrace overlooks the Chora, the whitewashed old port of Mykonos with its high-end fashion culture in the picturesque narrow cobblestone alleys.
“Come on stage” Epiphany orders an Australian lady who watches the show with her husband. “Monogamy is for Santorini,” comments Epiphany and the lady bursts into laughter. “Mykonos makes you laugh harder,” Epiphany adds, cheered by the audience. “Sirs, where are you from?” Epiphany asks. “From LA,” they answer. “Shut-up, I am looking for a more interesting city,” replies the drag queen. Epiphany is one of the rare drag queen performers who combines stand-up comedy and live singing instead of play back.
“The Elysium Sunset Cabaret show is a kind of exchange program between Mykonos and Manhattan,” says Epiphany to the tens of Americans among the audience. Indeed, if there were direct flights between Mykonos and JFK, they would be fully booked all summer long. The show is sold out days in advance. Several regulars of the Elysium Sunset Cabaret have arrived for tonight’s show from all over Europe and the USA, but also from Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, and the Emirates as well.
“The show tonight is Vagintic,” promises Epiphany with a skittish voice. Epiphany Get Paid, Vanessa Van Cartier, Skyla Versai, Serge Sederginne, Gloria Darling, the dancers Cliff, Ruben and Dinn, and D.J. Mays on decks are ready for the craziest night in Mykonos that will disconnect the audience from conventional masculinity. Mykonos was one of the first tourist destinations in the world to initiate the drag queen shows during the 60’s in the small bars of the Chora. Drag queens with oversized clothing, stardust drapes, extravagant wigs, glamorous make-up and glittering eyelashes prided themselves in the then Boho-chic streets of Mykonos together with VIPs like Aristotelis Onassis and his wife Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Queen Soraya, who spent her summers in Mykonos after divorcing the Shah of Iran, and Jean Seberg, the star in François Truffaut’s film “Breathless” who was renting a small house in “downtown Mykonos.”
In our days of globalization, Mykonos is among the top tourist destinations in the world and the drag queens are professional show performers from the USA and Europe. Epiphany and Skyla are from New York;Vanessa Van Cartier and Serge Sederginne from Antwerp, Belgium; and Gloria Darling from Sicily. The international clientele that spends days and nights in Mykonos have made the Elysium Sunset Cabaret drag queens famous all over. Their winter schedule already includes performances in Berlin, Dublin, Cologne, Milano, Zurich, and Stockholm. “The show comprises 50 choreographies in total. Within each 14-day period, the show is different every night. Everyone staying in Mykonos for two weeks does not see the same show twice,” says Cliff, the dancer and choreographer of the show. “There is a lot of fun but it is a very intensive job,” says Ruben, the second dancer. Both are Belgians and last winter they were working in Macao for Circle du Soleil. “It takes time to prepare the show because everybody comes from different places. We have already started planning the summer 2017 show,” remarks Vassilis Chouliaras.
“Mykonos is not like anywhere on earth. The wealthiest people in the world come here. It is full of celebrities and royals. Everything must be very professional. The preparation begins months before the show actually starts. As early as November we start work on the costumes,” says Epiphany. “Every costume is designed for just one song. My performance includes 60 songs, which means 60 costumes to prepare. There are details on the costumes I do by hand. A costume can inspire me like a song or a dream,” says Vanessa Van Cartier. “I arrived in Mykonos with seven pieces of luggage, though I am only allowed to carry 23 kilos on the flight,” says Skyla Versai. “I design my costumes and shoes,” says Gloria Darling. Serge Sederginne travels to Thailand to have her costumes tailored.
“A Thai guy just gave me a tip. He knows where I order my costumes,” Epiphany tells the audience while arranging the tip in her bra. “Show me a gay that can resist impersonating Shirley Bassey or Tina Turner,” Epiphany adds. Serge Sederginne appears on stage as Shirley Bassey. Vanessa Van Cartier is checking her make-up, ready to perform as Tina Turner next. In Mykonos the girls just wanna have fun! After 130 consecutive shows, the curtain fell, marking the end of the 2016 summer season.
