“I’m 2 tons of fun of twisted steel and sex appeal!”
Rochester’s
Miss Darienne Lake brings her big, brassy personality to
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” [ FEATURE ] BY ERIC REZSNYAK
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” WATCH: Darienne Lake appears on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 6, debuting
Monday, February 24, 9 p.m. on Logo TV (Time Warner Channel 179). You can also watch episodes on logotv.com or via the Logo TV app.
PARTY: Hang out with Darienne Lake herself at official “Drag Race” viewing parties at The Bachelor Forum (670 University Ave.) every Monday 9 p.m. Watch the show, interact with the queen, have some drinks. DISCUSS: Want to kiki about all the “Drag Race” drama? Head to the Entertainment Blog on rochestercitynewspaper.com, where Features Editor Eric Rezsnyak will open the library every Tuesday morning. Bring your reading glasses.
10 CITY FEBRUARY 19-25, 2014
That’s Miss Darienne Lake’s tagline, and it’s a good description of the Rochester drag diva. Darienne — given name Gregory Meyer — has been performing in the Rochester area for 22 years. She is almost as much of an institution as the regional amusement park that inspired her name. And now, at age 41, Darienne is poised to hit the big time as she makes her debut as a competitor in the sixth season of Logo TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” premiering on Monday, February 24. Actually, you could argue that Darienne has already arrived. Since she was officially announced as a member of the cast back in December, Darienne has amassed more than 4,000 followers on Twitter, and she has already started performing across the country. Her YouTube video covering RuPaul’s song “Lick It Lollipop,” released in early February, had more than 23,000 views after two weeks. And that’s before a single second of Darienne’s “Drag Race” season has aired. That is the power of “Drag Race,” a reality TV show produced and hosted by drag superstar RuPaul Charles that has grown from humble, low-budget beginnings to a pop-cultural phenomenon. Each season of the show sees considerable growth in ratings — 2013’s fifth-season premiere nabbed more than 1 million viewers — and has inspired a rabid fan base that blogs, vlogs, and Tumbles virtually every facet of the show. The series has had a profound impact on drag culture, bringing it into mainstream America, and arguably making the form of entertainment more popular than ever. The Rochester drag scene already knows the benefit of the show’s reach. Formerly local performer Pandora Boxx — one of Darienne’s “drag children” — came in fifth in the show’s second season back in 2010, and became hugely popular with viewers. Within a year she moved to Los Angeles, and since then has appeared on several “Drag Race” spin-offs, appeared on network television, launched a stand-up comedy career, and now hosts her own “Drag Race” video recap show. Will Darienne experience the same national success as her drag sister? In her “Meet the Queens” video for “Drag Race” she states that she would like to “show America that a big, large, and FUNNY lady can make it all the way to the end.” Over the next three months we’ll all get to see how she fares in this season stocked with very impressive competitors. In the meantime, you can check out Darienne live every Friday night as part of the “Facelift Fridays” show at 140 Alex Bar & Grill. And she’s only one of the many talented drag queens who call Rochester home. See the accompanying article to get to know some of Rochester’s drag royalty. Then grab some friends, head out to a show, and have a blast. And make sure to tip generously — good wigs are hard to find.