It's the 4th of July at Freddie's Beach Bar and Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. This is a special night for Freddie Lutz who owns the establishment. He's just gotten married to his partner for years, but tonight his bar is putting on display one of the most popular events of the week, the drag show. And while there has been a conservative backlash against them, here at Freddie's, it's not just an event. It is an evening of joy and singing, as the patrons watch the Queens strut their stuff. As Freddie Lutz looks on, he says there are two important things about drag.
“It's a chance for them to express themselves. And it's an art form. It's theater and fun,” said Lutz.
“Are you guys ready to have a good time tonight? No, no, no. It's Fourth of July. You guys ready to party tonight? Let's do it. Welcome to the stage,” Applebottom said.
Blaring out across the bar is Magnolia Applebottom's voice ushering in the night's festivities. So come with us to explore this world many only see from the sidelines. Applebottom or Jeremy Bernstein is a 34-year-old gay man. Even as a child he saw himself as an entertainer. Eventually, Jeremy became fascinated with costume design and makeup, but once transformed with an overdone 1950s blonde wig, white rim glasses and thick red lipstick, Jeremy becomes Magnolia Applebottom. So what is it like to be on stage with the lights flashing, the music blaring across the restaurant?
“Such an adrenaline rush. I know I'm making a difference. I'm giving people a break from their normal day to day just for an hour and a half to sit here and have fun and enjoy live art. Love you too, baby. Good to see you. To be able to share my art with the community and have them just escape for a little bit and come in supporting local businesses and local entertainers. So to be at the epitome in Rehoboth of where I'm at now, I'm totally grateful. And as I said, I'm really blessed to do what I do full time,” said Bernstein (Applebottom).
Meanwhile, another star of the evening is Enigma, performed by Pierre Lorde, a 30-year-old gay African-American man from Pennsylvania. The performance is athletic with its high kicks and quick movements, all done with three piles of hair on top of her head and long strands flowing down her back.
“It's invigorating, it's exhilarating. It is grounding. A few years ago, you would've asked, if you asked me to wear a wig, I would've said no. I would never. And the power of drag has given me new purpose. Being on the stage has allowed me to offer other people, platform and opportunities to really just show their talent,” Lorde (Enigma) said.
Drag has allowed Lorde to create a production company in Pennsylvania with his husband, where he oversees the production of drag shows. Putting on the wigs, costume and makeup is not a simple task. Magnolia Applebottom.
“So as Dolly Parton says, it takes a lot of money to look this cheap. So wigs - expensive. The costumes are expensive, the jewelry, the makeup, so it takes time. I mean, again, I've been doing this for so long I can get in drag in about an hour. I can do everything in an hour, but I know some queens that take like three, four hours to get ready every single time. But a lot of my friends say that are drag queens, the best part of getting in drag is getting out,” Bernstein (Applebottom) explained.
Of course, many drag queens take on the persona of celebrities, which can be quite striking. Restaurant owner, Freddie Lutz.
“I'll import a very excellent Cher impersonator that I know, Steven Andrade. We'll have him for New Year's or special occasions, and he's amazing. You would actually think it was Cher on the stage, yeah,” Lutz said.
But at the end of the night, Applebottom says the makeup comes off, the blonde wig is put aside, and Jeremy props up his feet to take in the world just like everyone else. In our next segment, we take a look at the importance of drag to the LGBTQ+ community. This is Don Rush for Delmarva Public Media.
