OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
JUNE 3. 20H
• pridefiles-
Kennedy says. Over the years, Kennedy has
been an actor, singer, dancer and director—and
has been involved in more than 150
productions.
Ginger Lee, the almost-accidental diva,
played by Brian Block, was Carmichaels’
other obvious choice. Block, who worked as
a spotlight operator for Darcelle XV, de
scribes being “roped into” drag in September
2002. The show’s coordinator, M onica Bou
levard, approached Block and asked him if
he’d join the cast. Block hesitated, but Bou
levard pressed hard, and he relented. His
first rehearsal was two days later, his first
show a day after that. “Darcelle and the rest
o f the cast were very helpful in getting me
started,” he explains. From there, Ginger
Lee emerged, becoming a fixture with D ar
celle and company for five years.
After his tenure at Darcelle’s, Block
planned to hang up Ginger Lee’s wigs and
take a “much needed break.” Bolivia Carmi
chaels had other plans. “Bolivia was relendess
and bothersome, begging me to join her,”
Block recounts, smirking. “I ’m teasing, o f
course. Bolivia attacked— I mean ap
proached— me with an idea to bring on more
performers for her show Sunday nights. I was
honored that Bolivia picked me out o f all the
performers she knows. Honey Bea was also
on board. We sat down one evening and ‘The
Superstar Divas’were hatched.”
Four years later, The Superstar Divas have
routines and roles down pat—Celine dress,
Reba wig, Adele gown. In addition to per
formances, each diva settles into a defined,
practical capacity. “Bolivia is the motivated
one, the choreographer— and books guests,”
Kennedy explains. “Ginger manages us; she
books our shows elsewhere. I’m the logical
one— the person putting the setlist together
each Sunday.” One even senses these roles
while watching the divas perform— and in
teract. “We get along really well,” Kennedy
adds. “The chemistry is such we don’t worry
about much. I’m not saying we don’t have
fights or arguments. W hat siblings don’t?”
Elliott adds, “W e’ve certainly had our
yelling matches. Sometimes it gets a little
spicy.” One o f the most im portant aspects o f
the show, though? The audience— on that
point, the divas are in wholehearted agree
ment. “We bring our all each week,” Elliott
says. “We feed off our audience. An ener
getic audience really raises the bar.”
The show rarely wants for energy. W e’d
expect nothing less from three o f the hard
est-working, most talented performers in
the city. The show offers a unique, eccentric
mix of songs, skits and performances— ma
terial often spans generations and genres.
The Superstar Divas Mega Show is a desti
nation, now an indispensable Portland insti
tution. m
P 5
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