The daily Astorian., March 30, 2017, Page 9, Image 21

MARCH 30, 2017 // 9
MALE — OWN THE NIGHT
Continued from Pg. 8
“And, in this sense, I was a different
person — because I was a woman,” he
said. “I was Katy Perry, and so I complete-
ly transformed myself into Katy Perry and
performed ‘Roar.’”
Cronin refused to reveal which pop star
he intends to channel Saturday. “That is top
secret.”
CROSS-DRESSING CHARACTERS
Making his Jane Barnes debut is Clatsop
Community College President Chris Breit-
meyer, who, like Cronin, has limited expe-
rience dragging out: “I am a rookie at this,”
he admitted. And, like Cronin, Breitmeyer
accepted the invitation as a way to become
involved in the community he had recently
joined.
Now that showtime draws neigh, Bre-
itmeyer is steeling himself to become a
convincing cheerleader, equipped with
pom-poms, and sing Gwen Stefani’s modern
classic “Hollaback Girl.”
“There may be attempts at a split; I don’t
think anyone will recognize it as a split,” he
said with a laugh.
He hasn’t named his cheerleader yet, but,
as it happens, he had a Collie named “Chey-
enne” growing up …
The cross-dressing newbs, unused to
people screaming and clapping at them and
showering them with singles, share the spot-
light with veteran performers.
Joshua Conklin, an experienced local
drag entertainer, is performing as his alter
ego “Ginger Vitis,” a persona he created
through Dragalution.
The Jane Barnes Revue, he said, “gets
people out of their comfort zones, which I
think is extremely important.”
Conklin, who has struggled with anxiety,
said drag has helped his confidence. On Sat-
urday, he will perform a burlesque-inspired
number in a rain-themed outfit, he said.
Asked why someone should participate
in something like Jane Barnes, Davis said,
“We get to do something that, as a male,
we’re not really taught: to embrace our
vulnerability, or our softer side — not to say
that femininity is softer, but oftentimes we
portray it that way.”
“It’s a good experience to walk in some-
body else’s shoes and understand how some-
body else is seen in the world,” he added.
‘THE LOVE OF DOWNTOWN’
Dulcye Taylor, the organizer and co-em-
cee (with Norma Hernandez), founded the
Jane Barnes Revue during Astoria’s Bicen-
tennial with Tiffany Butler. They were at an
Oregon Main Street conference discussing
fundraising.
“And this little old lady from Iowa said,
‘We put some of our men onstage for a
fashion show in dresses, and it was really
popular,’” Taylor remembered. “And Tiffany
and I looked at each other and said, ‘Oh
yeah — we could do that in Astoria.’”
The show has since introduced female
cross-dressers.
The revue is the downtown association’s
second-biggest annual fundraiser (behind the
Pacific Northwest Brew Cup). Last year, the
event raised about $17,000 — revenue spent
on the association’s operations, downtown
beautification projects (such as Christmas
lightings) and promotional events to draw
visitors during the slow season, Heath said.
This year, a prize goes to the Jane that
brings in the most money (whether tossed
onto the stage or stuffed into their bras-
sieres).
The story of the Jane Barnes Revue,
Heath said, is “the love of downtown that all
of these guys share and are willing to embar-
rass themselves for.”
“Not everybody is willing to get up and
go crazy and let people take pictures of them
in drag,” she said. “And I think that that’s
pretty cool.”
An audience member reaches to clear a boa feather from the stage as “Scooter Yorktown,” per-
formed by Jade Kiosse, dances.
Audience members stuff money into
Chad Hartley’s dress as he performed
as “Cedar Patch,” in 2015
Jorge Gutierrez, performing as “Danessa Rosewood,”
dances in a wedding dress during the Jane Barnes
Revue at the Astoria Event Center in 2015.
Rodney Merrill, performing as “Taffy Ammonoosuc,” dances down the stage during the Jane
Barnes Revue at the Astoria Event Center in 2015. The money from the event went to the Astoria
Downtown Historic District Association.