"Let's start at the very beginning" isn't quite how this newsletter is kicking off but I've got to start somewhere, I suppose, and there isn't a more glorious time than November. I didn't realize how eventful the past few weeks had been until I sat down for a few minutes to reflect on some of the awesome experiences I've had. Through this blog, I plan to highlight some of my favorite moments and hopefully inspire you to join for some fun in the future.
For those who don't know, I recently finished graduate school and November started off with officially passing the National Counselor Examination. Completely unrelated to drag but I'm ecstatic to put that behind me and continue working toward other professional goals.
I originally graduated from St. Louis Community College with a degree in American Sign Language Interpreting in 2010. I was honored to be asked to return and moderate a discussion of the film Pageant as part of their Queer Film Series.
If you haven't had the opportunity to watch Pageant, it's streaming on Vimeo and definitely worth the time. I was actually at Miss Gay America (as a backup dancer) when the documentary was filmed so there was a definite sense of nostalgia throughout the entire discussion. It was also refreshing to see college faculty and staff asking questions and getting involved to demonstrate their support of LGBTQIA+ students.
Keeping with the nostalgic theme, a craving for Mikey's Late Night Slice brought me back to Ohio, and as luck would have it, I was able to win Ohio All American Goddess 2022 while I was there! Okay, maybe I went for the pageant but I stayed for the Unicorn Sauce. Truly though, I had an unbelievable time seeing old friends and am over the moon at the opportunity to return to All American Goddess in June 2022.
I'm not really superstitious but I do think that there was a little bit of residual magic floating around since I got to see one of my absolute favorite vocalists in concert the night before we headed out to Ohio. In the same week, Jessica Vosk played a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall and then an intimate performance at The Blue Strawberry in St. Louis, MO. I can't confirm this but some people said that she just wanted to make sure she got the chance to wish me good luck. That's the story that we're going with. Marissa Rosen (Vocals) and Ben Rauhala (Piano) were the sassy cherry on top of the whole experience. When paired with two bottles of red wine, it was an evening that could only be described as divine.
Expecto Prismatic! (a Harry Potter themed brunch show) gave me the opportunity to show my Ravenclaw pride (Intelligence, Learning, Wisdom, and Wit) while also having a few cocktails and hanging with some amazing friends.
A St. Louis treasure, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, reopened after being forced to cancel the last two seasons. The national tour of Pretty Woman The Musical, starring Olivia F Valli and Adam Pascal, was a lovely return to the world of theatre. The excitement of the audience and the energy of the cast electrified the entire theatre. It was beyond amazing to be back in those seats again.
Future highlights will a bit more brief and focused so be sure to subscribe and stay tuned.