4 Legendary Drag Queen Dinosaurs are Coming Together for Jurassic Drag
BY FUDGIE FROTTAGE
What could be better than an old school drag show, you ask? A show starring four legendary Drag Queen Dinosaurs: Coco Peru, Jackie Beat, Sherry Vine, Varla Jean Merman and special guest: Roz Hernandez called Jurassic Drag.
These Queens are all hilarious, seasoned performers who will have you howling in your seats and rolling in the aisles. They’ll be joined by special guest comic Roz Hernandez, of the Ghosted! podcast, to bring some young blood into the mix. Jurassic Drag will include never before seen solo acts of audacity, as well as group numbers with these clever cave gals mixing their multi-talented vocals and song stylings. It’s all happening on May 20th and 21st at the Brava Theater in San Francisco.
I had the pleasure of interviewing two of the stars of the show:
Jackie Beat, the drop dead gorgeous, larger than life, world famous drag superstar and the glamorous, svelte, and filthy Sherry Vine.
Fudgie: Tell us about the show.
Jackie Beat: All you need to know is that it features four legends who clearly didn’t get enough attention as children… There will be group numbers and each queen will also have their solo moment in the spotlight. Of course, the real show is going to take place backstage in the dressing room. We should probably sell a handful of tickets to THAT show… For a lot of money!
Jackie Beat. Photo by @sanchezzalba – Albert Sanchez and Pedro Zalba
Sherry Vine: There will be over 200 combined years of drag magic onstage! We have all been friends for over 30 years. We are always laughing when we are together so I’m sure that love and joy will be shining onstage. Expect lots of elder jokes and I’m sure plenty of good natured reading… although with us it will be in hierglyphics!
FF: Is there a director involved?
Sherry Vine. Photo by Steven Love Menendez
JB: We don’t need a director, we need a referee… We are all control freaks.
SV: No. None of us are good at talking direction! lol. Actually, we will all be on hand to offer advice to each other. No walking on eggshells here.
FF: Will there be any duets or group numbers?
SV: Yes! We have a group opening and closing number. And still discussing duets.
FF: As a legendary drag queen, who or what inspired you to first take the stage?
Coco Peru
JB: I did drag on Halloween over three decades ago with a bunch of friends and I took it much more seriously than they all did: “What do you mean you’re not going to wear nails!?” All joking aside, I really found my voice when I was in drag. And back then you could say anything!
SV: I dabbled in drag for Halloween but it didn’t click. Then when I was in grad school I did a whole monologue in drag and that ignited something inside.
FF: Can you tell us about your co-stars?
JB: Not without hurting someone’s feelings. But that’s never stopped me before, so… Sherry Vine is annoyingly skinny and she almost hits the right notes whenever she “sings.” Coco Peru has owned one wig for the past 3 decades. One wig. Wow. Varla Jean Merman is a perky lisping show pony in drag, and a furry ginger muscle daddy out of drag. Pick a lane, bitch.
Varla Jean Merman
SV: They are all horrible senior citizens! I’m the nice one! Seriously, we have been friends for so long and still adore each other. Chosen family!
FF: As a showbiz pioneer, is there anything you’d like to say to the children?
JB: Stay away from priests, coaches and scout leaders.
SV: Find a talent that is yours, not a copy of someone else, rehearse it, hone it, exploit it.
Roz Hernandez
FF: Anything you’d like to add?
JB: See this show before one of us dies!
SV: Catch us while you can!!
Get Your Tickets!
Jurassic Drag plays two nights only: May 20 + 21st at Brava Theatre, 2781 24th St, San Francisco. Grab tickets today right here.
A little bit more about the cast:
Jackie Beat has been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and in Europe for over twenty five years with her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies. Her hilarious music videos on YouTube are huge hits viewed by millions. Her one-woman show “Jackie Beat Is A Whole Lotta’ Love” ran a record 18 months at NYC’s premiere cabaret, Fez, and she returns to The Big Apple every year with her award-winning, standing-room-only holiday show as part of her SOLD OUT national holiday tour. Jackie’s stand-up has been featured in comedy clubs across the country and on Comedy Central, VH-1 and MTV. Her scathing song parodies have been featured on America’s Top Forty with Ryan Seacrest, The Howard Stern Show, Much Music TV, Yo on E! and PerezHilton.com.
Coco Peru (aka Clinton Leupp) got her start as a downtown favorite in NYC’s cabaret world. Since then, Coco has received worldwide acclaim for her award-winning solo shows and has enjoyed an expansive career in film, television, and digital work. TV: “Dead- Paranormal Park,” “Will and Grace,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Arrested Development” and two stand-up comedy specials on LOGO. Film: “Trick,” “To Wong Foo”… and the cult classic “Girls Will Be Girls.”
Sherry Vine tours the world with her all live singing, hilarious comedy shows, and is the star and writer of “The Sherry Vine Variety Show”. She is a founding member of Theatre Couture, and is The OG Queen of YouTube, where her video parodies have been viewed over 20,000,000 times. Sherry has produced and co-starred in Dr. Jackie, and opened for Bianca del Rio across the USA, Europe and Tel Aviv. Sherry can be seen touring the world with her hilarious and NSFW solo shows.
Varla Jean Merman (aka Jeffery Roberson Loe) star of the campy film “Hush Up Sweet Charlotte,” has performed at major theatres including Carnegie Hall, plus being able to sing with her mouth filled with Cheez Whiz is something that really sticks with you. Varla has starred in the musical “Lucky Guy” opposite Leslie Jordan in NYC, as well as in many films including: “Girls Will Be Girls,” ” Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads,” and most recently, “Big Easy Queens.” Jeffery played the role of Mary Sunshine on Broadway in the revival of “Chicago” and in the First National Touring Company. In 2010, he won Boston’s Elliot Norton Award for Best Musical Performance in “Phantom of the Oprah.” Her 26 one-woman shows have sold out cabaret venues across the globe, as well as filling international concert halls including the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall.
Roz Hernandez is an American actress, comedian, and reality television star best known for impressive work on various movies and TV shows such as Besties and Living For The Dead which is her most notable show. In addition, Roz also hosts a podcast titled “Ghosted!”
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