By Michael Barbieri****Oh my GOD!! Latrice Royale is EVERYTHING, Hunny!! Latrice Muthafuckin’ Royale is the total package! In her fabulous new show, Here’s to Life, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Latrice served up songs, sass, motherly wisdom, a lot of laughs and loads of glam-oor!
Latrice Royale is the “large and in charge, chunky yet funky” creation of Timothy Wilcots, an actor and drag performer from Torrance, California. Latrice is best known for appearing on Season 4 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Seasons 1 and 4 of “Drag Race All Stars.” She was crowned Miss Congeniality on Season 4 and eventually joined the cast of “RuPaul’s Drag U” for it’s third season. She’s performed with Jennifer Hudson at the CBS Fashion Rocks charity fundraiser and appeared with Peaches Christ and Willam in Mister Act—an Off-Broadway parody of the film Sister Act. In 2016, she released her EP Here’s to Life: Latrice Royale Live in the Studio and she’s also an ordained minister.
She’s had a life packed with experience and she brought that life to the stage at the Beechman! Entering from the back of the room, Latrice was dressed to slay! Enveloped in a billowing cloud of gold lamé ruffles, a sparkling, curve-hugging gold gown and crowned with a fabulously mountainous blonde wig, she made her entrance singing “When You’re Good to Mama,” from Kander & Ebb’s Chicago. Having only seen her lip sync on Drag Race, her vocal skills were a big surprise for me. With a strong belt and rich low tones, she could definitely hold her own if cast in the current Broadway revival. She welcomed us and told us there would be no death drops or “sha-blam” in her show. Instead, she said, “what you’ll get is Barry White in drag!” She also introduced her wonderful band, P.J. Roberts on bass, Dave Tedeschi on percussion and her husband, Christopher Hamblin at the piano.
If Latrice’s songs were the body of the show, then her life stories were the bones that held it all together. She spoke about growing up gay and poor in Compton, her tumultuous relationship with her brother, taking refuge in the arts and how fearing for her safety prompted her to leave home and move to Wisconsin. She followed these recollections with the well-chosen “I Am What I Am,” from Jerry Herman’s La Cage aux Folles, which added depth and poignancy to her tale. She also recounted life in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, checking out her first gay bar and her subsequent move to Miami. We heard about her “remarkable” coming out story, her first time dressing in drag for Halloween—she was Wanda, from “In Living Color”—and her first time entering a drag contest at a local bar.
Drag, she said, opened many doors for her, allowing her to perform in cabarets and clubs all over the world. To that end, one of the comedic highlights of the evening, was Latrice’s rendition of the bawdy, bluesy shouter, “If I Can’t Sell It, I’ll Keep Sittin’ On It” (Alex Hill, Andy Razaf), which our diva belted out whilst bouncing up and down on a stool and showing off her “curves ‘n swerves” in a sequined leotard. After a quick costume change, she returned to the stage and gave us a funky, soulful interpretation of “On and On” (Erykah Badu, JaBorn Jamal), with her band providing backup vocals.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Latrice’s life was her time spent in prison. She shared with us exactly what it was that landed her there and the sad details of losing her mother while incarcerated. She spoke of the crippling guilt she carried around for years, having not been there when her mother passed away. Thankfully, she now feels that her mother is an angel who’s with her always, watching over her and helping her overcome all obstacles. She illustrated this point with her one lip sync number, Yolanda Adams’ “Still I Rise,” which, while not sung live, was still immensely powerful—and lip synced flawlessly, I might add. In one of the evening’s wildest moments, Latrice pulled a “Patti LaBelle” and kicked off her heels shortly after the song’s big modulation, which got a huge cheer from the sold-out house. Hilariously, one of her shoes caught on the cables from some of the stage lighting and hung there for the remainder of the show! Ah, live theater!
The art of drag has been good to Latrice Royale. The dream of making a career of drag got her through prison. Drag has allowed her to travel the world and eventually meet her husband. And drag has allowed her to live her best life—a life which she is clearly loving. Her presence onstage throughout the show, was nothing less than joyous! She wrapped up the evening with the song that lent its name to her show: “Here’s to Life” (Phyllis Molinary, Artie Butler). This song can only work when the singer has the life experience to back it up and Latrice definitely made it work! Or should I say WERQ!
The fabulous Ms. Royale will be touring with this show, so if you happen to see her appearing near you, you absolutely must go see her. Here’s to Life is more than a drag act. It’s an experience! One you shouldn’t miss!
Leave a Reply