I struggle to understand why anyone would go and see a drag queen play a leading lady in musical theatre.” (Barnes, 2015. 119)
The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss the portrayal of drag queens within musical theatre and how, if any, societies perceptions have changed over the last 40 plus years. This research will be revised between 1970 to the present day, which will include case studies from three major plays/films and one television show. Those being discussed will include, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hairspray, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Using the information collected, this study will also discuss when drag queens first became popular both within and outside of musical theatre.
Research conducted will look at cross gender roles and challenging gender stereotypes, as well as analysing societal perceptions. It will also discuss if society has a better understanding of why men perform as women in drag.
Starting with a history of drag alongside drag queens, this dissertation will look at how drag itself has changed with the revolution of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, highlighting the importance the concept of drag society today and how much it has been accepted in comparison to when it first became part of popular culture.
So when and why did drag and cross dressing become acceptable? When …show more content…
Pop singer Ana Matronix is one of the lead vocalists in a band known as The Scissor Sisters, a popular band that originate from the New York art scene, known for writing and performing music relating to drugs and drag queens, The Guardian.com (2004). Making her mark on the drag scene, she would dress up in gay clubs and pose as a drag queen, working alongside men who were doing exactly the same thing but all being under the same guise. Although the band broke through to mainstream music in 2003/2004, drag artists have been performing for decades beforehand and if one wishes to be pedantic, even centuries
The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss the portrayal of drag queens within musical theatre and how, if any, societies perceptions have changed over the last 40 plus years. This research will be revised between 1970 to the present day, which will include case studies from three major plays/films and one television show. Those being discussed will include, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hairspray, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Using the information collected, this study will also discuss when drag queens first became popular both within and outside of musical theatre.
Research conducted will look at cross gender roles and challenging gender stereotypes, as well as analysing societal perceptions. It will also discuss if society has a better understanding of why men perform as women in drag.
Starting with a history of drag alongside drag queens, this dissertation will look at how drag itself has changed with the revolution of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, highlighting the importance the concept of drag society today and how much it has been accepted in comparison to when it first became part of popular culture.
So when and why did drag and cross dressing become acceptable? When …show more content…
Pop singer Ana Matronix is one of the lead vocalists in a band known as The Scissor Sisters, a popular band that originate from the New York art scene, known for writing and performing music relating to drugs and drag queens, The Guardian.com (2004). Making her mark on the drag scene, she would dress up in gay clubs and pose as a drag queen, working alongside men who were doing exactly the same thing but all being under the same guise. Although the band broke through to mainstream music in 2003/2004, drag artists have been performing for decades beforehand and if one wishes to be pedantic, even centuries