So Idea First has announced who will play the lead role in their musical adaptation of the movie Die Beautiful, and it's Maxie Andreison alternating with Viñas DeLuxe. Both are talented drag artists who also sing live, so they're pretty exciting choices. Maxie's drag name comes from the fact that she originated the lead role in Maxie the Musicale, so it's nice to see her return to the stage.
Unfortunately, I've seen some online backlash, mainly pointing out that the character that they'll be playing, Trish, is a trans character and it's somehow a disservice that non-trans actors are going to play the role. And while there's some merit in the general sentiment, it's not like any of us were privy to the audition and casting process, so we don't know if equally talented trans actors tried to get into the musical and failed to do so for whatever reason. So on that note, it's hard to say whether or not this was an actual case of maybe drag queens with more fame or popularity edging out trans talent. But at the same time, it seems a little reductive to claim that only trans actors can portray trans roles.
There was a similar concern about the leads of Heated Rivalry, to which creator Jacob Tierney argued that this was irrelevant and we should respect the privacy of the actors. It's not exactly the same case since the SOGIE of Maxie and Viñas are known, but at the same time, should we just embrace that the production team did their best to cast the best talent to fulfill the role? It's not like Paolo Ballesteros, who played Trisha in the film, is trans either. So things can get a little muddy the more you wade into things.
At the very least, I'd like to believe that at least the queens are also out and proud members of the LGBTQI+ community, and they are still better choices than some edgy straight actor trying to "play gay," as it were, just for clout or a boost in their reputation. I don't necessarily think we can say that the queens are taking from the trans community in this instance, as I'm sure they'll treat the material with respect and much thoughtfulness. So I'm still looking forward to the show.
In addition, O2Men lead Akie has been formally announced as part of the cast of the Bongga Ka 'Day musical, which is really exciting. It's Akie's first theater role in 17 years; that's particularly exciting. Gerhard Krysstopher is also in the cast, and this is another actor who once graced the O Bar stage as a drag queen. What an interesting week for queer representation in local theater.
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