Paul Caldwell, Seattle Men's Chorus: Can't Stop The Drag

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hey everybody, it's the public affairshow of your favorite local iHeartRadio station in
Seattle. I'm your host, LeeCallahan and coming to the Seattle Men's Chorus
June twenty second and June twenty thirdat McCall Hall at the Seattle Center.
The show called You Can't Stop theDrag, a performance dedicated to singing,

(00:21):
dancing, quick drag, makeovers,and so much. Moor And on the
phone with me. I've got PaulCaldwell and he is the artistic director for
the Seattle Men's Course. It's greatto have you on the phone. It's
always good to talk to you.Lee. Question number one, why is
everybody so mad at drag queens?What did a drag queen ever do to
anybody? I have absolutely no idea, Well I do. I mean,

(00:44):
drag queens represents represent the LGBTQIA community. It's sort of an archetype in people's
minds. So I guess they endup being an easy target. There's sort
of a symbol if what you wantto do is criticized and throw rocks that
sort of you know they're an easytarget because you can see them walking down

(01:07):
the street with the big air inthe heavy makeup, you know, But
really what drag Queens are is incrediblecharacters where they through their art, they
get to amplify what they most wantto be, you know, their characteristics
that they most aspire to. Issort of like they shine a spotlight on

(01:30):
that. And it's really a lotof fun. It's make believe and it's
kind of magical. I mean,Nina West has a book, has a
video that is actually going to bea part of the show called Drag is
Magic, and it really is true. Drag is magic, and drag can
also be the ultimate act of kindness. Use these characters and these costumes to

(01:56):
really to display characteristics that we wishwe saw more of in the world.
And it's fun. It's so muchfun. So bring on the Drag Queens.
No kidding, everybody on the phonewith me. I've got Paul Caldwell,
the artistic director of the Seattle Men'sCourse. Got a great show coming
up, Can't Stop the Drag.That's June twenty second and June twenty third

(02:17):
at McCall hall. Hey tell mewhen you're calling it, can't Stop the
Drag. You are referring to hairspray. You can't Stop the Beat. I
didn't know that you are referring tosomething from Hairspray. We are. There's
a song in Hairspray, a famousnumber called you Can't Stop the Beat,
and we're calling it you can't Stopthe Drag because our guest artist, Nina

(02:39):
West, just finished a national Broadwaytour of Hairspray. Oh wow. So
she was a main character in thatshow, and obviously she's really familiar with
it, and Hairspray is also,you know, sort of at the heart
of Seattle's theater history, so wethought it would be a nod to that

(02:59):
tradition and also to get to performthat number with someone who just toured with
it in a Broadway production. Soit's kind of a play on words.
You get that you can't stop theDragon, that you can't stop us from
doing it yep, But you alsoget a nod to the show Hairspray.
It's a lot of fun. Itis a lot of great number, full
of dancing, full of dancing,full of color, full of big hair,

(03:22):
full of outrageous makeup, and reallyfull of fun. Will Nina West
be the only drag queen on thatstage? Nino West will not be the
only drag queen on that stage.Now, Nina West is definitely the drag
star of the show. But we'rehaving what we call it a lip sync
SmackDown where three members of the choruswill be in drag and they will sort

(03:46):
of sort of compete against each otherin a performance. And then we have
a segment where volunteers from the audienceare going to come up. They're going
to spend a couple of minutes talkingto Nina, and then Nina will take
them backstage one we sing and shewill transform them into quick drag. So
they come back on the stage andget to strut in their drag outfits while

(04:11):
the Seattle Men's Chorus and Orchestra singsSissy That Walk by RuPaul. Wow,
this is fantastic. Didn't Nina Westget her start on RuPaul's drag race?
Nina had been performing around quite abit before, and she's a musical theater
kid. I believe, say,if I remember the story correctly, is
that she had dabbled in drag whilepursuing a musical theater career. But during

(04:39):
the pandemic, when she was stuckat home, you know, that's when
she really dove into it full force, and that's when she really sort of
became After the RuPaul, she becamesort of a star. That's great.
Everybody on the phone with me.Artistic director of the Seattle Men's Chorus,
Paul Caldwell, big show coming up. Can't stop the drag McCall hall,

(05:00):
June twenty second and June twenty third. So let's talk about fifty years of
celebrating pride in the greater Seattle area. Fifty years of celebrating pride in Seattle.
What do you want to know?I wasn't here for most of that
time. I've only been here foreight I can tell you that for me,
the way that I celebrate pride firstand foremost is always on stage with

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Seattle Men's Chorus because the Men's Choruswas at the forefront of the early gay
rights movement in Seattle and has beena part of pride here for not quite
fifty years. But yeah, maybefifty years, huh, I'm not sure.
Maybe they were here at the verybeginning. But anyway, to me,

(05:41):
being on stage with them is pridebecause it's a group of people who
come together to celebrate who we areand to make the world a more joyous
place really all year long, andPride just kind of puts a spotlight on
that. It reminds us why wedo what we do. You know,

(06:05):
we don't just sing. We cometogether as representatives of the gay community to
sing, and we help our communityreally celebrate the fact that Seattle is a
place that strives to be embracing andinclusive of the LGBTQI a community, isn't

(06:27):
it though? Aren't we lucky tofeel so safe? Yes, we are
very very up here in the GreatNorthwest, just snuggled in and safe.
I want to go back to NinaWeston talking about the drag to her means
loving others, supporting others. Isthat what you said? Something like that,
Nina. Nina calls herself the Queenof Kindness. Yeah, and I
really do I see that in workingwith her over and over and for a

(06:54):
period of years now. I mean, she really just insists on being kind
and promoting acts of kindness, andreally that how can you hate that?
I know, it makes no sense, It makes no sense. So we're
actually having on the Saturday that weperform, We're having at two pm a

(07:16):
show with Nina designed just for children. And that show is only one hour
long, so if there's a twoor three year old, you know,
even they should come to that.It's going to be abbreviated for young attention
spans. But it's really it's thisincredible character with big hair, a gigantic

(07:36):
smile, and an incredible talent.I mean, at the end of the
day, drag Queen or not,Nina is a Broadway a Broadway star,
right, a Broadway performer, Sobeautiful music, beautiful singing, but just
sort of larger than life because ofthe character. And at the end of
that show, Nina is actually goingto read We're going to have drag Queen

(07:59):
story. Nina is actually going toread her the children's books she wrote,
which is called The U Kind ofYou. Well, you know that's been
in the headlines too, people givingdrag Queens a very hard time for reading
to kids at libraries. Well,again, it's just it's an easy target.
It's a way to demean and belittlethe LGBTQUIA community. I think it's

(08:26):
a way to kind of remind usthat, you know, while we may
have achieved some rights, we don'treally belong as much as some other people
belong. And this is not auniversally held opinion, but it's being voiced

(08:46):
loudly. And I think the importanceof doing an event like this in Seattle
is because we can be a beaconof how things could be around these issues
everywhere and perhaps should be. Andalso we just we get to see what
it really is. It's not scary, it's not racy, it's not off

(09:09):
putting, it's not negative at all. It's the opposite. It's extreme positivity.
So let's see it, let's doit, and then we can reassure
the world that it isn't this horrible, scary thing. It's just it's no
different than a cartoon character who tellsa story to children. That's really what

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it is. Except this one isgoing to be backed up by the mighty
Seattle Men's Chorus. So there's incredibly, incredibly beautiful singing beautiful. Everybody on
the phone with me is the artisticdirector of the Seattle Men's Chorus. Mister
Paul calledwell, so on the twentysecond, that's a Saturday coming right up.
You have two shows, one forkids, ye like a matinee?

(09:58):
What time for children is the matinee? And in the evening show is the
full length show, and then thenext afternoon there's a matinee which on Sunday,
which is also a full length show. Hey question, what would you
tell? What would you tell peoplewho've never seen a drag queen perform?
How would you encourage them? Andyou've said it all, but maybe one

(10:22):
last little bit. You've said somuch about the positivity of the show,
But what would you tell somebody who'slike, I'm not going to go see
a drag queen? What are theymissing out on? I tell them they're
missing out on a whole lot offun. And my goodness, don't we
need joy in our lives right now? I mean, we have lived through
a lot the past few years.And I don't know about you, but
I'm not missing a single opportunity toexperience unbridled joy. And that's what this

(10:50):
show is, unbridled joy. Perfecteverybody. Just go to Seattle Men's Chorus
dot RG, Seattlemenscourse dot o RGfor tickets. It's coming up this weekend
Saturday and Sunday. Do not missyou Can't Stop the Drag by the Seattle

(11:11):
Men's Chorus at Mccallhall. Paul Caldwell, as always, Thanks for all of
the great insight and the positivity.You're much appreciated. Thank you, Lee,
it's wonderful to talk to you,and I'll see you at the show.
Yes, indeedy. Thanks Paul,appreciate it. By bye, yeah, bye bye