David de Alba graciously allows us to re-publish his celebrity interviews. Today we bring you his interview with Joan Rivers favorite Joan Rivers impersonator, Gary Dee. The interview was conducted in the early 2000s while Gary Dee was living and performing in Aruba. Imagine we are transported to the beautiful Island of Aruba in the […]
David de Alba interviewed The Lady Chablis after her appearance in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. With David’s kind permission we share that interview here on TGForum. When I saw the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, I didn’t know what to expect, although I was told that it […]
On July 24, fresh from his triumphant appearance at The Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevade David de Albs appeared on stage at the Badlands club. The host and MC for the evening, Jimmy Emerson, brought David on as a special guest to present him with the “Ultimate Award” that we announced here a few weeks ago. […]
David de Alba sold out The Onyx Theatre on June 21 in Las Vegas. All the seats were filled for his Judy Garland Tribute Show. David was surprised during the show to receive and award for his portrayal on stages across the country of Garland. After the show he got another award from his inspiration from Cuba. See a slideshow of the performance.
Renowned gender illusionist Jim Bailey passed away on May 30 due to complications from pneumonia. He was 77. Bailey was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born on January 10, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Sara and Claude Bailey. He had one brother, Claude. As a teenager he studied opera at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. In the 1960s he […]
Dorian Wayne was an Anita Ekberg look-a-like who performed with The Jewel Box Review and at the 82 Club in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Dorian was the glamorous creation of Rick Colantino. Dorian starred in several “B” (or more like “D”) movies. Here is a short film about Dorian Wayne that includes film and still photos. It’s narrated by Rick Colantino.
So, you are a male who is very attracted to the idea of dressing as a woman. Their clothes, shoes, and hairstyles play a siren’s song at you as you go through your daily routine. “Wear me” they seem to say. Why we get these feelings is a mystery. Research into why men want to […]
In 1980 David de Alba, the Cuban Legend, stepped outside the walls of the famous female impersonation club Finocchio’s to do a special performance at the popular Cuban club Circulo Cubano in San Francisco. He had no dressing room or help so he wore the Judy Garland hobo costume from his Judy show, and a Pierot costume. And then — he sang.
David de Alba graciously allows us to republish his interviews with entertainers that he features on his website. This interview with Stephanie Williams a well known entertainer who worked all across the country and spent a number of years producing shows in New Orlean was conducted in 2000. Ms. Williams is now living full time as a woman and living in Las Vegas.
David de Alba has spoken with many stars of the female impersonation world and his interviews with them help us to learn what it was like in the golden age of female impersonation. Today we turn things around and present an interview conducted by Linda La Blanche with David de Alba. Ms. La Blanche is a […]
David de Alba has done many interviews with female impersonators and other celebrities. He has kindly given consent to reproduce his interviews on TGF. Today we bring you his interview with Brian Keith. (Not the actor in The Parent Trap.) Brian Keith was the last emcee of the show at Finocchio’s famous impersonation club in San Francisco. We also have a video of Keith filling in for Frank Marino in the Divas Las Vegas show.
Legendary female impersonator David de Alba has done interviews with many of the stars of female impersonation. He has kindly consented to allow TGForum to publish some of his interviews. Today we feature de Alba’s interview with another legendary impersonator of days gone by, Laurie Knight. If you like to hear about what it was like in the “good old days” Laurie Knight has a wealth of stories to share. There was the time Knight worked in Bugsy Siegel’s place, and stories from Finocchio’s in San Francisco. Enjoy!
David de Alba kindly allows us to share some of his vast collection of interviews and tributes to the stars of female impersonation. Today we bring you his pictorial tribute to the late, great Craig Russell. Recently we featured a link to an article about Russell in our TWIT column and David let us know about the feature he had compiled.
David de Alba is not only the Cuban Legend of female impersonation but is also a documenter of the other practitioners of the female impersonation art. He has done scads of interviews with those who trod the stage in gowns and high heels. He has published his FI celebrity interviews on his website but has given TGF permission to bring you select interviews. Today we present David’s 2001 interview with Wynnie La Freak, a British performer who is still going strong in 2014.
Fortunately for posterity home video cameras were around in 1980 and David de Alba’s partner Paul Ryner had one. He shot this video in 1980 which documents one of the finale productions featuring The Eve-ettes at Finocchio’s in San Francisco called, A Tribute to Cabaret Night 1980. There is a production number followed by David de Alba […]
David de Alba was kind enough to send us some images from his show at The Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas on June 22.
The stars of female impersonation in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s were all about glamor and beauty. Only an act devoted to comedy would over-do things and exaggerate feminine characteristics in search of a laugh from the audience. The exotic and beautiful female impersonators worked to be indistinguishable from the actresses and singers they portrayed. Thanks […]
Our celebrity female impersonator expert, the one and only David de Alba, has kindly granted us permission to run his interview with former Jewel Box Revue star Robbie Ross. Robbie was on the scene in the 1950s and ’60s. While on tour with The Jewel Box Revue he fell in love with Hollywood, decided to stop touring a settled down to work as a wig and hair stylist. Learn all about his drag career and his work with the stars in David’s interview . And there’s a bonus photo gallery with more rare photos of Robbie.
The Cuban Legend, David de Alba (who has a show coming up at The Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas next month) has series of Celebrity Interviews on his website and he graciously allows TGF to run the best of them every month. The interviews were all done in the early 2000s. This interview is with the […]
They say what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. Well, that may be so in most cases but one of the features of Las Vegas is that it’s home to drag legend David de Alba. You all know that so the knowledge certainly hasn’t been confined to the city limits. Who starts these […]
Gypsy has been performing since 1950. At 82 you think he’d retire, take of those pumps and relax. But that’s not the plan. We met with Gypsy and his manager last week in Los Angeles and they told us about their plan to build an exciting new venue for female impersonation where Gypsy will be the host and M.C. And they’d like your help to get it started. Read all about it in our interview with a super performer — Gypsy.
David de Alba, the last of the entertainers from the golden years of the San Francisco impersonator club Finocchio’s to still be performing, has always been aware that unless it is preserved the story of the club and the performers of that era will fade away. In order to keep that time and those people […]
In 2001 David de Alba reconnected with former Finocchio’s star impersonator Holly White. After leaving that premier San Francisco nightclub Holly had gender reassignment surgery, continued to perform in venues in Europe and the USA and has settled down in her hometown state, Hawaii. David talks to her about her history from Finocchio’s to now.
When I see the name René de Carlo I immediately think “International Dancing Star.” I visualize beautiful costumes and many lovely wigs that I had the pleasure of styling for him during my run at Finocchio’s in San Francisco. I remember the great transformation that took place in his dressing room. I also recall with […]
To interview the legendary female impressionist Ricky Renée for me is one of the highlights in my Celebrity Interview Series. A wonderful emcee and friend of mine, Carroll Wallace who I worked with for years at the world famous Finocchio Club of San Francisco, would mention Ricky’s name fondly, along with Danny La Rue’s in […]
David de Alba appeared as Judy Garland at The Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas back in November. Here are some highlights of that concert event. [youtube]nFxg70s9Vtk[/youtube] Tickets are now available from The Onyx Theatre box office for David’s next show in June. Finocchio’s Cuban Legend will appear once again at The Onyx on June 22, 2014 […]
