by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS
Not today, Satan! God is coming to Olympia, and she is looking fabulous. In early March, the Washington Center will host Mike Delamont’s award-winning, one-queen show, God Is a Scottish Drag Queen.
“I’m very excited for the show to play in Olympia,” said Delamont. “Sometimes the title scares folks off, but we regularly have nuns, priests and all kinds of clergy, so if people take a risk, I think they will leave having had a really great time.”
The character of God was originally created in a cabaret called Atomic Vaudeville, in which Jesus and Satan compete in a battle of the bands. Delamont stated the character went through some changes before transforming into the dazzling drag deity we all know and love today.
“I played Jesus’ dad. We knew that we wanted a masculine character in feminine clothing because we liked the dynamic. … Originally, I wore a fiery red wig with large Lady Gaga-esque glasses (and used) a thick English accent,” said Delamont.
For some reason, though, the audience just didn’t dig the character, so Delamont went home and gave her a “dragulation” — a heavily needed drag makeover. The next night, arrived with a black, bob wig and small reading glasses on his nose, switching out the English accent for a Scottish one. “It was a success,” Delamont said. “Folks loved it.”
Delamont continued to play the character in Atomic Vaudeville, and in 2011 decided to give her an entire one-queen show. After that, he said, “The rest is history.”
The show has been going strong ever since, and Olympia will witness it performed in two acts over the course of one night. God graces the stage, polished in a floral Honey Mahogany dress, and gets right to work in clearing up some misunderstandings via throwing shade.
“I adore this character,” Delamont said. “I love that the character can speak about Justin Bieber and then about Mormons and it all makes sense and has weight. There is a sneaky side to the character, but I think it’s the sincerity that brings the audiences back again and again.”
WHAT
God Is a Scottish Drag Queen
WHERE
The Washington Center
512 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98501
WHEN
7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8
HOW MUCH
$32
LEARN MORE
The Washington Center