LaDiva Jonz is a drag queen legend in Rhode Island and beyond. Known offstage as Gary Jacques, Jonz will tell you, “LaDiva is actually me.”
Jonz has been a star on the stage and the screen, appearing in the 2008 documentary, “Life’s a Drag: A 2007 Dragumentary” and playing a grieving mother in the 2020 film, “Death Drop Gorgeous.”
Jonz, billed as the oldest drag queen in Providence, spoke about art forms, influences and the politics of the profession.
The full interview can be found here.
“I think most people that know me well will definitely agree that when I am in drag, I am the same person, just with a full face of makeup on,” Jonz says.
Jonz, who admits to being “obsessed” by certain kinds of musicals — “Anything Goes,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” or “Thoroughly Modern Millie” come to mind — enjoys any production set in the Great Depression era or is “pastiche-y.”
‘A heightened version of me’
“Drag for me is just kind of like a sparkly, 1920s musical all the time,” Jonz says.
Jonz admits that putting on drag is a process.
“Most of your drag that you would when you see it, not on you is probably not that glamorous,” the performer says. “A wig on a head by itself is really not much of anything, until someone’s there to animate it.
“Although I think me and LaDiva Jonz are me, it’s a heightened version of me.”
Jonz says the drag shows are not only just a fantasy for the performers, but also for the audience.
“We’re very lucky that we have a very strong following of supporters, you know, we have people that come to all of our shows wherever the show might be,” Jonz says. “But to go into this, a room that holds 400 people, and see it sold out and not know almost any of these people, we ask ourselves that, like where these people come from, what brings them here?
“I think sometimes the people we entertain the most are the people that were the least invested in what they were coming to see. They are surprised that they had a good time.”
Taking a point beyond the room
Jonz says gay friends are surprised — “Who are all these straight people?” — but the star likes to send a message for patrons to take home with them.
“We do try to make a point at some point in this show, generally to say something about (being grateful),” Jonz says. “To say, you know, ‘If you are all here as allies, you need to take that beyond this room today.’
“It’s great that you’ve had fun for an hour, an hour and a half with us, and you’ve laughed with us, and you’ve smiled with us, and you’ve had a good time with us. But you need to remember when we go into the real world, that there are important issues out there,” Jonz continues. “And you have to remember to open your mouth, just as much when you are out in the real world, as you’re doing in this room now.”
Jonz notes that for gay people, “the personal is the political ... your life becomes political, whether you want it to be or not.”
“I guess maybe sometimes I don’t give myself enough credit for that or my friends credit for that, because we just do it,” Jonz says. “Maybe it is a bold gesture, to just live your life the way you live it.
“I can’t imagine living my life any other way.”
