Life’s a Cabaret in Delray

Drag queens or female impersonators — whichever term you prefer — are certainly not a rare phenomenon in South Florida. Until recently, however, if you wanted to see grand dames strut the stage in full female regalia, you generally had to head down to Fort Lauderdale or South Beach. Delray Beach was known for its nightlife, but it’s generally been of the heteronormative variety. Now, though, downtown Delray is making forays into more eclectic entertainment. It recently got its first gay bar, Tag Bar (25 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach), which proudly flies a large rainbow flag outside its front door. And the popular BYOB nightspot the Jazz ArtsGarage (180 NE First St., Delray Beach) presents Divas in Art at 7 p.m. the last Sunday of every month. The brainchild of programming manager Matthew Farmer, Divas in Art is a cabaret of “female illusionists” that combines multimedia art and live performance. There are songs and skits taken from the usual host of demagogued divas, such as Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, but performed by local lovelies like Ricky Rollick, Melissa St. John, and Roxie Devine. If you’ve never seen a well-executed drag show, you are truly missing out, and the ArtsGarage is an excellent venue for first-timers. The atmosphere is casual, and patrons are invited to bring their own refreshments. For more information, a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets for $15 to $20, visit arts­garage.org or call 561-450-6357.
Sun., March 25, 7 p.m., 2012