To describe Toronto’s Donnarama as a “drag queen” seems like an inadequate understatement. It is akin to calling a diamond “just another mineral.”To be more accurate, Donnarama has been profiled by Canada’s CBC_TV as the country’s top Barbara Streisand impersonator. She has won many awards, including first prize in Drag Idol 2007. In short, she is the creme de la creme of her artform, which is why YNOT.com is honored to interview her:
YNOT: Please tell us a bit about yourself
Donnarama: I’m a Canadian artist who went to the Etobicoke School Of The Arts before I began performing in the downtown gay scene in Toronto, which I’ve been doing since 1997.I really like visuals and bizarre costumes and styles but my first love is comedy, which I incorporate into my shows as much as I can. I really like seeing people laugh or gasp at a shocking ridiculous moment because then I know I’ve changed a vibe or contributed to a good one.
Unfortunately for most, I’m an Aquarius which means I’m hideously out spoken and live in a fantasy world. But it’s really not my fault: I was raised on tap water.
YNOT: How did you get into drag?
Donnarama: I was just a really wild teenager who at the time frequented thrift stores and ‘buy-the pound’ outlets. At one such shopping spree, I came across an amazing wedding dress and I just had to have it. It was stained and ripped and it reminded me of Courtney Love but I said to myself I would never use it yet something other than my thoughts took over and said that I would.
So I stole it! (She laughs.)
I entered an amateur talent show and was lucky enough to win. From then on, I poured all my love for art, prop making and costume design into the performance field of drag and have been lucky to continue doing so.
YNOT: Is it true that Madonna was an inspiration to you?
Donnarama: She really was and still is. I began liking her around the time I saw ‘Truth Or Dare”. My mom said to me that I had to watch it. In fact, she kept me up the night before because I heard her laughing so loud.
Around this time and soon after, Madonna went through a fiercely rebellious phase. She shaved off her eyebrows, did a sex book, wore a gold tooth, and channeled Leonora Carrington and Frida Kahlo for her “Bedtime Story” video. It was so inspiring seeing someone so fearless and brave carry out all these visions into the mainstream.
I was also in high school and it was absolute hel, so she was my secret friend and strength; and I and so many others are blessed to have had that. I found this “strength” in Shirley Manson and Bjork,as well. It’s always been a strong female influence, for some weird reason.
Since then I’ve been a super geek buying the new record at HMV at midnight because I can’t wait to get it. It’s a real ritual and every time I do it, I feel like I’m 15 and I snuck out of the house.
YNOT: What does performing in drag offer to you?
Donnarama: Razor burn and sore feet! No; well, yes – that and an outlet to be creative.
I sometimes think to myself that I’m just going to quit it because it can be too much, and I want normal eyebrows. But then I think, ‘wait, you’re doing art for a living; you meet so many great people who support and encourage you.” Most of all, I love being on stage. It’s such a fantastic feeling to do a good show; I get a real buzz from it.
Drag is like ecstasy; addictive and full of fun colors and sounds. Also, if it weren’t for drag, I’d never exercise and I’d have an ass like Jennifer Lopez.
YNOT: Are there any downsides to the business?
Donnarama: Probably as many downfalls as bonuses. I mean, I would like to make more money at this because I put so much of it into my numbers and after you’ve got everything together, you’re late on rent! So I guess the rewards are sometime felt more by the soul than what the bank statement says. But that’s my fault for caring so much.
Aside from that, I find that in any community, when something goes wrong or if there is some sort of strange drama, everybody has to have a say about it and takes sides. I guess [this happens] because they believe they have to or want to abuse or entertain a certain power if they can hinder you. But I’m a big believer in karma so I don’t worry about those things or let them affect me. I’m also pretty good at knowing when I’m wrong, which is never, bahahaha!
YNOT: What are your career highlights to date?
Donnarama: I know I’ll forget something but the major scores I can think of have been meeting David Cronenberg, who is my favorite film director; and meeting Paul Lynch who directed my favorite film –1980’s “Prom Night”.I can’t believe he came to one of my shows! I cried tears of joy for HOURS after at home! I couldn’t believe it, I’ll never forget that; when the hell does something like that happen?
Most of all, interviewing Shirley Manson from Garbage, my favorite band of all time, for Fab Magazine in 2006.I actually sat with her for half an hour when it was supposed to be only 15 minutes and it was the most surreal experience ever. I just kept blinking my eyes and thinking,’is this really happening?’.She gave me a high five in the interview. I haven’t washed my hand since.
YNOT: What do you still hope to do?
Donnarama: I have plenty of surprises up my sleeve and I hope to get them out for people to see but I’d say I hope to travel eventually. I have an idiotic fear of large bodies of water; I think it’s called ‘Hydrophobia’,so I always thought that it was out of the question but it’s just a state of mind and the more I think about it, the more it seems .I definitely want to perform in Europe, I almost had an opportunity to perform in Jordan! That would’ve been crazy…So it’s right around the corner, if I choose to want it and work on it.
YNOT: Finally, if there is one phrase that describes you best, what would it be?
Donnarama: I can’t think of anything. Wait;”delicious and has nuts” – no, that’s a Snickers ad. Umm……my friend, author Lorette .C. Lutzajic, gifted me with it. It’s not so much a phrase but a lyric from Pink Floyd:”Shine on, you crazy diamond”. Somehow that’s appropriate.
YNOT: Indeed it is.
