Dale LePage, First Majesty of Pride Worcester, 2024
Dale LePage has long made a name for himself in the region with his illustrious jazz career as the lead singer of Dale LePage and the Manhattans. His efforts have earned him numerous awards, including the Harvey Ball Award Smile Award. But after retiring from music for a few years, the 63-year-old artist has devoted himself to a new calling in show business: drag.
It was a promising start, as LePage was named First Majesty Worcester at the Pride Worcester Pageant held at Mechanics Hall on August 17. But for LePage, it wasn’t just about learning a performing art. It was also about fighting prejudice and hate, after a brief drag show at a conference in Sutton that was followed by bomb threats against the school and death threats against the school’s administration, according to school officials.
LePage recently spoke to Worcester Magazine about a dazzling career change and his hopes for the future on life’s big stage.
Congratulations on your appointment as First Majesty Worcester! How does that feel?
It feels like a wonderful gift to still be recognized for my community involvement at this age (63).
How was the experience at the parade?
It is now being held in Mechanics Hall, a beautiful venue which I think adds even more value to the spectacle as it is a place steeped in history where past presidents have spoken.
Tell me about the night of the parade.
We were all assigned dressing areas. As artists, we changed in alleys, so a decent mirror and some storage space is a luxury… it was really nice. I had four outfits ready, three of which I wore that night. The one I was crowned in was the silver one. I taught myself to sew for this event. I didn’t make the dress myself, but all the embellishments… I’ll be sewing soon. I’ve caught the sewing bug. A month ago, I couldn’t even sew on a button. You can learn everything on YouTube.
What originally attracted you to this pageant?
I was thinking about retiring, but then something terrible happened in Sutton about a month ago and I realised I still had a lot of work to do. I believe that education leads to understanding. I have been saying that for 40 years.
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Can you tell me what happened in Sutton? There was an anti-bullying rally in Sutton on a day off. The school was closed and everyone who went had to sign in. One of the drag queens spoke about what it takes to put on makeup, dress up and what it means to be a drag queen. As the last part of her performance, she did a fast cartwheel that showed the top of her underwear and the parents went crazy.
Not the parents who were there, but the ones who didn’t want to come. What made them so upset and horrified was that a drag queen was showing her underwear. The horrified mothers and fathers didn’t know that the drag queen was wearing five or six layers of padding and pantyhose before she put the underwear on. That’s why I think people need to be educated.
You came to drag relatively late. What motivated you?
When I publicly defended this drag queen that I didn’t know and had never met, the former 2023 pageant winner came up to me and said, “Thank you, I don’t know if you know this but I was that drag queen in Sutton.” I had no idea. Her name was Diva D and she is fierce. She was the reason I entered the pageant.
I started when I was 60 because I saw a movie with Marilyn Monroe and because I’ve worked as a makeup artist all my life, I noticed that our faces have a very similar bone structure. So I tried my first transformation and that was into Marilyn Monroe.
Why is Pride still important?
Well, Pride is still important because you can look at any article or media post about the LGBTQ community and read the hateful, uneducated comments. It makes me realize that education is needed.
Let’s change the subject for a moment. I know you retired from music after a pretty successful career. What made you make that decision?
Let’s just say I was burned out. I still love my musical family, I was just burned out. I was 63 and had been singing professionally since I was 12.
Do you miss it?
Not even a little bit. Not yet, anyway. It’s only been a year. I sing live in my drag performance.
Does drag fulfill this creative need?
Absolutely. Drag is the most artistic thing I’ve ever done. It involves painting, creating costumes, making music and hopefully inspiring others too.
I’ve been painting watercolors most of my life and this is just another form of art. It’s like an art installation, you know?
What’s next for Dale LePage?
That’s where this comes in. I’ll be at the Pride flag raising at City Hall on August 30th. I’ll be performing at a prom for LGBTQ youth and I’ll be at Pride Day on September 7th. Right now, that’s what’s satisfying my creative need. This is my latest incarnation.
