A tall, graceful Southern Belle and a high energy dance diva alike, Kleo Patrón is serving top shelf drag to all of NYC this summer. [Cover photo: @archie.nyc]
Thotyssey: Hi Kleo, happy Pride Month! Are you prepared for a Hot Girl Summer?
Kleo Patrón: Hey diva! I’m super excited for this summer! I missed the Brat Train, so that’s the energy I wanna manifest this season.
Were you able to see any of Beyoncé’s local shows last month, by the way?
I was not! Still haven’t lost faith, though. Maybe a rich gentleman… or woman…. or nonbinary being will be so moved by this interview, that they’ll fund my trip. You’ve gotta stay optimistic, lol!
It’s the summer of opportunity! By the way, you and your sis St. Leemur hosted a show called “Tall Gay Agenda” at Red Eye back in April… how tall are you, if I may ask?
Yesssss, shoutout to my “TGA” sister! Out of heels, I’m 6’4”, so in heels, I can range anywhere from 6’8”+.
A true Titaness!
Indeed!
Can you reveal a bit of your origin story: where are you from originally, and were you into any sort of art / music / performance / fashion etc. growing up?
Well, I’m originally from Charleston, South Carolina! Shoutout to The 843! I moved to NYC about eight years ago for theatre school (AMDA), and that’s where I really honed in my performance capabilities! She’s classically trained in tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary and classical voice, improv, acting for camera, etc. I could go on!
After theatre school, rather than going into theatre, I went into modeling! No major fashion house, but I did walk Fashion Week 2021 at the Guggenheim Museum!
As far as drag, I was kind of in denial about being a queen. Like, I had everything you needed to be an entertaining queen, but I didn’t want to be one of those “failed actors” turned queens, lol!
With that being said, I eventually held a Drag Race fantasy league with a group of friends. I put together a finale viewing party, and convinced everyone in the league to get in drag and do a number to celebrate the end of fantasy league. From there I started doing drag on the reg, and it’s been a thing ever since.
What are the joys and struggles of New York drag, from your perspective?
Hm, that’s a very good question! The joys of the NYC drag scene would be the community you can build, the accessibility to drag, and the grandeur of a lot of the events! It’s so easy to find a tribe in the NY drag scene because it’s so vast and diverse! You just gotta get out there! Also, with there being an open set on just about every day of the week, it’s really easy to get your feet wet. Finally, when it comes to New York, we are going to enjoy a show! Shows like Fagtasia, Stand Up NYC, Night of 1000, Bushwig, etc. give drag artists the opportunity to display their art on a large stage for the masses!
Now, the cons of the NYC drag scene would be the competitive market and the lack of diversity, for sure. Being that the city is filled to the brim with amazing drag artists, it makes it quite difficult to really break out from the pack. The only thing you can do is bring something unique to the table and make the girls remember your name!
As of recent years, I have witnessed shows that had one token POC queen and one drag king / thing, while the rest of the cast is white. Hell, I’ve even worked a Black History Month drag show where the lighting, door, and DJ were POC people, but the hosts of the show were white presenting queens. It’s just distasteful, and being in a melting pot of culture like NYC, I expect more from show producers and other artists putting these shows together. With the multitude of drag artists we have in this city, there should be no reason we can’t have exciting and diverse casts for these shows!
How might you describe your own drag today, as far as looks and numbers go?
Being thee Dippin’ Diva of Brooklyn, I would describe my drag as high energy, old school, down south bucking… presented in a modern, fresh perspective. I like to take the elements of iconic southern dancing queens and give them a modern twist! Queens like Kennedy Davenport, Alyssa Edwards, Sahara Davenport, Chi Chi DeVayne and Chevelle Brooks are who I look to for performance inspiration.
When it comes to my look, I’m very inspired by the modern day rap girlies and the black alt girlies! JT, Doechii, Megan the Stallion, and Nicki Minaj all being inspirations.
You can show off those moves and looks on Wednesday, when you will join the cast of “Night of 1000 Mileys” on the 3 Dollar Bill stage! How do you like her new music, by the way… and were you mad at her for showing up at that other 3DB Miley night, lol?
Yes, I love Miley’s work and I’m super pumped about this new album! She’s amazing, shout out to her! Shout out to you Miley, girl! Love the cattitude, honey! And I am just a liiiitttleeee pressed that she most likely won’t be in attendance on Wednesday. But it will still be sickening, nonetheless! Matter of fact, I gotta stretch after this interview, lol!
And then next Thursday, you’re gonna be a guest for Angelique Stevens‘ bingo at Fresco’s Grand Cantina in Astoria! What’s your favorite bingo number, lol?
69! I don’t know what the letter is before, but I love love love 69 so much! Great number!
What else is coming up for you?
BUSHWIGGGGGG!!! I’m gonna be performing alongside my “Madd Mondays” family at Bushwig this year, and I’m so fucking excited! I’ve been three times now, so I’m super hyped to be performing my fourth year!
Anything you wanna say in closing?
I gotta give a few shoutouts! Huge shoutout to Haus of Liqueur! Teayana Liqueur, Seven Liqueur, and Prima Liqueur! Shoutout to my mom and dad, Momma Liqueur and Daddy Liqueur! Shout out to my sister, Tanny! Shoutout to my inner circle and my partner! Lastly, shoutout to my family! It’s a Wright Thing! I love y’all so much! Thank you for pushing me to be the queen I am today!
Other than that, follow all my social media; I’ve got tons of content coming out soon!
Thanks, Kleo!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Kleo Patrón’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Thotyssey 