Serving lovely looks, live vocals and an important Call to Action this week… the divine Diana Taylor!
Thotyssey: Diana, hello! How is summer treating you?
Diana Taylor: It’s going pretty good! Summer has never been my favorite time of the year, but surprisingly it’s been a very fulfilling summer so far.
You just did a Red Eye show with some sisters from the “Red Idol” drag competition you once did — hostess Michelle Dowdy and competing alum Erich W. Schleck — last week.
It was so so much fun! Red Eye has become a home away from home for me; I definitely consider it Diana‘s origin bar, lol. I’m so thankful for people like Michelle and Erich for really embracing me as an artist!
Many of the gigs you do utilize your lovely live vocals. Do you intend to one day be a full time, live singing entertainer of some sort?
I do! I’ve always felt the most comfortable in my own skin when I’m performing, especially singing. I think music is so healing, and when I’m singing it feels like it’s healing me from whatever might be going on in my life. Singing is sort of like therapy to me — when I can’t speak what I’m feeling, I sing what I’m feeling. So if I can save on that therapy bill by being a singer for the rest of my life, I’ll take that route, lol!
BetterHelp is for basic bitches!
Exactly! (Full transparency: I fully support therapy. I’m just too poor for it!)
Can you tell us a bit about where you’re from, and if music and performance were always parts of your life growing up?
I’m from Virginia Beach, and I absolutely love where I’m from. The music scene in Virginia, and specifically in Virginia Beach, is huge! We have some of the greatest musicians of all time that live / lived in Virginia: Patsy Cline, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Dave Matthews, etc. So with a scene so versatile, I grew up around so many genres that have really influenced me and continue to influence me.
I also have my grandmother, who is just one of the best singers hands down. She really taught me that singing isn’t just about singing pretty, it’s also about conveying a message. While I was growing up, my mother always made sure that she never made me do anything I didn’t want to do. So when she realized I was going to be a performer, she never steered me away from that idea. She always supported it, and continues today!
Tell us about coming to New York, and discovering the worlds of drag and nightlife.
I came to New York straight out of high school for college. I was expecting to have the standard move to NYC: go to musical theater school, get an agent, book Broadway. What ended up happening was: I went through two different musical theater programs and hated each of them, left NYC for a period of time, moved back a year and a half ago, and had no clue what the hell I was doing! My friend Ty Evans invited me out one night to this bar where they were doing open mic hosted by Jarvis Derrell. That was my first night ever in nightlife, and my first time interacting with people in the scene. I won’t lie… I wasn’t a big fan of it at first. But then a few months go by, and that same open mic was relocated to Red Eye, and the whole tone of the night shifted into more of a theatrical / cabaret-esque night. A lightbulb went off in my head, and I told myself that I do belong in these spaces… and there is somewhere for me within nightlife.
Red Eye was then later hosting a competition for singers called “Red Idol,” and I was there weekly for Season One supporting friends. So then for Season Two, I decided to debut and compete! It was finally a competition based on vocal talent and presence, so I was thrilled to be able to be a part of Season Two. That competition was really the kickstart for Miss Taylurr!
Who or what inspired your name?
The theatrical world really inspires my persona, so I knew I needed a diva name and something that sounds elegant. I thought of two women in history that really screamed elegance, grace, humility, chaos, fashion and trailblazing, because those are all things I want to be. So Princess Diana and Elizabeth Taylor were the two women I thought of when I thought of all of those things. They’re icons, and people I look up to!
A marvelous mashup! What have been some of your favorite numbers to perform on stage… and what are maybe some songs you’ve been toying with performing someday?
I really enjoy performing “Rose’s Turn” (Gypsy), “Somewhere That’s Green” (Little Shop), and “Broadway Baby” (The Bernadette Peters version — the only version that matters, lol). I have to say my favorite song to sing is “I Don’t Care Much” (Cabaret) — it just means so much to me, and especially in this political climate that we’re living in it’s so current. One day, I’d like to work on some music from my two favorite artists, Whitney Houston and Adele… but I’m waiting until I can really do their songs justice!
You’ve performed at 54 Below, one of the city’s most prestigious cabaret venues, quite a few times now! Is singing there an amazing experience?
I don’t even think I can put into words what it’s like performing on that stage. For so long it just felt like a dream, and then all of a sudden it was a reality. I always say that 54 Below is like the MSG of the theatrical world for me. This might sound dramatic, but when I stepped on that stage I could literally feel the energy of the icons that had stood there. It fueled my performance! It’s truly an incredible experience, and I hope to perform there again soon!
This Monday, you’re gonna be part of a pretty epic show at another major venue, Industry Bar. The Daniel Gold-produced “Queers Call to Action” will be benefiting Trans Lifeline and The Trevor Project, and it comes at a very pertinent time as queer identity is under attack in this country. Serious times, yet this will no doubt be a very fun show!
I am extremely honored that I was invited to be a part of this upcoming show on Monday. First of all, Industry was the bar I saw my first ever drag show at, so it’s pretty full circle for me getting to perform there for such an important event. Secondly, Monday is going to be all about joy and coming together as a community. The show will be a reminder to everyone within our community and outside of our community that we are, and always will be, here. The message I hope to share is that I know it feels like we’re going backwards at a pace that feels irreversible, but we’re a lot further along than many of our ancestors ever were or expected to be at. Each day is a fight… and although it feels far away from the finish line, we’re almost there! We just gotta keep fighting, and that’s what we’re doing Monday night. So come out!
What else is coming up for you?
Well, I’m currently writing my first one woman show. The show is called Home At Last: An Evening With Diana Taylor, and it’s gonna be all about the divas of Broadway and how they’ve inspired me. Dates and venue to be announced soon!
Can’t wait to see that! Okay lastly, what’s your favorite item in your drag bag?
I think it has to be the Capezio full body stockings! They have leveled up my looks. I’m ready to show all the skin now, lmao!
Thanks, Diana!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Diana Taylor’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram.
Thotyssey 