A queen known for hot choreo, live vocals and impressive NYC drag family connections, Lita Desire Valenciaga is now about to give her fellow contestants a run for their money in a major upcoming pageant!
Thotyssey: Hello Lita, thanks so much for talking to us today! I know this is a busy time for you, but how has September treated you?
Lita Desire Valenciaga: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me! September truly has been a beautiful ride.
You’re preparing for a major pageant, which we’ll get to in a moment… but I was wondering how long you’ve been a queen.
I have been doing drag in New York City on and off for about four years now. I say on and off, because that phrase truly is significant to my drag journey.
She is the Light Switch of Drag!
Haha, thank you for that. I will definitely keep that one in my back pocket.
These days, your light is all the way on! Where are you from originally, and have you always had a background in performance, cosmetics, etc.?
I’m originally from Chicago, and split the time in my childhood in half between there and Atlanta, GA. I’ve been singing since I was a wee little child with my mother and father. My earliest and favorite musical memories are singing the role of Simba in “Hakuna Matata” in the car with my father (he knew it was my favorite of our numbers), and singing the gospel song “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” with my mother. My mother is the reason I can hear someone sing and jump on that harmony at a moment’s notice. We’d do “Bag Lady” by Erykah Badu whenever someone asked us to break out a little something impromptu. I began studying theatre in high school at age 14, technical dance at age 16, and pursued a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance.
Cosmetics was a journey. If you peek at the early posts on my Insta, you’ll see that. But, I truly keep them there as a visual journal. I like seeing and sharing the progress.
How did your drag journey begin? And how might you describe the Lita experience today for those unfamiliar, as far as your looks and stage numbers go?
I was acting in a repertoire season at Tuacahn Centre for the Arts, in St. George, Utah. My friend Jono Rogers and I were out to Las Vegas like every other weekend in the summer 2019, because it was a less than two hour drive. My drag experience began in Vegas, when Des’ree D. St. James looked at me and said, “you’re a dancer and you’ve never done drag? Give me your phone, I’m emailing myself, you’re doing my show in two weeks.” Honey, she pushed me out of the nest. Advice from her and Anetra over the course of two weeks helped to make sure I flew a little, and didn’t totally flop.
I put drag in a box, literally, after that one off-performance, until quarantine. I looked around my room and said, “I have too much stuff in here to be bored, get up.” I did a practice face, and slapped on an unused costume from that first night, and boom, we knew what we had to do. I was living with a drag artist — and one of my best friends — Hassan at the time, and they implored to me that I had to keep going.
As far as the Lita experience, I am a performer to the core and I draw on just about every categorical aspect of my training to communicate my visions. I sing live, utilize dramatic and comedic spoken word in lip syncs, and I dance a few different styles. I like to switch things up, but most of what I wear I can dance in!
How did you meet New York’s fabulous drag dame Jada Valenciaga, and become her child?
I live a bit of a nightlife double life, lol; I’m a bartender by day and a drag artist by night, nowadays. Years ago, Jada and I met at the bar that I currently still work in, Flaming Saddles. After knowing each other for a bit, she saw me dance on the bar one night, and said, “I heard you’ve started doing drag… let’s talk. I think you might be a Valenciaga.” She was serious about that connection, and so was I. She even gifted me the first dress she ever sewed.
You’ve done Mama proud! You’ve since performed alongside Jada in her big “QUEEN” revue at Industry.
I’m so grateful to have performed alongside Jada at those times, and we’ve also done her “Curtains Up!” production of “Dreamgirlz” together at The Monster, and in my Fire Island debut at The Ice Palace.
You’ve also done some shows at Stonewall, and will in fact be returning there this coming Sunday to headline your very first “Invasion!” Bianca Star and Rhea Mezzanine will be your special guests!
I am elated to be hosting my first ever “Invasion,” this Sunday at Stonewall! Bianca is a burgeoning powerhouse, and Rhea is a wiz kid of drag, and also my daughter. So I couldn’t be happier.
What inspired you to compete in Miss Hell’s Kitchen this year?
Honestly, [current reigning Miss HK] Sabel Scities inspired me to compete. Since Sabel has seen me do drag, she’s been telling me “you should do Miss Hell’s Kitchen.” Now, I have never competed in a drag pageant… so I was always like, “yeah, okay.” But I trust her judgement, and after I’d been encouraged in many unrelated instances to do MHK, I listened. I learned early in life to listen to the calling being set before you. Don’t run from your blessing. So, I’m not running, lol!
Next Thursday at So & Sos, Sabel is hosting a show that will also function as a meet and greet of sorts featuring all the current Miss HK contestants, including yourself!
Wait until you witness the lineup of talent we have for that night. It’s going to be incredible.
Then Sunday the 12th, it’s the main event: Miss Hells Kitchen at the Manhattan Movement Arts Center, hosted by the great Trinity the Tuck and her brand new face! For those not in know, Miss HK is more than just a fabulously opulent pageant: it benefits Cycle for the Cause, which raises funds towards HIV prevention, treatment and awareness.
You hit the nail on the head! Miss Hell’s Kitchen blends charity and fabulous drag to deliver a memorable night of pageantry, with lasting effects on the community. I am so nervous, in the best way. I have so much I’m preparing, and I can hardly wait to deliver.
This is all quite enough to keep you busy, but is there anything else coming up for you?
Actually yes, there is. I’ve been working with the curtains closed for quite a while now, and can finally announce that I will be releasing original music in the very near future. The first single will be released before the end of this year, but that’s all I can say.
Gag! We will keep our eyes and ears open! Lastly: what is the most essential item in your drag bag?
Extra hairpins! I do a lot of hair flipping in performance, and one thing I strive to do is keep my wigs secured! Every time I see a wig fly off, I check to make sure my pins are in place.
Thanks, Lita!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Lita Desire Valenciaga’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Thotyssey 