A real transformation
STRIKE a pose. With all the sass of Madonna’s Vogue, this is a glamorous US drama about the underground world of 1980s ball culture. The balls were a place where the LGBT community would gather and compete for trophies or prizes with their dancing or vogueing, costumes and attitude.
Created by Ryan Murphy, who brought us Glee and American Horror Story, this has a lot of dramatics and a lot of heart.
It begins in 1987 in New York under the sparkle of a disco ball, with people strutting in overthe-top costumes for the House of Abundance.
But some members nicked gowns from a museum for the ball, so there’s a police raid.
It all feels a bit overwhelming at first, with a lot going on, but give it 10 minutes and it soon settles down.
We meet Damon, 17, who’s just been caught dancing and in possession of a gay magazine. “I’m a dancer and I’m gay,” he tells his dad, who promptly beats him up and kicks him out.
Meanwhile, transgender woman Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) works at a nail salon by day and is a member of the House of Abundance by night.
But after a life-changing diagnosis, she’s determined to open her own house, becoming a House ‘Mother’ and taking in kids like Damon.
With the largest cast of transgender actors in lead roles, this makes TV history.
Watch out also for co-stars James Van Der Beek and Kate Mara.
You may just be vogueing by the end of this pilot.