IN ‘VOGUE’ NOW
Queer subculture series goes mainstream
New York City drag ballroom veteran Dashaun Wesley is standing next to two very nervous Houses (or teams) waiting to see who keeps walking the “Legendary” ball toward a $100,000 grand prize.
It’s the end of the second episode of “Legendary,” a new voguing reality competition series that premiered on HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s new streaming platform. And for Wesley, a seasoned master of ceremonies, dancer and actor recently seen as Shadow Wintour in FX’s hit “Pose,” the stakes are high.
A show that celebrates a slice of an underground subculture of the black and Latino queer communities — which got its start in Harlem in the early ’80s — has gotten raves since premiering on the new streaming service.
“Fifteen years ago, people would never know that there was a ballroom culture that was going on, besides what they knew about Madonna’s [1990 song] ‘Vogue,’ ” Wesley told the Daily News.
Now he’s part of a groundbreaking show acclaimed as “deliriously fun,” an “exuberant, compelling series,” and a “vibrant new competition [that] celebrates creativity, self-acceptance and the power of community.”
“Our job for this show is to educate people and bring everyone immediately back to the culture,” the Brooklyn-born voguing superstar said. “We want to show everyone how authentic and how real we are, what we do in order to come together to compete.”
Wesley said he was contacted about two years ago by the Emmy Award-winning team behind “Queer Eye,” and told about their idea of bringing the world of ballroom Houses to the screen.
Now living in Los Angeles, Wesley said he was initially approached to participate as a competitor. But after “having many talks” with Scout Productions, he was tapped as the show’s master of ceremonies.
While celebrating the “amazing opportunity” to represent his community, Wesley says he’s also aware that bringing the subversive art of drag into the mainstream could ruffle very long feathers and shake some hiplength leather boots.
“Definitely in today’s world, you’re going to have people who are going to agree, and people are going to disagree,” he said. “I’ve been a part of this for quite some time, and [I’d noticed] how people didn’t even know we existed.”
The Houses-ballroom scene has come a long way from its obscure Harlem beginnings.
It first showed its face outside the community with the 1990 documentary
“Paris Is Burning,” and then broke the mainstream glass ceiling with the success of the Emmy Award-winning “Pose” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
A panel of judges include hip-hop star Megan Thee
Stallion, ballroom royalty Leiomy Maldonado, fashion expert Law Roach and actress Jameela Jamil.
At the end of the episode, Wesley delivers a message for the seven remaining Houses and all the
“ladies, gentlemen and genderqueers” in the audience: “We are not going to be shady — just fierce.”
“Legendary” premiered its first two episodes last week on HBO Max. New episodes will be released every week.