Daring stunts and feminine wiles are taking over the Kaua‘i Beach Resort Jasmine Ballroom Saturday at “Cirque D’ Love,” a carnival of glitter, glamor and, ultimately, drag.
Featuring about 10 entertainers and presented by Podagee Princess Productions and BD Couture, the drag show combines different acts and talents under the theme of “big top,” and promises to put a magical twist on beauty and love just in time for Valentine’s Day.
One of the entertainers bringing the heat on Friday night is drag queen Laganja Estranja, also known as Texas-born Jay Jackson, who found the spotlight on season six of the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” in 2014.
Wednesday, Laganja said the audience can expect a thrilling performance, with a few twists, tricks and moves that border on dangerous.
“I’m known for my shenanigans and my stunts. Laganja brings a wild element to the show, showing some skin and thigh,” she said. “It’s an energetic performance.”
Laganja has been doing shows on Oahu since 2014, and says she’s had the opportunity to explore that island in between performances, but Saturday will be the first time she’s been to Kaua‘i.
“I’m so excited. I arrive the day of the show,” Laganja said.
“There are so many reasons for doing this show, but any opportunity I have to see the rest of Hawai‘i is a blessing.”
Since strutting her stuff on the RuPaul runway, Laganja has appeared on shows including “So You Think You Can Dance” and the new Heidi Klum-produced drag competition show, “Queen of the Drags.”
She’s been the subject of interviews for publications like Forbes and National Public Radio, and appeared on-stage at the Video Music Awards with Miley Cyrus, among other appearances.
Also among her accolades is the 2016 debut of “Laganja’s Dance School,” a dance school billed as “a high-heels master class and confidence workshop,” held in cities across the world.
Jackson said that, growing up in Texas, drag became an outlet for expressing his feminine side, something that he always connected with strongly.
And while embodying Laganja Estranja started as a way to let loose, it turned into much more.
“It started out as escapism and turned into art,” Jackson said. “I never thought I’d be doing it eight years later.”
Cannabis art is a big part of life for both Jackson and Laganja, who has been featured in media like Viceland’s “Bong Appetit” and High Times magazine.
Both in and out of makeup, Jackson advocates for the health and mental wellness value of cannabis.
That passionate advocacy is woven into Estranja’s fiery persona, along with her lashes and sashays.
Estranja is just one of many fierce drag queens in Cirque D’ Love, which is set to start at 7 p.m. at Kaua‘i Beach Resort on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Tickets range from $30 to $40 and are available at eventbrite.com.
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Jessica Else, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
Source: The Garden Island
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