David Krom, otherwise known as his persona De De DeVille, says it could happen — a drag queen becoming first lady of the United States. DeVille has written a play about it and will be headlining its performance in May at the Fishtank Performance Studio.
“It’s called First Lady, with a question mark, which is a nightmare for auto-correct,” DeVille said with a laugh. “The whole genesis of this is, imagine how a small-town boy from Kansas ended up in the White House in four-inch spiked heels. Basically we’re tackling the fictionalized concept of how a gay couple ended up accidentally becoming the president and first lady.
“The political rise of my husband is all sort of fun. We get on the ticket as vice president, and we win, but then the president has a heart attack and dies. So suddenly, I am first lady of this great land.”
DeVille is now starring in the New Theatre Restaurant production of Harvey, which runs through April 6. I asked whether the audience knows that it’s a drag performance, and DeVille responded, “Some do, some don’t. I’m billed in the program as De De, with an all gender neutral bio and a head shot of De De. He (the director) didn’t go about casting a drag queen. He cast me. He had seen me in An Otherwise Hopeless Evening performance as Mrs. Hergesheimer. He saw someone who could be Mrs. Chauvenet.”
The setup of the play, DeVille said, is that it’s inauguration day, after her husband is elected to a second term as president, on his own merits. A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter is coming to interview her about “the previous four years and about our political rise and what happened when we were in the White House. As you can imagine, my first year in the White House doesn’t go as smoothly as you would hope. So now that we have been re-elected, I guess it’s time we tell our story.”
The play, she said, happens in real time. “I arrive from the inauguration and the inaugural luncheon in my inaugural suit. My wig is missing for that evening, and my Secret Service agent is on the hunt for it. But the reporter arrives, we do the interview, and at the end of the interview, I change into my inaugural gown and head out to the ball,” DeVille said.
It’s a three-person show directed by Phil Kinen, and the presidential husband is never seen.
“The only people in the show are my Secret Service agent, who will be played by Jeff Smith, and my reporter, who we are still in talks with.”
DeVille said she has done extensive research on first ladies in the White House. “Everything that happens politically in the show actually could happen. It’s like the perfect storm to create this. But by the time you’re done seeing the show, you will have that [thought>: ‘Shoot, that could have happened.’”
Heidi Van, founder and curator of the Fishtank, said the show fits in well with the theater’s mission.
“I created the Fishtank to provide a space for creators of new work,” she said. “The Fishtank is a space to collaborate, edit, and debut ideas.”
Plays and performances like First Lady? she said, are typical of what is produced at the Fishtank - a world premiere by a Kansas City playwright, an intimate show. The Fishtank has maximum seating of 35, so Van recommends making advance reservations. “Shows at the Fishtank do sell out!” she said.
DeVille spoke of being inspired to do more in theater on her own by the success of people like local actor/writer/directors David Wayne Reed and Ron Megee. DeVille did several plays with them in the Late Night Theatre company.
“Late Night Theatre was a wonderful, wonderful school,” she said. “And the incubator of amazing creative people, and now so many of us are really stepping out. Watching David’s success and being able to do his own thing spurred me on to apply for a Rocket Grant through the Charlotte Street Foundation, which I received. It enabled me to begin the process for this show.”
Last year, DeVille decided to make some life changes. “My mother passed away, and my grandmother passed away. I hit one of the milestones in my age that I don’t want to admit to,” she said with a laugh. “I realized I was miserable working retail and broke. So I said, ‘Why continue down that path?’ I can still be broke and be happy.
“So I left retail and got lucky enough to find a job doing what I love, which is seamstress work, and then [performed in"> An Otherwise Hopeless Evening and Sordid Lives at the Barn Players Theater, and I got cast in Harvey.”
DeVille said he’s been in theater for 26 years, and this year is his 20th anniversary of doing drag as De De DeVille. “I did my first show 20 years ago at The Hideaway in Lawrence,” he said. “And fairly shortly after that, it was the Cabaret and The Edge.”
DeVille said that doing drag is a form of theater.
“It’s a performance,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a boy in a dress flapping his jaw to a song.”
If You Go
First Lady? will run weekends May 2-25 at the Fishtank Performance Studio, 1715 Wyandotte St., Kansas City, Mo. (www.fishtanktheater.com) Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at First Lady or by calling 816-809-7110. "
WhistlePig and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Wind Tunnel-Trialed Whiskey Is a Ryed You Don’t Want to Miss
SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.
The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.
Like Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s signature C43 racing vehicles, trial barrels were tested in the team’s wind tunnel in Switzerland before hitting the track. Select barrels then endured varying levels of G-Forces at the WhistlePig farm and distillery for the finishing touch, accelerating the interaction between the whiskey and the wood, staying true to the physical nature of Formula 1.
“Partnering with WhistlePig has been a very exciting experience. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake is dedicated to being the best on the track, and the crew at WhistlePig is fearless in their pursuit to create the best whiskey out there,” said Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s driver. “We’re really looking forward to fans tasting our custom Rye Whiskey and raising a glass to the rookies, veterans, legends and the exhilarating sport of F1.”
"Joining forces with WhistlePig to release a Single Barrel Rye Whiskey that represents my culture and team has been an honor,” said Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s driver. “Formula 1 brings together fearless, thrill-seeking motorsports professionals, and WhistlePig has a shared passion for boundary-pushing innovation. Together, we’ve selected something alarmingly good for fans to enjoy this season when the cars are not on track.”
The Limited Edition Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel will be available for purchase online starting around September 13 for $49.99 MSRP per 750ml bottle and sold in select stores across the U.S. Consumers can win VIP merchandise by scanning the QR code on the back of each bottle.
"We're taking our third Legends Series release on a ryed like never before,” said Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig Head Blender. "Our experiments with dynamic aging went full throttle during finishing trials at the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake wind tunnel, in turn inspiring new ways to expose barrels to G-forces back at the WhistlePig Farm. The herbal and floral notes of the lychee and tea barrel selected with the team create a new, podium-topping experience for PiggyBack Rye."
Fans and collectors have followed WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series, celebrating those who give 100% in the name of greatness, since its launch in March 2022 with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, David Ortiz (“Big Papi”), followed by Country Music Duo Brothers Osborne in November 2022.
To learn more about WhistlePig Whiskey, visit whistlepigwhiskey.com. You can also check out WhistlePig Whiskey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About WhistlePig Whiskey
Located off the grid on a 500-acre Vermont farm, WhistlePig Whiskey is crafted by a new generation of whiskey distillers and blenders driven to reinvent and unlock the flavor of Rye whiskey. Through their rebellious pursuit of experimenting and pushing boundaries in the industry, WhistlePig has become the leading independent craft whiskey brand for innovation. WhistlePig is committed to becoming the best whiskey on and for the planet, starting with its locally sourced ingredients and sustainable supply chain and distilling process. For more information, head to whistlepigwhiskey.com.
When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.
I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.
If you don’t have a primary care physician who specializes in LGBTQ+ care in your community, you may need to educate yourself (and your provider). But, before you seek such therapy, here are five things you should know!
- Monitor closely. At Spectrum Medical Care Center, we screen patients for certain risks before starting anyone on hormones. We frequently monitor patients in the first year to ensure there are no adverse reactions and lab results are within safe ranges. Follow-up care is also important to assess your comfort with the transition as well as the social impact and social support you’re experiencing.
- Some changes are permanent, some temporary. For transmasculine individuals going on testosterone, they’ll experience these permanent changes: deepened voice, clitoral enlargement (also known as bottom growth), more body, facial hair, and male pattern baldness. Reversible changes include cessation of menses, increased muscle mass and strength, body fat redistribution, and skin oiliness or acne. For those going on estrogen therapy, the most permanent change is breast growth. Feminizing hormone therapy can also cause atrophy (shrinkage) of the genitals and loss of erectile function that may not be reversible. Estrogen will thin body hair, soften the skin, can increase scalp hair, and decrease muscle mass and strength, all of which are reversible.
- You can’t pick and choose results. Unfortunately, you can’t pick and choose the physical changes you want, which may feel challenging. Some of my patients will say, ‘Okay, ‘I’ve seen the permanent changes I want, and I don’t want it to go any further,’ and so at that point, we stop therapy. Low-dose hormone therapy can slow down the rate of changes, allowing for a more gradual physical transition. We counsel patients in advance about the common changes, and it’s up to the individual as to when they’d like to scale back and determine whether some benefits are worth the potential risks.
- Be aware of risks. Like any medical treatment, there are potential risks involved. Some risks with testosterone therapy include increased red blood cell mass, acne, hypertension, sleep apnea, weight gain, and dyslipidemia (increases the chance of clogged arteries). Cardiovascular disease is likely increased with additional risk factors for testosterone and estrogen therapy. Transfeminine patients going on estrogen therapy may experience weight gain, thromboembolic disease (when a blood clot breaks off and blocks another blood vessel), and a high level of triglycerides in the blood.
Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!
Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.
"Our entire team is honored to be named Best of the Best. To be the only gay men's resort recognized in the Top 1% is incredibly humbling," said Kent Taylor, General Manager at Descanso. "We appreciate Tripadvisor and we're grateful to all our guests who gave us such high marks and reviews to help us reach this achievement."
“Ranking among the Best of the Best demonstrates that you have provided exemplary experiences to those who maZer most: your guests,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor. “With changing expectations, continued labor shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat, and I am con6nually impressed with the hospitality industry’s resilience and ability to adapt.”
Santiago Resort was once again honored by Tripadvisor with a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award, placing it among the top 10% of travelers’ top reviewed des6na6ons. Twin Palms will become eligible for ranking in 2024.
Check out all the reviews, and discover more about Descanso Resort on Tripadvisor here. We have an excellent library of resort imagery available to accompany editorial and additional resources on our press page. Please contact Descanso Resort’s General Manager, Kent Taylor, at kent@descansoresort.com for further information.
About Descanso Resort
Inspired by Palm Springs’ history as a des6na6on for Hollywood stars to unwind in privacy, Descanso offers guests a casual yet modern take on the legendary style of that 6me. Created by the same hospitality team that revitalized Palm Springs’ much-loved San6ago Resort and recently launched the all-new Twin Palms Resort, the Descanso property opened in 2022 featuring 15 spacious guest rooms with custom-designed furniture, dreamy King-size beds, and luxe details. Ameni6es include continental breakfast, poolside lunch, welcome snack basket, and lots of special touches. For guests who need to stay connected, the entire property is equipped with blazing-fast Wi-Fi. Mul6-speed bikes are available for exploring the surrounding midcentury neighborhoods and public art installations. Like the Hollywood stars before them, guests at Descanso are encouraged to unwind, relax, and rest in style.
About Tripadvisor
Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby.