Photo: Joshua Giant
by Steve Desroches
While shrouded in myth and legend, it really is indisputable that Judy Garland is one of, if not the greatest gay icon of all time. But why?
Her funeral on June 27, 1969 is sometimes credited as inspiration for the Stonewall riot. That summation is often dismissed, but not entirely. The late Sylvia Rivera, an LGBTQ activist who was at Stonewall, said there was a “feeling in the air that night” and “I guess Judy Garland’s death just really helped us really hit the fan.” And then there is, of course, The Wizard of Oz, which many gay people say is metaphor for coming out and seeing the world go from black and white to color. And then there’s the coverage of Garland’s 1967 concert at the Palace where Time magazine wrote that a “disproportionate part of her nightly claque seems to be homosexual,” who would “roll their eyes, tear at their hair and practically levitate from their seats.” The magazine even consulted a panel of psychiatrists to explain the phenomenon, to which they peddled in stereotypes of an affinity that gay men have for tragic women.
But for young John James Pirroni, who performs in drag as Delta Miles, he didn’t know anything about any of that. He just chose to bathe in the lavender haze of Garland and would belt out “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from his front stoop, as a child in Somerville, Massachusetts. He knew he was a Friend of Dorothy, the code for gay in the days of Stonewall. It’s been a life-long affinity that has led him to Judy Live!, a drag homage with live vocals to the one-and-only Judy Garland, marking his solo show debut.
“Everybody who has come to see the show has a special connection to Judy,” says Pirroni, who rattles off even more theories. “She’s special. But why does she have this place in the gay community? That’s hard to answer. When it comes to gay men you can point to disco or old Hollywood glamor or Broadway. But there’s just something about Judy. I mean, just that voice. There will never be any one like her. She’s just special. I can’t explain why she means so much to the gay community, but I can definitely feel it.”
Backstage at the Crown & Anchor’s Cabaret Room Pirroni shows off the lace front wigs and costumes that embody the legend at specific times in her storied, and yes, tragic career. He frequently grasps for imaginary pearls each time he reflects on a particular “Judy moment” that he recreates for the show, be it her Carnegie Hall concert or a spot from her variety show. It’s clear that Garland inspires him as he lights up with each mention of her name. And it’s fitting that this guardian of the gays is the subject for his first solo show ever, as if she’s a patron saint of drag queens.
Pirroni began performing in drag in 2010, becoming part of Ryan Landry’s theatrical troupe the Gold Dust Orphans and at Showgirls. Delta Miles was a standout even when he was just in the chorus, and he quickly moved to starring roles. Coming out of the pandemic he became part of Diva!, a smash hit musical drag revue with the equally talented Qya Cristal and Roxy Pops, which the trio has brought back this summer with all new songs and stories. But the idea of stepping out on his own frightened him. Could he command the stage for an hour all by himself? In 2022 Pirroni told Provincetown Magazine he didn’t think he had “earned” a solo show yet. But in a beautifully ironic way, his choice to present a show about Judy Garland, a person who sadly struggled with addiction and trauma, as his first one-queen effort is the result of big personal changes.
“I’m on a big sobriety journey right now,” says Pirroni. “The greatest lesson I’m learning right now is that people-pleasing is a dangerous slope, and walking away from those limiting beliefs is a process. It’s scary, but when you do it for yourself, trust in yourself, there’s magic there. I love to sing. I’m out there doing the show, the shows, I want to do. It keeps me present and in the moment. Sobriety opens you up to realize all that is around you and what is no longer in your way.”
A big boost that in part began his sobriety is performing in Diva!, which is actually an acronym for daring, independent, vivacious, and ambitious. Making a career out of drag is hard on its own, but trying to make it here in Provincetown with an enormously competitive field of not just drag queens already performing here, but the hundreds that try to get a gig, makes such a pursuit overwhelming at time. Add into that the housing crisis and at time fickle audiences, and one might want to call it quits. But Pirroni’s kinship with Qya and Roxy provided stability and support, a bit like a drag Charlie’s Angels in that you mess with one and you mess with all three. Pirroni giggles and stretches his arms out cheerleader style. This is all just the beginning. He glances at the stage he’ll perform on in just a few hours.
“We’re all at the top of our game right now,” says Pirroni. “Qya, Roxy. We’re there for each other. What you see on stage, how we interact, is how it is backstage. We encourage each other to be our absolute best, and that’s what we try to share with the audience.”
Delta Miles appears in Judy Live! Wednesdays at 9 p.m. now through September 18 and in Diva! with Qya Cristal and Roxy Pops, Tuesdays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. now through September 17, both at the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St., Provincetown. Tickets for either show ($35/$45) are available at the box office and online at onlyatthecrown.com. For more information 508.487.1430.
