by Steve Desroches
Ever since appearing on season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, life for New York City drag queens Jackie Cox and Jan Sport has been a wonderful and wild blur. In fact, their season was a crazy ride—first with the revelation that castmate Sherry Pie had engaged in disgraceful and abusive behavior prior to filming requiring a lickety-split re-edit of the entire season, followed by the onset of the pandemic, which required a virtual finale and then no worldwide tours that usually result from appearing on the pop culture phenomenon. But the duo, who were friends before Drag Race, are as resilient as they are talented, and they took to the road once pandemic restrictions lifted globally, first with a holiday show and then with Gaycation, which is hitting Provincetown this weekend, showcasing the drag pals in a bonkers cabaret that takes the spirit of “Romy and Michelle” and “Barb and Star” in a drag makeover.
“Gaycation is based on all that has happened to Jan and I as we toured since filming our season of RuPaul’s Drag Race,” says Jackie. “We did this Christmas show together and decided to create this show and make it a summer vacation featuring two kooky and wacky queens sharing all the craziness we’ve experienced on the road…maybe sharing a little too much!”
With all-live singing (OK, there’s one lip synch) in a joyous romp featuring top 40 hits “like you’ve never heard them before,” as Jackie and Jan spill the tea on all the gay summer hot spots they’ve hit since becoming “Ru girls.” While Jackie has been coming to Provincetown for over a decade, and has performed as part of ensembles and revues, this marks the first real visit by Jan, who has only ever been to town once before when she was hired to appear as late-night entertainment at a wedding reception. Not exactly the Provincetown debut she was hoping for. But Jackie and Jan’s excitement over presenting Gaycation at Red Room after coming to Provincetown early with a gaggle of gays to celebrate Carnival is palpable and clearly this spot on the Lavender Circuit means the world to them.
“This is my first time getting to experience the culture of Provincetown,” says Jan. “And then I get to become part of this amazing performance legacy that the town has. I cannot wait.”
The two share a reverence for all that Provincetown is, especially what it means to drag performers. Varla Jean Merman, Miss Richfield 1981, Dina Martina…they rattle off a list of performers that inspire them today and that were part of why they went into drag in the first place. And there are fellow New York City queens and friends like Sutton Lee Seymour and Paige Turner that have found a niche in a crowded and highly competitive drag scene here that encourage them to do the same, starting with Gaycation. The giggles in their voices and the breathless manner of speech lets you know that Jackie and Jan are more than ready for Provincetown. And despite their virtual introduction to much of the world of drag because of the pandemic, the two agree that it allowed them to make a more intimate relationship with their fan base as they communicated via social media and live streaming during the global calamity, providing escape and a sense of normalcy in a time when it was hard to find either. And now that they are knee deep in live performance, where the two theater kids thrive, Provincetown feels like a long overdue addition to their resumes.
The two drag buds’ journeys to each other, and drag in New York, began in very different places. Jackie, born Darius Rose in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to a Canadian father and an Iranian mother, studied at University of California, Los Angeles before moving to New York to pursue a life on the stage. Jan, aka Charlie Mantione, hails from Old Bridge, New Jersey, and studied at the Boston Conservatory before moving to New York where she joined a “girl” group Stephanie’s Child with fellow drag queens Rosé and Lagoona Blue appearing on The Voice and America’s Got Talent. While the two certainly work hard, they have enjoyed a rocket-fast trajectory into drag fame and making a name for themselves. And speaking of names, Jackie derived her drag moniker from the codename she and her best friend in high school made up to openly talk about a girl they didn’t like. While she reflects that it was “immature” and “juvenile” it’s also brilliant. And while World of Wonder productions presented Jan to the world as just Jan out of fear that using her full name of Jan Sport could result in a lawsuit from the American backpack and collegiate apparel company, all is cool says Jan.
“They let me know three days before we began shooting that I couldn’t use my full name,” says Jan. “That just added a little more stress to what was already the most stressful moment of my life. But I’ve never received a cease-and-desist letter and the company is very happy with me and said I fit their brand very well. I have their full blessing from now on to use the name.”
Jackie and Jan’s Gaycation is on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, August 25 at 10 p.m. at Red Room, 238 Commercial St. Tickets ($35/$45) are available at the box office and online at redroom.club.
