Photo: Pam Smith
by Steve Desroches
Sitting on the balcony of the Crown & Anchor overlooking Commercial Street the beats of pop music and the bass line of disco are as frequently heard as seagulls’ cries and the laughter of tourists in Provincetown. That’s all good with Joshua Giant as he moves back and forth in a rocking chair on one of those overcast days that has the town packed with daytrippers who would otherwise be at the beach. The world of music is vast and varied, and that’s wonderful. But Giant loves rock and roll, a genre that was once ubiquitous in Provincetown, but gave way to other genres, especially as LGBTQ culture firmly embraced dance floor grooves. But as his drag persona Jizzelle, he’s trying to re-introduce rock as a staple of Provincetown’s performance scene with the brand-new show She Will Rock You in the Wave Bar at the Crown & Anchor, an all-live-singing drag rock fest featuring the music of Queen, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, and more.
“Jizzelle is rock,” says Giant. “She’s doing something different in a place where it’s needed. There’s a lot of fabulous drag in this town and a lot of fabulous talent in this town. But we need more rock.”
Giant, and Jizzelle, are part of a larger community of performers who continue to defy expectations and the assumed realities of Provincetown, where the housing crisis continues to worsen and can limit the growth and evolution of the creative culture of the town. In spite of that there is a scrappy, resourceful, and resilient pool of talented artists and performers under the age of 40 adding their own visions and viewpoints to Provincetown’s storied theatrical and cabaret tradition. Despite the pressures, it’s an exciting time to be a performer in Provincetown. And rather than be seen as competition, this group of artists see themselves as a community, says Giant, that continually supports and motivates each other to be their best and to take risks. Broadway, disco, piano bar sing-alongs, and pop are all well represented and well performed. But there is an element of surprise when Jizzelle takes to the mic, towering above with natural height boosted by enormous heels, and rips into a rock and roll tune, one that Giant always tries to perform with an element of originality and imagination.
“I love singing meat and potatoes,” laughs Giant. “I can’t explain meat and potatoes, but it’s what I call it when you really tear into the music.”
The relatively new spirit of cooperation among businesses in town has proven especially beneficial to young performers here. No longer are they shackled to only being allowed to perform in one venue, but can make more money, gain increased exposure, and take advantage of more stage time and the experience it allows. Jizzelle, and Giant, are not only at the Crown, but also performing at the Post Office Café and Cabaret, Tin Pan Alley, and the Gifford House, as well as the occasional appearance at Showgirls down at the Provincetown Inn throughout the summer. It’s not that all of these gigs and opportunities are a surprise to Giant, but he does take stock to be grateful for it all. A native of Massachusetts, Giant began performing in drag in New Hampshire 16 years ago, taking a break for several years, and then beginning again while living in New York City. But Giant found New York City oddly limiting as the expense of the city and its effect on the metropolis’ cultural life suffered under the crushing weight of the mega-wealthy, creating a rather bland scene in what should be one of the country’s most dynamic performance locales. But here in Provincetown, despite economic pressures of its own, he finds the culture of the town and its audiences to be ready for anything and looking forward to seeing artists take risks. And Giant revels in that energy.
“I’m on a journey with Jizzelle,” says Giant. “When I perform it’s hard to differentiate where Jizzelle ends and Joshua begins. And I’m thinking of bringing Joshua out a bit more. But it will always be about the music.”
She Will Rock You starring Jizzelle is at the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St., Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. now through September 17. Tickets ($25/$35) are available at the box office and online at onlyatthecrown.com. For more information call 508.487.1430. Jizzelle also performs as part of the Anita Cocktail Variety Hour at the Post Office Cabaret Thursdays in August and as part of Drag Brunch at the Post Office Cafe Friday through Sunday with seatings at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets for each are available at the box office and online at postofficecafe.net. For more information call 508.487.0006 for box office or 508.487.0008 for cafe. Joshua Giant performs with Jake Glass Sundays starting at 9 p.m. at the Gifford House, 9 Carver St. There is no cover. For more information call 508.487.068 or visit giffordsprovincetown.com. Giant also performs Wednesdays at Tin Pan Alley, 269 Commercial St., from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. There is no cover. For more information call 508.487.1648 or visit tinpanalleyptown.com.
