The Questionnaire: Gia GiaVanni
UAN: Hi! Could you quickly introduce yourself? What are you known for and which shows do you produce/regularly appear on?
Gia GiaVanni: My name is Wayne Walker and I give the illusion of Gia GiaVanni in the New Orleans area. My career as an entertainer will be 30 years this coming October. I have my very own drag show, 'PlayGirlz', at the Golden Lantern lantern in New Orleans every Sunday at 5pm. I am also a cast member of the Country Club New Orleans Drag Brunch every weekend.
What is your favorite performance medium?
I am solely a drag entertainer. I love doing things outside of the norm. I like comedy, drama, and have been known to be able to mash beauty and comedy together in one performance. My favorite is to create costumes and make-up during the Halloween season.
Let's go back...what are your earliest memories of seeing performance, what first inspired you?
I watched Rupaul on TV for MTV Spring Break when I was still in high school and was mesmerized. I wanted to know more about this individual and what they were doing.
Was there a decisive moment that made you think: "I can do that!"? How did you feel when you made that life choice?
I actually started dressing as a female for halloween as a costume. I was approached by individuals at the local bar, and was told that I should do drag. I was talked into doing an amateur night and performed in one and won that nights competition. That in turn led me to a featured spot in the regular Drag Show put on by the bar on a weekly basis. My drag career escalated from there. As I learned and progressed and finessed my performance abilities I was able to booked into other shows at other bars in and around the surrounding areas.
Where and on which shows did you learn your trade? Who were your early inspirations or mentors?
I started my drag career in Beaumont, Texas at a bar named The Copa. There were a lot of legends of Drag that would perform at the bar's regular drag shows. I attended these shows and watched in awe. The local queens who had been doing drag a lot longer than I have gave me advice and guided me through my experience. Teaching me their ways and their ideas of how to do drag, but only using what I felt worked best for me as an entertainer.
Tell us about performing at your first paid show, how were you feeling?
I'm sure everyone was very nervous the first time they did a drag number in public. I know my first time was very nerve-wracking and I was nervous to all ends. I had my friends and they were there by my side pushing me and holding me up to keep me from falling on my butt.
How is the New Orleans show scene different to where you spent your formative years?
When I started drag in Beaumont, my career was solely based on one bar and I only had exposure at that one place for a long period of time. I eventually moved to Houston, Texas , where I got more involved with different venues and groups that performed in Drag. Once I moved to New Orleans, I was able to get myself into the pageantry scene a lot more and it opened up more doors for me and more opportunities to show myself as a drag entertainer and experience other places that had drag shows as well. I think living in a bigger city with more opportunities advances an entertainer a lot more. While living in a small town, you end up staying comfortable unless you find yourself a way to venture out. I also think that experiencing different places and surrounding yourself with different types of drag helps you to increase your stage presence as an entertainer. Learning each and every day is a big part of progressing in this art form. You can never learn enough, even through the changes of drag.
What are the best and most annoying things about a performer life?
The best thing about being a performer is meeting different people and finding that you inspire them and create a world of fantasy that they can emerge themselves in for a short period of time. People from all places and backgrounds come to your shows and you never know what they are going through and if you can touch them emotionally and make them feel great about themselves, you have done your job. The most annoying thing about being a performer is shows starting late. Doing a late, late show and then having to get up early the next morning to do a brunch show is not ideal.
What's the most esoteric/out there act you've ever done? What's the weirdest act you've ever seen?
I would probably have to say the most out I've seen was a whole performance and music based around pooping. The weirdest act I've ever done was trying to perform as a guy. For me, performing as a woman gives you the opportunity to be someone else, and you can hide behind that facade and create a character that is entertaining on stage. Although I may be an entertaining individual personality-wise as a guy, being on stage trying to perform as one is not as exciting to me. I just can't get into being that performer without the makeup, the wigs, and the costumes.
Do you spend a lot of time experimenting/coming up with new acts or costumes when you're not working?
I am always creating mixes for music to perform to, and sewing costumes for myself. I don't always create stuff during my off time, but the majority of it. I am always preparing for the upcoming weekend of shows, which can be a total of six shows in three days.
What's the most memorable performing experience you've ever had?
The most memorable performance experience that I've had was not necessarily a performance in drag but being in drag on a TV show and on a movie. Although relatively small parts, seeing my face in them is quite surreal. A big stage performance that I did was as Ursula, opening up for Bianca Del Rio and other drag race performers. My favorite small venue is working at my hometown bar The Golden Lantern for my PlayGirlz Show. It gives me an opportunity to connect with my audience, not only through my performance, but through conversation and interaction. The weirdest experience doing drag is performing online during COVID, when you had to perform in front of a camera with no audience interaction or response. It was fun, but it was very difficult to get the feelings that you normally get from a live show.
Do you make your own costumes and props? Is that something you enjoy or is it a chore? Where do you look for/find inspiration?
I do sew a lot of things that I wear in my shows. There are some things that I acquire from other places. I can do just about everything except for styling good hair for drag. I usually rely on others who are more experienced at doing hair. I do enjoy sewing my costumes, but it does kind of become a chore at times. I have to just push through and finish the garment. I get my inspiration from things by searching the internet, and watching TV shows and movies also helps give me ideas.
You have an unlimited budget for a show. Who is in the line up (anyone, living or passed, real or fictional)? Where is the venue?
I would love to do an all-legends show: Tasha Kohl, Charlie Brown, Tommie Ross, Mimi Marks, Maya Douglas, and Kourtney Van Wells to name a few of my favorites. I would do it as a dinner show concept. I always thought that idea would be wonderful, especially with the intense growth of drag brunches. Hamburger Mary's has a wonderful concept of having food and a show - if I could afford the franchise fees and management, I would own a Hamburger Mary's here in New Orleans.
What are your favourite showgirl/boy/performer-related pieces of media? Any go-to movies or tv shows?
Mommie Dearest is my absolutely favorite thing to perform. I also do stuff from The Golden Girls, Designing Women, Steel Magnolias, and Disney characters, specifically the evil villains.
How else do you relax, besides getting as much sleep as possible?
Watching movies. Mixing music. Spending time with family.
OK, leave us with one showperson tip or performer hack/juicy piece of gossip/your favorite corny joke. Or all three. Thank you so much for joining us!
One of my absolute favorite sayings is, "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap, and I want to look as cheap as possible." Drag can be expensive but if you're crafty, you can make the best drag out of nothing. And also, rhinestone everything because the sparkle makes life bright!
See more of Gia GiaVanni on their Instagram page!
More performers
UAN: Hi! Could you quickly introduce yourself? What are you known for and which shows do you produce/regularly appear on?
Gia GiaVanni: My name is Wayne Walker and I give the illusion of Gia GiaVanni in the New Orleans area. My career as an entertainer will be 30 years this coming October. I have my very own drag show, 'PlayGirlz', at the Golden Lantern lantern in New Orleans every Sunday at 5pm. I am also a cast member of the Country Club New Orleans Drag Brunch every weekend.
What is your favorite performance medium?
I am solely a drag entertainer. I love doing things outside of the norm. I like comedy, drama, and have been known to be able to mash beauty and comedy together in one performance. My favorite is to create costumes and make-up during the Halloween season.
Let's go back...what are your earliest memories of seeing performance, what first inspired you?
I watched Rupaul on TV for MTV Spring Break when I was still in high school and was mesmerized. I wanted to know more about this individual and what they were doing.
Was there a decisive moment that made you think: "I can do that!"? How did you feel when you made that life choice?
I actually started dressing as a female for halloween as a costume. I was approached by individuals at the local bar, and was told that I should do drag. I was talked into doing an amateur night and performed in one and won that nights competition. That in turn led me to a featured spot in the regular Drag Show put on by the bar on a weekly basis. My drag career escalated from there. As I learned and progressed and finessed my performance abilities I was able to booked into other shows at other bars in and around the surrounding areas.
Where and on which shows did you learn your trade? Who were your early inspirations or mentors?
I started my drag career in Beaumont, Texas at a bar named The Copa. There were a lot of legends of Drag that would perform at the bar's regular drag shows. I attended these shows and watched in awe. The local queens who had been doing drag a lot longer than I have gave me advice and guided me through my experience. Teaching me their ways and their ideas of how to do drag, but only using what I felt worked best for me as an entertainer.
Tell us about performing at your first paid show, how were you feeling?
I'm sure everyone was very nervous the first time they did a drag number in public. I know my first time was very nerve-wracking and I was nervous to all ends. I had my friends and they were there by my side pushing me and holding me up to keep me from falling on my butt.
How is the New Orleans show scene different to where you spent your formative years?
When I started drag in Beaumont, my career was solely based on one bar and I only had exposure at that one place for a long period of time. I eventually moved to Houston, Texas , where I got more involved with different venues and groups that performed in Drag. Once I moved to New Orleans, I was able to get myself into the pageantry scene a lot more and it opened up more doors for me and more opportunities to show myself as a drag entertainer and experience other places that had drag shows as well. I think living in a bigger city with more opportunities advances an entertainer a lot more. While living in a small town, you end up staying comfortable unless you find yourself a way to venture out. I also think that experiencing different places and surrounding yourself with different types of drag helps you to increase your stage presence as an entertainer. Learning each and every day is a big part of progressing in this art form. You can never learn enough, even through the changes of drag.
What are the best and most annoying things about a performer life?
The best thing about being a performer is meeting different people and finding that you inspire them and create a world of fantasy that they can emerge themselves in for a short period of time. People from all places and backgrounds come to your shows and you never know what they are going through and if you can touch them emotionally and make them feel great about themselves, you have done your job. The most annoying thing about being a performer is shows starting late. Doing a late, late show and then having to get up early the next morning to do a brunch show is not ideal.
What's the most esoteric/out there act you've ever done? What's the weirdest act you've ever seen?
I would probably have to say the most out I've seen was a whole performance and music based around pooping. The weirdest act I've ever done was trying to perform as a guy. For me, performing as a woman gives you the opportunity to be someone else, and you can hide behind that facade and create a character that is entertaining on stage. Although I may be an entertaining individual personality-wise as a guy, being on stage trying to perform as one is not as exciting to me. I just can't get into being that performer without the makeup, the wigs, and the costumes.
Do you spend a lot of time experimenting/coming up with new acts or costumes when you're not working?
I am always creating mixes for music to perform to, and sewing costumes for myself. I don't always create stuff during my off time, but the majority of it. I am always preparing for the upcoming weekend of shows, which can be a total of six shows in three days.
What's the most memorable performing experience you've ever had?
The most memorable performance experience that I've had was not necessarily a performance in drag but being in drag on a TV show and on a movie. Although relatively small parts, seeing my face in them is quite surreal. A big stage performance that I did was as Ursula, opening up for Bianca Del Rio and other drag race performers. My favorite small venue is working at my hometown bar The Golden Lantern for my PlayGirlz Show. It gives me an opportunity to connect with my audience, not only through my performance, but through conversation and interaction. The weirdest experience doing drag is performing online during COVID, when you had to perform in front of a camera with no audience interaction or response. It was fun, but it was very difficult to get the feelings that you normally get from a live show.
Do you make your own costumes and props? Is that something you enjoy or is it a chore? Where do you look for/find inspiration?
I do sew a lot of things that I wear in my shows. There are some things that I acquire from other places. I can do just about everything except for styling good hair for drag. I usually rely on others who are more experienced at doing hair. I do enjoy sewing my costumes, but it does kind of become a chore at times. I have to just push through and finish the garment. I get my inspiration from things by searching the internet, and watching TV shows and movies also helps give me ideas.
You have an unlimited budget for a show. Who is in the line up (anyone, living or passed, real or fictional)? Where is the venue?
I would love to do an all-legends show: Tasha Kohl, Charlie Brown, Tommie Ross, Mimi Marks, Maya Douglas, and Kourtney Van Wells to name a few of my favorites. I would do it as a dinner show concept. I always thought that idea would be wonderful, especially with the intense growth of drag brunches. Hamburger Mary's has a wonderful concept of having food and a show - if I could afford the franchise fees and management, I would own a Hamburger Mary's here in New Orleans.
What are your favourite showgirl/boy/performer-related pieces of media? Any go-to movies or tv shows?
Mommie Dearest is my absolutely favorite thing to perform. I also do stuff from The Golden Girls, Designing Women, Steel Magnolias, and Disney characters, specifically the evil villains.
How else do you relax, besides getting as much sleep as possible?
Watching movies. Mixing music. Spending time with family.
OK, leave us with one showperson tip or performer hack/juicy piece of gossip/your favorite corny joke. Or all three. Thank you so much for joining us!
One of my absolute favorite sayings is, "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap, and I want to look as cheap as possible." Drag can be expensive but if you're crafty, you can make the best drag out of nothing. And also, rhinestone everything because the sparkle makes life bright!
See more of Gia GiaVanni on their Instagram page!
More performers
