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The lights dimmed inside Mariscos Guadalajara restaurant in Arlington on a recent Saturday night.
As families and couples sat at tables and waitresses carried shrimp cocktails, fish tacos and beer on trays, an emcee on the stage announced: “Welcome to the craziest show in the Metroplex!”
It was 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 12. For the next three hours, performers depicting Latin singers Dulce, Paulina Rubio, Graciela Beltrán, and Jenny Rivera graced the stage.
The audience applauded, tipped and took selfies with them as if they were the real thing. In Spanish, they call themselves “imitadoras,” which roughly translates to “impersonators.”
Audience member Alex Karina (left) kisses Lorena de Rivera on the cheek after taking a photo…
Audience member Alex Karina (left) kisses Lorena de Rivera on the cheek after taking a photo together at Mariscos Guadalajara in Arlington on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. De Rivera performing as Mexican singer Dulce in the Farahon Espectáculo show.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
Drag shows and LGBT events have been targeted by conservative politicians in recent months, and protesters have shown up at English-speaking venues across the state.
But many Spanish-speaking performers like those at Mariscos Guadalajara say they haven’t faced the same backlash. They embody the female celebrity they perform as that night.
Most are transgender women.
“What we do is illusionism, imitation — trying to look like the performer we’re impersonating as much as possible,” said Bency Bences as she got ready to perform as the Costa Rican celebrity Maribel Guardia. That night, the 46-year-old performer from Chihuahua, Mexico, lip-synched to hits like Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” and Paulina’s “Tú y yo.”
Inside the small changing room, behind a curtain in a corner of the seafood restaurant, the music sounds muffled.
Bences and three other performers change clothes, put on wigs and touch up their makeup.
Pablo Diaz “El Farahon” laughs with members of the Farahon Espectáculo as they prepare for a…
Pablo Diaz “El Farahon” laughs with members of the Farahon Espectáculo as they prepare for a show at Mariscos Guadalajara in Arlington on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
Pablo Díaz, 46, known as “El Farahon,” looks at his watch to check whether they were on time. Díaz founded Farahon Espectáculo in North Texas over 15 years ago, presenting his show with a group of transgender women at private events and area Hispanic restaurants.
He’s the emcee, entertainer, keyboard player and singer.
“Each of us pays taxes for the shows we do. Besides, people tip us; each one keeps what she gets. If someone gets $5, she did well. If she got $100, she did well. It depends on the audience’s acceptance and the performer,” Díaz said.
A unique show within the Hispanic community
Pablo Diaz “El Farahon” emcees the Farahon Espectáculo at Mariscos Guadalajara in Arlington…
Pablo Diaz “El Farahon” emcees the Farahon Espectáculo at Mariscos Guadalajara in Arlington on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
Drag shows across Texas, and especially in Dallas, have been a target of hate attacks this year.
In June, a group of protesters showed up outside Mr. Misster in Oak Lawn the day it hosted an all-ages drag brunch. That day, the bar received a bomb threat and SWAT units intervened, although it turned out to be a false alarm.
Other performers have been threatened or subject to slurs while performing at events in Denton, Houston, Roanoke, Arlington and Pflugerville, The Dallas Morning News reported.
In October, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would support legislation banning every kind of drag show, but especially those allowing children.
Orlando Sanchez, the founder of the Texas Latino Conservatives, a Texas-based organization that promotes conservative values, said that drag queen shows are a form of entertainment for the Hispanic and American communities and have been around for decades.
“If it’s in a public setting like a restaurant and the parents choose their kids to be entertained in that matter, that’s a determination for the parents to make. Female impersonators are a form of expression that’s protected by the Constitution,” he said.
“As opposed to, let’s say, bringing drag queens into a school space, where parents are unaware. That is different.”
Drag is best known as when a man does women’s clothing and makeup to perform. But drag queens can be gay or straight, cisgender or transgender. Those who identify as men often refer to themselves as “she” while performing and “he” in everyday life.
There are both English and Spanish-speaking drag queens who perform in Texas.
Imitadoras, however, are more often transgender women who work depicting just one or two specific female singers, dancers, or other celebrities. Most of the performers Al Día spoke with used “she” pronouns, although one went by “she” and “he” pronouns interchangeably.
Bency Bences performs as Costa Rican singer Maribel Guardia in the Farahon Espectáculo show…
Bency Bences performs as Costa Rican singer Maribel Guardia in the Farahon Espectáculo show at Mariscos Guadalajara in Arlington on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
Drag and imitadoras shows have some facets in common — they often involve lip-synching and dancing, and audience members can show their appreciation by tipping the performers. But according to Lorena de Rivera, 36, who performs as Mexican singer Dulce at Farahon Espectáculo, drag shows are defined by grandiose costumes and performances while imitadoras focus more on hyper-realistic imitations ofcelebrities.
“Drags do extravaganza shows. It’s another atmosphere, a different audience. Wild makeup, wild drags — most of it hinges on your imagination, everything that comes to mind to impress the audience. What we do is try to look like the artists as much as possible,” de Rivera said.
Imitadoras who perform as famous Latina singers, actresses and other celebrities haven’t been met with the same kinds of protests, according to seven local performers who spoke with Al Día.
With a mostly Latino and Spanish-speaking audience, imitadoras are frequently hired by businesses and families to perform in birthday parties, posadas (Christmas parties) and other gatherings.
“It’s safe, it’s relaxed, there’s a lot of work and there’s good acceptance. Respect is earned by each artist by making themselves respected, and people like our work,” said Díaz.
Imitadoras are popular in North Texas restaurants such as Mariscos la Marea, with different locations, Taquería Lupita, Kaliente Bar, Taquería Cristina and Micheladas Restaurant in Dallas, among many others.
Pablo Diaz “El Farahon” welcomes those at Mariscos Guadalajara to the Farahon Espectáculo…
Pablo Diaz “El Farahon” welcomes those at Mariscos Guadalajara to the Farahon Espectáculo show in Arlington on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
With the exception of Kaliente Bar, these venues do not cater exclusively to the LGBT community.
Because most shows are offered at night, there are no children present or admission is restricted for people under 21.
When performing at private events, the audience is often made up of families with children.
Before each show, presenters say they ask the audience what tone they want for the jokes and the language, Díaz explained: “To make people laugh, you don’t need to get vulgar.”
Connecting the Hispanic community with their music idols
Byby Jones performs as Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal in a show at Kaliente along Maple Avenue…
Byby Jones performs as Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal in a show at Kaliente along Maple Avenue in Dallas on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
Imitadoras say their success depends on the audience’s reaction.
“People like it a lot when I do Jenny Rivera, and when I do Rocío Dúrcal. We could say they’re my strongest artists. They like it very much, and ask for more and more and more,” said Byby Jones, 38, from Zacatecas.
In a changing room in the back of Kaliente Bar, on Maple Avenue in Dallas, Jones unpacked a suitcase full of wigs and costumes. Jones identifies as a gay man, and uses the pronouns “she” and “they.”
She’s been performing here for 10 years, but her career dates back to 2002.
“We are artists — I consider myself an artist. This is an art. Not everybody (can do [drag]),” she said.
Her business card includes a picture of her as Jenny Rivera, the regional Mexicana singer known as “La Diva de la Banda,” who died in 2012 when her airplane crashed.
On stage, she said, songs like “La Gran Señora” and “Se las Voy a Dar a Otro” are the most requested.
Sitting next to her, Michelle Zamarripa, 38, from Ciudad Juárez, put on a pair of tight-fitting black pants to look like Mexican singer María José. She also performs as Mexican actress Mariana Seoane.
Byby Jones (left) is helped into a dress by Michelle Zamarripa in a shed where performers…
Byby Jones (left) is helped into a dress by Michelle Zamarripa in a shed where performers get ready at Kaliente along Maple Avenue in Dallas on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
“We are all immigrants, and we have to get by in some way or another. But we pay taxes as anybody else. So, for me, it’s a job. Working in a restaurant is dignified money. We pay taxes each time I buy something I need for my show, each time I buy makeup, wigs,” Zamarripa said.
Jones, who for a time lived in Denver, Colorado, and performs in Arkansas, New Mexico and other states, said Latino audiences in Texas are more supportive of her work.
“People feel very comfortable coming to a gay bar and feeling free from being judged or called out, because at the end of the day everyone comes for the same thing, which is having fun.”
Byby Jones performs as Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal in a show at Kaliente along Maple Avenue…
Byby Jones performs as Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal in a show at Kaliente along Maple Avenue in Dallas on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
Minutes after 11 p.m. Wednesday, Jones was lip-synching “La Gata Bajo la Lluvia” as the audience at Kaliente Bar sang along. A mirror disco bar on the ceiling created an explosion of light on her dress’ sequins.
Gradually, dollar bills filled her neckline. Jones, dressed as Rocío Dúrcal, embraced men and women who extended their arms trying to take photos with her as she sang more Durcal songs.
“What I like the most is people appreciating me and valuing my work,” she said before going on stage for another act.