Werque Podcast

Luis has a conversation with Dutch directors Ester and Reijer of the 2016 documentary "Strike a Pose" They talk about the inspiration and process behind making the film, and reveal what they learned along the way.

She's a force to be reckoned with: Singer, Actor, Writer, Producer, Teacher and Vodcaster.A Philadelphia native, Kathy made her Broadway debut in the original cast of FOOTLOOSE and later created the role of Shen Shen in the smash Broadway hit WICKED!!We talk to her about life on Broadway, her journey to LA and the moment @mattbomer rubbed his face in her “lady area”!She also stars in FATCH COMEDY...a sketch comedy team comprised of fat writers and actors whose mission is to increase the visibility of people of size in the entertainment industry. Also the co-creator of PLUS THIS! SHOW, a weekly vodcast on UBN GO that highlights fat women & non-binary folx and their allies. IG @ladeitche & @PlusThisShow

Abdi Nazemian is an Iranian-American author, screenwriter, producer, husband and dad whose debut novel The Walk-In Closet won the Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction at the 27th Lambda Literary Awards in 2015. On this episode we speak to him about his third novel, Like A Love Story, a beautiful love letter to queer history, ACT UP and the ultimate icon...Madonna!! It was released in June, 2019 and received a Stonewall Honor and a nomination for the Audie Awards. It was also chosen as a best book of the year by Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, Audible, and YALSA, among others.Listen in, as we talk about his roots, his connection to Madonna and his inspiring journey of self realization and the courage to be one's true self.Find him and his book, online at www.abdaddy.com

During California's "Stay at home" order, Palm Springs local favorite restaurant, Eight4Nine, developed "Good Deed Friday" sending boxed lunches to local urgent care facilities and ER rooms across the Coachella Valley.  Luis talks with owners, Willie Rhine and John Paschal to discover what inspired this idea.

This is a special interview with actress Debi Mazar, done after she recovered from Covid-19. Listen as she describes her experience with the virus and how it affected both her and her family. Debi also takes us on a journey from her early days in upstate NY, gaining street credit with the "queens" at the pier, the moment she met her friend Madonna and her road to Hollywood where she has worked with directing greats such as Spike Lee, Michael Mann and Martin Scorsese!Her story is about courage, determination, self-knowledge and love!!Her current project is called Arde Madrid, where she plays the legendary Ava Gardner during her wild stay in Madrid in the early 1960s.It debuts May 5th on MHz ChoiceYou can watch the trailer here:https://youtu.be/KfhMQ1vQekAwww.werquedanceclass.com 

Oscar Quintero is an actor, writer, producer, Tupperware Diva and alter-ego to Kay Sedia, International Model from Tijuana. Kim and Luis chat with Oscar about growing up one of six kids in Hacienda Heights, a suburb of Los Angeles, working at a supermarket seafood counter (and being invited to leave because of his drug use), getting clean, creating his drag alter-ego, Kay Sedia for the show/fundraiser, "Quest for the Crown" (which would eventually become "Best in Drag Show"), meeting Mr. Dan, owner of Dragstrip 66 and their seven year collaboration, creating and performing in the long-running underground hit, "Chico's Angels", a latin drag queen version of "Charlie's Angels", plus his many acting and producing projects, raising a son, and how he came to slay the Tupperware game. 

Sandra Bernhard is a comedian, actress, singer and provocateur. Luis and Kim caught up with her in her dressing room before her Valentine's Day show to talk about her 40+ year career of letting the children have it, including, her start in stand-up while working as a manicurist by day, being mentored by Paul Mooney, becoming a cast member on the short-lived but legendary Richard Pryor Show, her 30 appearances on the Letterman show, creating her beloved one-woman show, "Without You I'm Nothing" (and why she wouldn't do it today), and her current role as nurse Judy Kubrak on Pose.

Today we're joined by Marcellas Reynolds, a true renaissance man and the author of Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion, a stunning collection of photos and essays that pays tribute to black models over the past 60 years, including editorials, magazine covers and ground breaking ad campaigns.We talk about the challenges of growing up gay on Chicago's South Side, his early fashion icons: his mother and grandmother, being discovered while waiting tables and modeling for designers Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica. We talk about his transition into styling, followed by entertainment reporting and acting and how Supreme Models became his passion project and a labor of love eight years in the making.

Known as the Cuban Missile Crisis of Burlesque, Tito Bonito is an international and award-winning performer, host, instructor, producer, graphic designer and editor.This Miami, Florida native moved to Chicago, in 2005, where he fell in love with theatre and the resurgence of burlesque as an empowering, body-positive movement.We talk to him about his family’s approval, his penchant for pulling his pants down as a young boy and his journey to become an acclaimed male burlesque performer, in a female dominated art form. A little bit of naughty is a little bit niceHe's a whole lot of glam, sweat, sugar, sex, spiceIt’s Burlesque…Tito Bonito style! 

Krystal Smith is a comedian, actress and YouTube personality with over 100,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel, Krissychula. Known for her acerbic rants on everything from the McDonald's ice cream machine to her co-workers and neighbors, her videos regularly amass hundreds of thousands of views from fans who appreciate her ability to turn her annoyance into high comedy. Some of her most popular videos include: "Microwaving Fish at Work is Personality Defect" (603K views), "Don't Tell Me To Shut Up" (388K), and "Pissed at My Hair" (349K). But the video that broke the internet (5.7 million views and counting) was "It's Hot as Hell." Krissy's whole mood about... it being hot as Hell was shared everywhere, around the world, landing on HuffPost, Buzzfeed and The Talk. We talk to Krissy about the facts and myths behind going viral, what really drives someone to make funny YouTube videos, the perks, and the sometimes collateral damage of being 'internet famous.'Send your questions to: ask_krissy@yahoo.com Patreon acct : https://www.patreon.com/KrissychulaCash app: $krissy214 Tumblr: thekrissychula Twitter: thekrissychula IG: krissychulaQuestions for Luis & Kim? werquepodcast@gmail.comThis podcast is sponsored by: www.oscarspalmsprings.comWerque Podcast is produced by: www.1MinuteReel.com 

@jeffreylottadrew director, producer and choreographer of @bestindragshow. This actor/dancer, with more than 25 musicals to his credit and former Miss Nevada, winner of Battle for the Tiara as Lotta Slots, has a wonderful story about survival and breakthrough!We talk about growing up in the shadow of his (golden child) twin brother, hustling at age 13, becoming a performer and his current love, casting actors, as associate casting director at Patrick Rush Casting.

Gregory Butler a.k.a. ‘The Body of Broadway’, has staged productions of Chicago, The Musical in Denmark in Moscow, Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S., as well as, restaged productions of the show for television, including Dancing With the Stars, and major awards shows (Tony Awards, Bambi Awards) as associate choreographer for 15 years and counting. As associate choreographer, he has helped stars like Brandy, Usher, Patti LaBelle, Patrick Swayze and Melanie Griffith bring their characters to life. We talk about entering dance through a side door by taking Kung Fu, (which was considered more acceptable), the traumatic event that happened to him at 9; getting accepted - and then asked to leave - The Julliard School and the lifelong work of building yourself into the person you were always meant to be.This episode was produced and edited by David Neuendorff.Follow us in IG: @werquepodcastTwitter: @werquepodcastOur email is: werquepodcast@gmail.comFollow Greg Butler on IG: @gkbut

Jack Lorenz, like so many of us, graduated from college with no idea what he wanted to do with his life. While working as a bartender, a customer asked him to handle the finances for a new production company. This turned out to be the beginning of a career making movies; overseeing production at major studios like Sony and Universal, until he was called to work in the field of social justice.  Jack spent 12 years as the Executive Director of the Gatekeeper Foundation, and four years as Director of Programs and Development at Equality California. He is now at The Alliance For Housing and Healing as Director of Development and Communications. The Alliance For Housing and Healing provides the basic necessities of life to men, women, children, and families living with HIV/AIDS through a safety net of essential housing and direct supportive services.  We talk about finding his life’s work and the crucial need for services like this with the homeless population in California.

Curl up with a cup of cocoa for our Christmas Kiki episode. We talk about our favorite holiday movies and songs, our most memorable Christmases, Puerto Rican/‘American’ style Christmas mash up and how we get down with old Saint Nick. Sit down for our season 1 finale and get into a few of our favorite things. Kevin's Most Epic Christmas Playlist 2019:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/62PqjTa6eaDfQxSaz1mOWk?si=EmBZptuqS9O3wMPY4viFSg Kevin's Most Epic Christmas Playlist 2018:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Qf8lTFkJdGdkcP1sB1z3O?si=ybZRskcSR4ihVT4bAdWxLA  

Vincent Castellanos was born in Havana, Cuba, where he was raised by his grandparents and surrounded by a loving family. His world was turned upside down when he came to the U.S. as a child, to live with his parents. Left alone while his parents worked, he would ‘call’ people on the phone, having conversations with the characters from his imagination. Eventually he found dance, then acting, landing guest star parts on NYPD Blue, Six Feet Under, Twin Peak and other TV shows, as well as, the role of Mateo in “Anaconda” with Jon Voight, who inspired him to become an actor and Jennifer Lopez, who became a good friend. We talk about his 30 year career in entertainment as an actor, writer, director, how at the age of 50 he decided to go back to school to earn his certificate in Interpreting and Translation, and the unexpected joys of second acts.

Kevin Stea has been a professional dancer for an incredible 3 decades - a fact made even more incredible by the fact that he took his first dance class at 17. Just 18 months later he was hired as a dancer and associate choreographer on Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour. We talk about Luis and Kevin’s mutual fascination when they first met, his admiration for Vince Patterson, working with artists like Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, recording music as his alter ego ‘That Rogue Romeo’, acting (including making cult-movie history with Showgirls), and reconnecting with his father and traveling with him to China to trace his roots. “City of Glass” by That Rogue Romeo aka Kevin Stea This episode of Werque was produced and edited by David NeuendorffTheme song “La Selva” by Eddie XFollow us on Instagram and Twitter @werquepodcastWe love hearing from you! Shoot us your questions or comments at: werquepodcast@gmail.comwerquepodcast.com

Anil Patel is a multi-hyphenate with with two major roles that might seem unlikely on the surface - Director of Operations for Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party Palm Springs, the signature event of Sanker’s White Party Entertainment, which has evolved into the nation’s largest gay dance music festival, attracting more than 30,000 attendees - while also serving as the Alumni Chair and Spiritual Advisor at La Fuente Hollywood Treatment Center. We talk about his first career in fitness, his own journey through addiction and recovery (including dealing, which landed him in jail and estranged from his family), rebuilding his life, reconnecting with his family, the joy of being Uncle Anil, and the birth of his alter-ego, Chanelta.This episode of Werque was produced and edited by David NeuendorffTheme song “La Selva” by Eddie XFollow us on Instagram and Twitter @werquepodcastWe love hearing from you! Send your questions or comments to:werquepodcast@gmail.com and sign up for our newsletter for all the latest.werquepodcast.com

Victor De Jesus is a television writer with credits that include Criminal Minds and 3 years as a staff writer on Third Watch. We talk about what it’s like being a Latinx writer in Hollywood, his very first job in entertainment at Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule, working in production on projects like Malcolm X, Jungle Fever and I Like it Like That, plus  the importance of collaboration and being a mentor to young writers of color who want to break in.Follow Victor on Instagram @frugalvic This episode of Werque was produced and edited by David NeuendorffTheme song “La Selva” by Eddie XFollow us on Instagram and Twitter @werquepodcastWe love hearing from you! Shoot us your questions or comments at: werquepodcast@gmail.comwerquepodcast.com

Carlton Wilborn began his career in Chicago as a principal dancer with the Hubbard Street Dance Company.  Carlton made the move to L.A. where he was hired on Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour. We talk about dancing as ‘the pillar of strength’ on two Madonna tours - Blond Ambition and The Girlie Show (and which was his favorite), making the transition to acting, his work as a life coach and mending fences with his father.

Kenna Ramsey is a vocalist, actress and voice over artist who has toured with Vintage Trouble, Ghost Hounds, John Mayer and Michael Poinareff; her musical theater credits include “RENT” “Caroline or Change”, “The Lion King”,  and “The Who’s Tommy” as the Acid Queen. We talk about her early career as a cast member at Disney World and Universal Studios, the risks and rewards of breaking out of a steady paying gig, traveling with ‘the band’ (sometimes as the only girl) and what it feels like being about that private jet life.

Boo! We get into the Halloween spirit and share some of our favorite Halloween movies, favorite costumes and costume fails, east coast vs. west coast trick or treating, our picks for the best Halloween candy, our best kid Halloween memories and how we feel about Candy Corn.

Kim and Luis continue their conversation with the infamous Niki Haris. We finally talk about the Blonde Ambition tour and Niki's feelings around that tour.  What meeting Luis was like, and the journey working with Madonna and making beautiful music with fellow backup dancer/singer, Donna De Lory (plus, she SANGS).

We’re joined by the legendary Niki Haris. The daughter of Grammy nominated Jazz pianist Gene Harris, Niki grew up with dreams of being a history teacher (amazingly, she didn’t know she could sing) until her side-hustle singing gigs turned into a full-time career. We talk about the early days, including singing and dancing at Disneyland, her thoughts about “20 Feet From Stardom” and the audition that would turn into a 14 year adventure making Pop Music history.

Jason Rogel is known for stealing scenes all up on tv and movie screens, with recurring roles on Raven’s Homecoming and Bosch, featured parts on Community, The Office, This is Us and Lady Dynamite and in the movies, With This Ring and The Tall Girl (now streaming on Netflix) We talk about being a gay, fluffy filipino actor in the Hollywoods, stereotypical asian roles, the importance of visibility and the advantages of being a ‘character actor’.

Artist Sonja Marie is a writer, Astrological Intuit and creator of ‘Wordlife Astrology’, conducting readings that incorporate communication with spirit guides, western astrology and tarot. We talk about how journaling helped her survive her childhood in Yonkers where she always felt “different”, getting signed, then dropped by LaFace records, finding a mentor in astrology and reinventing herself, eventually becoming the regular horoscope columnist for Essence Magazine.

Bryan Rabin is  nightlife icon who has been throwing some of the most legendary parties in L.A. for almost three decades. His latest Saturday night soiree, Giorgio’s Disco (with partner, DJ Adam Bravin) just celebrated 6 years of fabulousness (the Carters have been known to pop in). We talk about how his early life as a professional ice skater led him to L.A. and the underground club scene; his first club (with his love, Jimmy Medina) in an old hollywood costume house, and the many fun filled nights that followed at clubs, Prague, Cherry, Diamond Dogs and, Giorgio’s, plus his new life as a movie producer and bringing his passion project, Freak Show, the novel by James St. James, to the screen.

Manny Rodriguez is the director and CEO of La Fuente Treatment Center, an LGBTQ specific inpatient alcohol and drug rehab center in Los Angeles. We talk about his early life in Paterson New Jersey, as the 10th child (of 11) born to a Pentecostal preacher, how discovering dance changed the course of his life - gaining him acceptance into The Juilliard School, followed by the prestigious Paul Taylor dance company, where he struggled to overcome addiction and self doubt; his move to L.A. where he partnered with his childhood friend Eddie Irizarry (Xtravaganza) to promote clubs The Temple and Pump and how his journey to sobriety led to the creation of La Fuente.  Manny also reflects on his time with the House of Xtravaganza and reminds Luis of their first encounter.

Hector Franco is in da house!!A wardrobe stylist, designer and performance artist, we talk to Hector about about growing up surrounded by wigs (his mom was a custom-wig maker to the stars), wearing wigs and snatching wigs as a member of the House of Xtravaganza!! Hector will tell us all about his altar ego Kiki Xtravaganza how this alter-ego was created, and she's all about spreading joy in and around the night clubs of West Hollywood and Los Angeles!Join us as we have a kiki…with Kiki!!!

Luis and Kim talk with Eddie Irrzarry - Xtravaganza.  Famously known as: DJ Eddie X, his life's story is filled with wonderful twists and turns from dancer to club promoter to famous DJ, then a music producer and remixer.  We talk to Eddie about his origins in New Jersey to his participation in the ballroom scene in New York.  He'll tell us what brought him to Los Angeles to open two infamous nightclubs: The Temple and La Selva and why he moved to Miami to open Club Pump.   Eddie has also worked with some of the most famous artists in Dance Club history.  

It’s been almost 30 years since Paris is Burning - the iconic documentary about Harlem ballroom culture - was released. It was re-released into theaters this summer with a new digital restoration supervised by director Jennie Livingston with a national roll-out planned. We sit down with Writer and cultural critic Ernest Hardy, and Quinn Callicott -  Licensed Clinical Social Worker and instructor, about it’s enduring legacy and impact on popular culture.

Luis and Kim take it back and trace Voguing’s early beginnings in the underground ballroom scene - where ball ‘children’ like Willi NInja and Paris Dupree would do battle on the dance floor - to its explosion on the world stage after “Paris is Burning’ was released and a certain boundary-pushing popstar handpicked two dancers from the House of Xtravaganza to be in the video for a little song called “Vogue’.  We talk about how Voguing evolved from that watershed moment into three distinctive styles - and how Luis ain’t about to do death drops.

Luis Camacho & Kim Blackwell explain what “Werque” means and why they thought their regular chat + kiki sessions might just make a good podcast.  Luis talks about his life as a child and how he became a famous dancer. 

Each week, Luis Camacho AKA Luis Xtravaganza and Kim Blackwell share inspiring stories from people ‘werque-ing’ it on daily  - whether it’s on the world stage - or backstage; they center the stories of creatives, entrepreneurs, artists, and more who found their own unique voice and created space for themselves and those who came after them. Follow them at @werquepodcast for all the latest.