Angel LeBare, Forest Park actor, ballroom dancer, drag queen sublime, used to host shows for five years at the late, lamented Oak Park branch of Hamburger Mary’s, but now hosts at the original Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville.
LeBare also hosts events throughout the suburbs and is one of the forces behind the Forest Park Pride Celebration Friday, June 21, that was founded three years ago by Forest Park business owner and resident, Erich Krumrei, LeBare, and their partner, Dan Walsh.
The event includes Pride Drag Performance at 7 p.m. at the Constitution Court in downtown Forest Park, which LeBare, naturally, hosting. The event also includes a retinue of other performers: Fox E. Kim, Andromeda, Alex Kay, Akasha Voyer, Elle Bowz, Britney Taylor, and London BaCall. After the event, an afterparty with additional drag performances will be held at the 2nd floor of the nearby Scratch Public House.
We recently caught up with Angel to discuss their life and career. The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity, style and length.
Reporter: You have been performing drag for how long?
Angel: 15 years.
Reporter: What do you like best about performing drag?
Angel: Things I like most to perform in drag are impersonations or female artists. I like to pay homage to their looks and performance styles. I do impersonations of Dolly Parton, Katy Perry, JLo, Cher, and Pink. I also enjoy doing cosplay and character drag, performing various superheroes, cartoon characters, and Disney characters. I have costumes for almost every Disney Princess, superheroes and villains. Every Halloween my performance troupe does a Hocus Pocus tribute. I play Winnifred.
Reporter: Who were the performers you idolized growing up?
Angel: The Spice Girls, Judy Garland, Charlie’s Angels
Reporter: Who, other than yourself, is your favorite performer?
Angel: Beyonce
Reporter. If you could meet anyone in history, who would you meet and why?
Angel: Judy Garland. I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan.
Reporter: What was the last movie or TV that really touched you?
Angel: I am currently entrenched in watching Bridgerton. The storyline is great and the costuming is sublime.
Reporter: How did you get into performing?
Angel: I have been a performer my whole life. I have always been a natural performer. I have studied theater, music, and dance and am also ballroom instructor and musical theater teacher.
Reporter: So, you were, like, a theater kid growing up?
Angel: I did plays and musicals growing up. Roles I have played outside or drag include Paul in “A Chorus Line,” The Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” Emmett in “Legally Blonde,” Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” The Tin Man and The Lion in “The Wizard of Oz,” The Scarecrow in “The Wiz,” and Skimbleshanks and Munkustrap in “Cats.”
Reporter: How did you get into drag?
Angel: I got into drag when I played the role of Angel in a production of (Jonathan Larson’s iconic musical) RENT. Side note: Angel is an ambiguous character in RENT who some believe is a drag queen, others a transgender woman, and others read as genderfluid; the author never specified. The piece itself is incredible, and I felt honored to be able to be a part of telling that story. The performance as Angel inspired my drag career and will always hold a very special place in my heart.
While performing as Angel, I entered a local drag competition and won. That led to competing the following month. I continued to win, which led to me being offered a host position. While performing there, various other venues approached me about performing for them and things just sort of took off.
Reporter: Where have you performed?
Angel: I have performed extensively throughout the Chicagoland area, I was a hostess at the Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville for 8 years and the Oak Park location for 5 years. I’ve also performed at every other performance venue in Chicago’s Boystown, as well as The Office in Rockford, LaCage in Milwaukee, and Club Icon in Kenosha. I have also performed at venues in New York, Texas, Florida, and Hawaii.
Reporter: How long does it take you to get ready for a show?
Angel: It really depends on the look I am doing and how extensive the make-up and/or costuming is. Generally, about 2 hours.
Reporter: Do you become someone different when you become Angel, or is Angel just another side of your real life personality?
Angel: Angel is absolutely an extension of me, Angel is a very extroverted version of me.
Reporter: What do you like to do when you are not on stage?
Angel: I like to play video games and enjoy time with my partner and pets. I have two Pomeranians, a Shiba Inu, and two Persian cats.
Reporter: Are you developing something special for the show in Forest Park in June?
Angel: I have created three new looks for the Forest Park Pride Performance and the after party at Scratch Public House. I am looking forward to presenting them.
Reporter: This is not your first Pride event in Forest Park. What is it about this event that keeps you coming back?
Angel: This has been a project my partner and I helped to build and create from the ground up three years ago and we are very proud and honored of what we have built and hope everyone will join us. Our first year was a trial, setting up the event with the village. It went well, so the next year we added some elements and this year we are adding more. The community really seems to love it so that is why it has continued into year three.
Reporter: What does Pride mean to you?
Angel: Loving who you are and striving to be the best person you can be.
Reporter: What does Pride mean in Forest Park?
Angel: I can only speak for what Pride means to me, but I would assume the feelings would be similar for the village of Forest Park — Pride in oneself and pride in the community.
Reporter: As a Forest Parker, do you find the community welcoming? A good place to live? Open to the LBGTQIA+ community?
Angel: Yes, I do. I have been a part of various Pride events in Forest Park, Oak Park and Berwyn, and have always felt that the general populace is welcoming and inclusive.
Reporter: How do you create energy and a sense of community in your shows? Or is it just something you have always been able to do?
Angel: I don’t really think about it to be honest. Once the show starts it just sort of naturally happens. I am a people person and I try to make everyone at my shows feel welcome and a part of it.