May 3, 2026, I went to see the play “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” at the Near West Theater. Near West is a very LGBT centric community theater in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood.
I bring up the only Jamie song off the top of my head. I always enjoyed Van Halen. More of a Sammy person than a David Lee fan. I feel musically the band was much better with Sammy, but they rarely disappointed. This was obviously a very dysfunctional band (like many) often times getting in the way of their own success. Despite my preference for Sammy, I will say, “I’ll Wait”, off the 1984 album, is my very favorite Van Halen song. Jamie’s Cryin’ was off the band debut album and is a gem itself. My preference for hard rock is based in well crafted melodic songs. As such I like bands like Van Halen, Alice in Chains, AC/DC and not so much bands like Iron Maiden and the like. That’s me.
Maybe never have I named a post more appropriately. I probably should have named it “Jamie/Cryin'”. This story was also a movie a few years back (I posted about seeing it here).
The musical centers on Jamie New, a teenager living on a council estate in Sheffield, who dreams of performing as a drag queen. At school, Jamie faces teasing and bullying for his sexuality, but he is determined to express his true self. His supportive mother, Margaret, and best friend, Pritti, encourage him to pursue his dreams despite societal pressures and the disapproval of some teachers and classmates.
Jamie’s journey begins when he receives a pair of red stilettos for his 16th birthday, symbolizing his first steps toward self-expression. He practices wearing them at home and gradually gains confidence to show his identity publicly. At school, he faces Dean, a bully, but with Pritti’s encouragement, he decides to attend prom in drag, embracing his persona, Mimi Me. Near West’s production was flawless, off-Broadway level.
On top of all of that, I went on a solo flight. Grabbed an aisle seat and a poor woman purchased the seat next door. Anne was amazing! She is a general physician at a nearby neighborhood clinic for those without the resources for health care. It was as if we came together. We chatted before and after and during. Both of us were weeping at so many poignant parts of the play. Jamie….cryin’… I was still crying on my way home.
An afternoon VERY well spent! Got some love on the outfit, I’ll take that…
I was very pleased with my outfit. Much less so with my mug. Just being honest, I am looking older and older every time out. Good lighting is my enemy. Distance is my friend. My skin is now looking every bit the 80-year-old I am (oh wait, I am not but look like I am). I should be required to go out only in total darkness. My days of being proud of my presentation are dwindling to a precious few. 2026 is the year of living the delusion of looking okay…
I have been given a gift. That gift is Kandi. I have very little to do with her, she seems to take over me and exudes a beauty and grace I never knew existed in me. I love her truly and am so proud that she is me!
“As a crossdresser, I feel extremely lucky. My life would be soooo boring without my Julie side. I don’t really enjoy the things that average dudes do – golf, video games and fantasy football are all of zero interest to me.
Back when I was in the closet, it was really hard.
I had almost zero friends, probably because all my spare time was spent dressing in private.
Once I started going out, I was able to find the type of friends I always wanted and my social life exploded. It was like a complete reboot to my life.
All the pictures of this post are from the same night. I got to St Louis a day early for the ShowMe Burlesque Festival. Gina, who I know from Paint the Town, randomly posted on Facebook that she was in St Louis for business and was looking for someone to hang out with on this one night. It was an amazing coincidence that we were both visiting St Louis and free on the same night. We met up at a drag show at this place called Prism. The first set of pics, was while I waited for my Uber. They also had a nice outdoor space where we played bags (aka corn hole) – my first time playing bags in heels. That area of St Louis is called The Grove and has tons of nightlife options – including several gay bars.”
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