Miss Conception hasn’t received a cease and desist letter yet.
The self proclaimed female “delusionist” is bringing her unique Disney themed show to Village Pub on Sunday, April 19 and it’s safe to say Walt Disney never could have imagined his iconic characters portrayed quite the way she does.
In the course of an hour performance, Miss Conception, the alter ego of Canadian Kevin Levesque, transforms herself into Maleficent, Snow White, Cruella DeVille, Mary Poppins and more, thanks to elaborately layered costumes. And she sings all those memorable Disney songs, with a few new lyrics added, of course.
“My friend who works at Disney approved (the show),” he said from Toronto with a slight chuckle, but doubted the media giant would bother with his naughty parodies.
On Tuesday, April 21, she will perform her “Broadway Baby” show, this time performing vignettes from “Annie,” “The Sound of Music,” “Chicago,” “A Chorus Line” and “The Lion King,” again incorporating her split second, onstage costume transformations.
The shows at Village Pub mark Miss Conception’s first appearances in South Florida. For the past four years, the performer has been traveling across Canada, the United States and Mexico. While Florida’s tropical climes are always an attraction to Canadians, she was most recently performing for three months in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Levesque has several indirect ties to the region, though. He was particularly close with Scott Weston, who performed as the drag magician Cashetta and passed away unexpectedly in Mexico a month ago. Levesque planned Weston’s memorial service there. He has also performed with popular singer Amy Armstrong and her pianist Freddy Allen.
Like many drag performers, Levesque got an early start.
“I was dancing around the house and singing to girl songs,” he recalled.
After studying musical theater and dance at Cawthra Park High School for the Performing Arts outside Toronto, he made the decision at the age of 19 to pursue a professional career and for the last four years has made drag his full time job.
“It’s tough enough to come out as gay, but to come of the closet as someone who performs dressed as a woman is harder,” he said.
Unlike many, Levesque had the full support of his family. His parents even travel to Mexico to see his shows.
“Oh, they’re big fans,” he said of his mother, father and two sisters.
He is also quick to point out that there is nothing to be embarrassed about being a female impersonator.
“What’s the difference between a gay man who dresses like a woman and sings and some straight actor who plays the mother in ‘Hairspray’?” Levesque asked.
“My show is really cabaret anyway,” he pointed out, noting the differences with performing in a large, noisy nightclub. “People are paying to see my show.”
Miss Conception has performed with Leslie Jordan (“Will & Grace”) and opened for Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland. She has headlined her own show at Second City in Toronto and appeared on “Queer as Folk,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and even competed on an episode of “Wipeout Canada.”
Her mantra is to “take the world by storm or take their heels,” and that storm is headed to South Florida.
Miss Conception presents “The Wonderful World of Miss Conception” on Sunday, April 19 at 9:30 p.m. and “Broadway Baby” on Tuesday, April 21 at 10 p.m. at Village Pub, 2283 Wilton Dr. in Wilton Manors. Both performances are free. For more information, go to VillagePubWM.com.
