Wang Newton Explained
Wang Newton (born Mei-yin) is a professional drag king and Asian LGBT figure whilst running "Wang TV" on YouTube.[1] [2] They were featured in a 2021 New York Times article by Frank DeCaro profiling notable American drag kings.[3] Performing since 2004, "Dr. Wang" is one of the few full-time drag king performers with an international profile.[4] Their name is a reference to Las Vegas singer Wayne Newton.[5]
Early life
Wang was born in Taiwan but grew up in midwest America, mostly in central Pennsylvania. Inspired by RuPaul's Drag Race, Wang started to explore her masculinity before starting to perform as a drag king at friend's parties making a debut on Halloween night in Philadelphia.[6]
Career
Wang does shows internationally most notably in Taiwan, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York City.[7] Starting in 2020, Wang Newton co-produced an online monthly performance series called Sacred Wounds featuring Asian drag artists.[8] In December 2020, Wang Newton participated in an advocacy campaign called #DragForAllFlavors that was organized by PepsiCo sparkling water brand bubly and the LGBTQ+ elder services organization SAGE.[9]
Wang is represented by the leading Diversity and LGBTQ+ talent agency, LTA INC (Luxe Talent Agency, Inc).
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: The Gap of Asian Representation in King Culture. Castañon. Kelsey. 2019-06-06. POPSUGAR Beauty UK. en-GB. 2019-06-26.
- Web site: Meet Culture-Fucking Drag King Wang Newton. NSFW. en-US. 2019-06-26.
- News: DeCaro . Frank . Drag Kings Are Ready to Rule . The New York Times . 4 March 2021.
- Web site: Factora . James . 2022-06-06 . It's Time for RuPaul to Finally Cast Drag Kings . https://web.archive.org/web/20220726180551/https://www.vice.com/en/article/epzg4j/its-time-for-rupaul-to-finally-cast-drag-kings . 2022-07-26 . 2022-07-26 . www.vice.com . en.
- Web site: 2023-12-07 . Stories & Insights: Meet Wang Newton . 2024-02-07 . CanvasRebel Magazine . en-US.
- Web site: The Best Places To See A Drag Show In NYC, According To The Queens (& Kings!). Cortés. Michelle Santiago. www.refinery29.com. en. 2019-06-26.
- Web site: Groundbreaking drag artists who aren't RuPaul. Dazed. 2017-11-14. Dazed. en. 2019-06-26.
- Web site: #DragForAll Flavors Crack a Smile with Wang Newton . www.pride.com . en . 10 December 2020.
- bubly™ Partners With SAGE And New York City Drag Talent To Slay The Holidays - Bringing Holiday Cheer As Well As Critical Resources To New York City's LGBTQ+ Community . www.prnewswire.com . en.