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

edit

Wang was born in Taiwan but grew up in midwest America, mostly in central Pennsylvania.[1] 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.[2][6]

Career

edit

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).

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Castañon, Kelsey (2019-06-06). "The Gap of Asian Representation in King Culture". POPSUGAR Beauty UK. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  2. ^ a b "Meet Culture-Fucking Drag King Wang Newton". NSFW. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  3. ^ DeCaro, Frank (4 March 2021). "Drag Kings Are Ready to Rule". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Factora, James (2022-06-06). "It's Time for RuPaul to Finally Cast Drag Kings". www.vice.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  5. ^ "Stories & Insights: Meet Wang Newton". CanvasRebel Magazine. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  6. ^ Cortés, Michelle Santiago. "The Best Places To See A Drag Show In NYC, According To The Queens (& Kings!)". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  7. ^ Dazed (2017-11-14). "Groundbreaking drag artists who aren't RuPaul". Dazed. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  8. ^ "#DragForAll Flavors Crack a Smile with Wang Newton". www.pride.com. 10 December 2020.
  9. ^ "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 (Press release).
edit