Meet the Artist: Resilience and Captivation: Earl Fleming (Grande Duchesse)
Late in Julie, Monster, the title character entertains a secret society of accomplished women. Presiding over the soirée is the Grande Duchesse, who graciously receives the greetings and bows of the ladies.
It’s fitting that this noble figure is played by Earl Fleming, a renowned singer, drag performer, professional makeup artist, beauty consultant, pageant winner, and LGBTQ community advocate with a half-century of service celebrating beauty in all its forms.
Earl emerged in the early 70’s as a nationally acclaimed pioneer in makeup design for women of color. A prolific fashion commentator, Earl founded a traveling troupe, the Fleming & Company Models. Earl’s stage persona, Christmas Snow, is a beloved fixture of Richmond stages and runways. Inspired by beautiful, talented drag queens, Christmas was the mother of the House of Snow, the first African American drag house in Virginia.
Earl is a survivor, having endured the AIDS epidemic, hate crimes, and, recently, a heart and kidney transplant. Given a second chance at life, Earl is dedicated to the beauty industry, philanthropy, and advocacy in the LGBTQ community. All this helps explain why Earl is drawn to Julie, Monster and the proud, elegant Grand Duchesse role.
As Earl explains, the role is a great fit for a performer who knows how to captivate an audience.
Click here for Earl’s explaination
Earl Fleming: I always try to be me. And I love an audience, so when I see them, I put on that extra, extra. I've done a couple of pageants. And, basically, I try to have the best outfit, the best makeup, the best hair. And, basically, I won my pageants with the talent, because I'm a singer. I sing a little jazz and blues, gospel. So, I mean, I guess that is how I control the room.
Our video interview took a surprisingly personal turn when we talked about the resilience of Julie and Earl reflects on the resilience of life.
Earl Fleming: Well, my sister's here, and she doesn't know this, but I was molested as a child by one of my neighbors. And, I mean, I got over that, I'm strong. My grandparents took me to church. I believe in God. I know there's a greater being than I. And, as you know, or you may not know, or Jarene may have told: I had a heart and kidney transplant in 2016. And there were times that I wanted to give up, but I love life too much. So I fought. And learned to walk again, and do all the things that I like. Sing again. I forgot, in 1996, I was beaten and stabbed. And, they told me I would never sing again. I had a collapsed lung. And I fought that too. And, the only thing that I can't do that I use to do, is whistle. And I loved to whistle while I work. But I can't do it, so it's OK. I can still sing, so I'm good with all of that.
I'm writing a book. Yeah, and it's going to be called Life is a Drag. Life is a Drag, and it's going to talk about all the things I've been through: the theater, the fashion shows, the music, the traveling, the pageants, the beatings, the stabbings, the ridicule that I talked about, it's going to be all that. So I can live my life now because I feel free.
Earl Fleming, who played Grande Duchess