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Latrice Royale: On A Water Break with
125 Plays1 day ago
Before the world knew Latrice Royale from RuPaul’s Drag Race, she was spinning with Alliance of Miami Winter Guard, performing in the legendary Hotel California show and learning what it means to put her heart on the floor.
In this special edition of On A Water Break With…, Latrice sits down with Ricardo Robinson-Shinall and Jeremy Williams to share how her marching-arts roots shaped everything that came after — the discipline, the storytelling, and the confidence that fueled her rise as a performer and drag icon.
From unforgettable Alliance memories and the hilarious “1900s” moment to finding belonging, artistry, and self-expression through color guard, this conversation celebrates how the activity continues to inspire lives far beyond the gym floor.
Latrice also talks about returning to WGI with AMP Winter Guard, connecting with a new generation of performers, and how those early lessons still drive her work on stages around the world.
💼 Presented by Guard Closet — Pre-Loved & Custom Marching Arts Gear
guardcloset.com | IG @guardcloset
👑 Guest
Latrice Royale | IG @latriceroyale | latriceroyale.com
🎙 Hosts
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall – IG @ricardorrobinson
Jeremy Williams – Executive Producer, On A Water Break Podcast
📢 Find On A Water Break
🌐 onawaterbreakpodcast.com
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📩 onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com
📱 IG/FB/TikTok @onawaterbreak
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Transcript
Introduction and Special Guest
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone, and welcome back to on A Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about at rehearsal on a water break. This episode is our biggest yet. We are joined by icon, entertainer, and color off the mess and go. Welcome to On a Water Break.
00:00:29
Speaker
podcast where we talk everything marching arts.
00:00:34
Speaker
Everyone, bring it. It's time for a water break. Hey, everyone. It's Ricardo, and we're here with our guests to hang out, chat, and break down what's happening in the marching arts.
00:00:46
Speaker
This episode, let me tell you people, is a special one. We are welcoming the chunky but funky Latrice Royale. Oh, y'all, listen, long before the world knew her for RuPaul's Drag Race, she was performing with the Alliance of Miami Winter Guard, including their iconic Hotel California show.
00:01:08
Speaker
You know, a show that changed many of our lives.
Latrice Royale's Influence and Inspiration
00:01:11
Speaker
That experience and the artistry of Guard itself has always been a part of her story and the way she commands the stage, including...
00:01:19
Speaker
bringing drag to the RuPaul's Drag Race stage. That would be kind of dumb. But she brought Color Guard to the RuPaul's Drag Race stage. you know And speaking of connections, ah Jeremy is here too. He was just spending time with the trees at the WGI Championships while Ant was performing their i iconic disco show up in the sponsor suite with Shode Designs and the lovely Lutton.
00:01:45
Speaker
Bobby Brittle, who wanted to be here tonight. But of course, she got banned, girl. She got She got banned. I'm so upset. I'm so upset. But I'm really excited. This is like one of my like big moments, too. And actually, it's weird because...
00:02:03
Speaker
I actually knew of Latrice before the drag race thing because of this show and this iconic show, the hotel California news show, which I'm sure we will talk about in very much detail. I hope, I hope, I hope, cause I have so many questions, but, um,
00:02:19
Speaker
It like literally inspired me ah to create a show that I did many years ago with the Springfield High School where I took Clue and I put it kind of with the idea of the Alliance of Miami
Personal Connections and Impact
00:02:30
Speaker
show. For those who know Hotel California, I just like shared it.
00:02:33
Speaker
We're going to break that down maybe a little bit with Latrice too. but It's a little creepy. I'm sorry. It's a little stalkery. Maybe it's just a little. But um I'm so excited to do this. I was so excited to like hang out in the WGI booth and watch like championships you know in that space with Latrice and get to know i get to know her and a little bit more.
00:02:54
Speaker
So I'm just really excited that that you're here. So welcome. Welcome to our podcast. Don't even touch me. Don't even try to play Jeremy, because I'm going to go ahead and hashtag expose you right here. So we were all hanging out in the WGI booth. And now, mind you, Latrice and I have crossed paths many, many times over the years, like before Drag Race and all this other stuff.
00:03:15
Speaker
being a florida girl and all this other stuff but we're up in the booth just cackalacking having a good time just kiki in and jimmy's like go get latrice to be on the show go get and i was like girl latrice is in color guard world right now she is enjoying herself we not gonna bother her right now we just go sit up here and have a good time and that is what we did when and and her best friend, Tim. And it was just a good old grand cackleack of a time, honey.
00:03:47
Speaker
But, you know, so I'm going to go ahead and move on into this. So today we are joined by someone whom we all love and adore so much in the color guard world. First, we got to meet her in the Alliance of Miami, iconic color guard show, Hotel California.
00:04:06
Speaker
But now she is So, so much more. Please welcome to Auto Water Break, RuPaul's Drag Race icon and international entertainer, Latrice Royale.
00:04:20
Speaker
Well, hi. Hi, hi, hi, hi. Hi, girlie. Hi, boy. hard worry um How are you, sis? I am blessed and highly flavored.
00:04:34
Speaker
ah Girl, I am highly flavored, okay? I'm giving all salt, pepper, oregano, varsity, honey, marinated. You know it's juicy.
00:04:45
Speaker
but the bone yeah You know what else you are too, honey? As the kids say, honey, you are blessed and booked. okay That is facts. That is facts. Yes, indeed.
00:04:55
Speaker
Latrice, we have been trying to get you on the podcast forever. And the last couple of weeks, we and I have been back and forth with trying to schedule this out. And it's so funny because, you know, you are an iconic, ah legendary legend and the drag world. But you, to us in the color guard world, have always been a legendary
From Color Guard to Drag Performance
00:05:15
Speaker
legend.
00:05:15
Speaker
but And so I would like to dive into this. We do a segment on this show called the 32 count life story. And what happens is we're going to give you 32 counts off of the Met to tell us everything from the beginning of your journey to this moment where we are right now in this recording.
00:05:37
Speaker
Of my whole life or the color. Yeah, girl. Your whole life. We were home. You life. You set me up to fail. Just set me up right off. yeah rec First rep. First rep's got to be done in the first rep.
00:05:51
Speaker
This is just like a pageant. Rigged. are
00:05:57
Speaker
but
00:06:00
Speaker
No, we don't bring things in the marching heart. We are fair adjudicators. Oh, honey. Oh, the politics of it all, of
00:06:16
Speaker
The shade. Okay. So now listen, I know that the metronome gives us a little bit of um phobia and remembering our days of marching, but I think that you can do this in 32 counts. And if you go over 32 counts, you know what?
00:06:31
Speaker
I'm okay with it. I got you. um I think I can do this. I can do i i think I can do this because you know what? I've been telling my story for a long time, and I think I can give you the cliff notes.
00:06:43
Speaker
So here we go. Let's see how they turn out. this is rock the driver right like Now you go back out into every other interview, and you know what? I can't do it in 32 counts. Now I know I can.
00:06:56
Speaker
All right, Latrice, you ready to do this, girl? 5, 6, 7, 8, me, and let me know. Okay, 6, 7, 8, go one. Here we go. Jeremy Q, the metronome in... From Compton, California, i got into the arts in middle school, started doing color guard, got outed, moved to Wisconsin to march sundown as of the guards because I needed a safe haven and that was my safe haven.
00:07:16
Speaker
And then I marched there, blue stars, moved from there to Florida to be in the alliance of Miami, stayed there, was only supposed to be there for two years, started doing drag as I was aging out because I needed another outlet for performance.
00:07:28
Speaker
And then I got famous on Drag Race and still wanted to do Color Guard. And so I incorporated that too. And so here I am now. And I'm an international world-renowned superstar.
00:07:38
Speaker
Yeah!
00:07:43
Speaker
Did I do it? You did, girl. And you just hung over just and like any good flag phrase would. Like, know mean? Like, it just finishes out with the fat. And an Emmy and I don't want.
00:07:53
Speaker
Uh-huh. There was a retardando in the news. I can't have to listen to that. This was a thing over.
00:08:05
Speaker
Oh my goodness. you know So, you know, here's the fun part of this. I had no idea that you marched all of these other places first, like blue stars, sundowners. Like, tell me about those days.
00:08:16
Speaker
I didn't tell you about Magic of Orlando. Yeah, I marched Magic too 91. That was my first. Oh, Magic of Orlando. Yeah. God bless the dead. Yes, I did.
00:08:28
Speaker
but
00:08:33
Speaker
Y'all know I ain't got those this soa yeah no know. I don't got no sense. Y'all brought me on here talking about these people. Okay, look. So... Listen, it's late night on a water break. That's okay, too. We don't know what's in this cup. We don't know what's in this cup. Wow. Jesus. So, yeah yeah, I did leave that out.
00:08:54
Speaker
And that was an accident. But, you know, we all don't need to relive our trauma all a lot of it, you know. But... So we're changing this episode of On a Water Break to trauma bonding with Patrice Royale.
00:09:09
Speaker
Maybe. We're going to block the crossover with that, so let's not even get started. That's a whole crossover episode. Just saying. but
00:09:21
Speaker
Y'all laughing because it's true y'all now. Yeah. Sundowners, Blue Stars, Magic of Orlando. You did Color Guard in all three of those groups? I did.
00:09:32
Speaker
Girl, give me my story. I need ECT. see So my very first drum corps experience was Magic 91. Okay. okay Yeah. So i was i said was that that was the second version of Fantasia.
00:09:47
Speaker
That didn't work out. Mistake.
00:09:57
Speaker
okay um We did that and um I ah went back home to California. i was teaching my old high school guard.
00:10:10
Speaker
And during that time, that's when I had like some sibling issues with my my brother. And we had got into it and it was time for me to go and leave.
00:10:24
Speaker
And so part of my fleeing for freedom like for my freedom and then find out who I was, was leaving um to go march sundowners because my friend, y'all know Scott Jones, y'all know Scott Jones, you know Scott Jones.
00:10:40
Speaker
Scott Jones, I called him up when I was going through it. And he was like, well, we have spots here are available. So, like, you can can move move to Eau Claire and we'll find your housing. You'll be with people who, like, love and support you. And we got you.
00:10:56
Speaker
And I booked a one-way ticket and left that night. Isn't that always the way it is? Like, just like, band is like, we don't care who you are. don't take care of you. yeah we won't yeah um And we're taking care of you. We got you.
00:11:10
Speaker
All the lives that have been saved. That's literally like... When you find your tribe and you really find that
Iconic Performances and Marching Arts Evolution
00:11:17
Speaker
this is your your people and your safe haven and these are the people who are going to accept you and help mold and shape you and let you know when you're being a crappy person, a crappy member, and a crappy friend, you know these are the things that I needed.
00:11:30
Speaker
And I got all of that ah with my experience in marching and going and moving away. so Yeah. So you moved to Eau Claire, some hours. And then what was your motivation to move down on to Miami? Because it was cold in Wisconsin. Yeah.
00:11:49
Speaker
ah You went from one experience to there. I'm from Southern California. So like naturally, ah did not have winter wear for ah the Wisconsin blizzard that it was that year.
00:12:03
Speaker
but i thought I was going to die. I was so cold and miserable. And I do not like shoveling snow. And y'all can have that. So then were you in a winter guard in there?
00:12:15
Speaker
I was in winter guard. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that was the light year. And so we, um yeah, ah i but I had to go.
00:12:26
Speaker
No, the cold is not for me. the the snow not for me. Just the sea is tropical. Get me to some tropical, some beaches with naked people on it. That's what I want to be. So in but in between the Sundowners and my and Alliance of Miami, you did a stint at the Blue Stars.
00:12:46
Speaker
I did. Iconic, legendary drama music. core you know like We know the Blue Stars now, but we like we also know that Blue Stars is like one of the founding members of DC. Yeah, they are.
00:12:58
Speaker
During that point in the 90s, they were still very much rooted in the tradition and holding on to what the Blue Stars were. What was it like adjusting like your style to what you... I mean, being a custom coming from Southern California is a whole different style than marching...
00:13:17
Speaker
the blue stone. Yeah. And again, like the way that happened was, um, out of need for me to pull my life together.
00:13:28
Speaker
Like i'm needed um structure I needed some something to get me focused. Um, and you know, basically i was going through it and,
00:13:40
Speaker
um My instructor at the time, you remember Shea, Shea Preston, Al Nichols from Southampton. Those were my ah very influential people in my life who who kind of like gave me the sit down, you know, the like, okay.
00:13:57
Speaker
They gathered the gaggermin gardens gather germany that i tell you. Gathered me. four and I learned the difference between people like telling what you want to hear and telling you the truth.
00:14:12
Speaker
And I got the whole hard, cold truth from them. And I respected that. So I wound up staying and marching blue Stars that summer. I was the only dude in the guard. it was only we were We were small, but boy, did we twirl.
00:14:25
Speaker
Whoa, Blue Stars color guard, honey baby. Let me tell you something. We've always had a color guard. And they still to this day, thanks to Michael Shapiro, is still Turning the party and so um um I had a wonderful summer. i actually did I had a wonderful experience um much of blue stars and Apparently they keep I'm kind of the most famous blue star um So they they celebrate me on history night every year with the new members. So Everybody knows who I am. You know what mean? So it's really sweet um and you know, I i After I got summer
00:15:04
Speaker
um my friend Daniel, who I had marched with in Magic the previous summer, was Marching Alliance. And he was like, come do your age out with me. Like, come down to Miami. I was like, you know, stay blessed.
00:15:18
Speaker
By the way, younger listeners, in world class, you used the age out and they told you to stop marching. yeah Get your life together and go do something, get a job. In the 1900s.
00:15:30
Speaker
Yeah, like back then. the 1900s, there was an age out in Color Guard and you couldn't do it forever. my. God, you just said in the We use that here in the water break. We got to the 1900s all the time. am about to jump through my glass. That's horrible.
00:15:47
Speaker
<unk> That's what we did. We aged out of color guard in the Yeah. yeah I'm just going to read that in. Listen, one of my students said that to me one day. They said, you know, did you march in the I thought that I was going to come unclean. Oh, my word. had to process that. So now this is your moment to process that. I am processing I don't like what I'm processing. We are all processing something. Yeah, in the 1900s. In the Okay. Now you're going to start this story with back in the 1900s when wanted to fly until Miami.
00:16:22
Speaker
Forever. Forever and always now. Back in my day in the miting nine hundred 1900s. I had to walk uphill in the snow in Miami to get to Culligan. Back in the snow in Miami. It snowed in the in Miami. It's a crappy gym somewhere and do it nothing about London.
00:16:51
Speaker
Oh my God. Y'all are stupid.
00:16:55
Speaker
Anyway. but my ah You're like, I'm doing this. with Did you know? but so I have a question because clearly, all right. So back in the day, this shows,
00:17:07
Speaker
Did we know what the shows were going to be or we were going to march the group? Like, I marched for the group. No, we marched for the group. We know what the show was going to be. I marched for the group and the group had like a very distinct identity, right? Correct.
00:17:19
Speaker
right Right. So you, did you go there because of Daniel? You had that connection? Yeah, and then there, like, when I was in high school, the what made me want to Number one being Alliance who was the Amazon show first in 89. And then they came around with Aminine's 90.
00:17:41
Speaker
And then they did with Amanda Love the Woman in 91. was just like, I need all of this in my life. Because they're martin there the the slogan was always exciting, always scandalous.
00:17:53
Speaker
Okay. That was the Alliance. Scandalous. yeah i didn' have go yeah And because they never wore clothes on the floor.
00:18:04
Speaker
Younger listeners, right now, this is one one of those moments where Auntie Ricky is going to tell you that you need to go do your history because the Alliance of Miami was sickening.
00:18:16
Speaker
They were the definition of... They defined what Florida Color Guard is and what Florida Color Guard still is today with pushing the edge. on, I can say this word because this I'm not in a classroom right now, but like sexy, like honestly and truthfully, it was sexy.
00:18:34
Speaker
yeah As a choreographer and instructor, like I was first exposed, you know, to the Winter Guard world in my small town in Mississippi back in the to a lion with my animals. You got via some ordering system from somewhere because we were watching Flow Marching Kids. It wasn't on Flow Marching. It wasn't on YouTube. No.
00:18:55
Speaker
It was back when we had VHS tapes, which I still have now. They're in the next room. But I was exposed to this. And like you see this color guard that's just like a powerhouse. Not only can these people spin, you have this show design that is so smart and so innovative. And then on top of it, it's entertaining. It's sexy. It's fun.
00:19:22
Speaker
It makes you want to get out of your seat. you know And you got to live this. So I want to know all the stories. timth Tim and Tim. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You walk into Tim and you're like, this is it? like Because like also listeners, ah oh God, there's so many things because you're like not just in the show.
00:19:39
Speaker
like You're not just in the show. You're like one of. So, okay, go.
00:19:48
Speaker
So um when I came in, um I moved down here to Florida and right after the summer of 92, so of August of 1992, right in time for Hurricane will i mean hurricane andrew Andrew.
00:20:03
Speaker
um And that was welcome to Florida moment and ah learning. But getting to that gem, so this is year going into 93, which was Paradise by the but Dashboard Lightyear, the Meat Loaf Show.
00:20:18
Speaker
Which, I hated. said, did not move here for this. was so mad. I was like, I did not move here for this. Where is the always exciting and scandalous?
00:20:33
Speaker
We got on jeans and t-shirts. What? This is what we're doing? was mad. And then... and ban The boys were so freaking... The whole card was talented, but the boys in particular were the Divas.
00:20:49
Speaker
Those were was the Divas. That was in the 1900s. We had about... 10 of the boys out of the 15 that were in the guard that were the supreme divas.
00:21:01
Speaker
they will like Okay, go ahead and drop names because I know that a lot of these people are still changing the activity today and like doing it like in Florida. but like Who are these divas?
00:21:13
Speaker
You want me to drop names? Girl, this is the time. During that time, okay, so... Michael Shapiro had um aged himself out and decided he didn't want to he want to take off his age. on and So he just wrote and taught us. So he wrote the book.
00:21:29
Speaker
So um we had like Sean Bennett, Chris Martone, You know, these people, Mark Dwyer, Marcos Martinez. Look, I'm giving names, honey. Yes. First and First and last. Eric Bacon, Matthew Cottle. Like, these are the boys who are like, they are therere they theyve they've been they've been twirling me and a lot of them are like, you know, returning members. You know, they've been there four five years.
00:22:00
Speaker
Baby, listen. So, not little old me, but me coming in my rookie year, feeling like some type of way because I knew I was better than some of them boys who were divas.
00:22:13
Speaker
So, I was always the one that Tony would threaten the boys with when they're they messing up. Tim's waiting in the background. Tim's waiting. He's waiting to take one of your spots. Keep it up. I'm going to pull you. did it up I'm always that one. You know I'm the threat.
00:22:28
Speaker
I'm the threat. But it never happened. So I was just bitter the whole year and got through it. And got through it. As they do. As they do. As they do. As they do. As they do.
00:22:44
Speaker
She was the understudy. None of the stars got sick, honey. That's it. None of them got sick. Oh, they were sick, but they just didn't take off. um
00:22:59
Speaker
But no, um so then the following year, you know, I learned from the best. So I became that diva. And I demanded my spot and my dues and things.
00:23:12
Speaker
And um a little known fact is I was supposed to be in the yellow room. um But at that time, I started doing drag. Yellowness and Scandal, this is what happened. Oh, yeah. Give us some tea.
00:23:22
Speaker
Yeah. So I had started doing drag. And so I started having hair weave. You know, I started getting my hair weave. And so first I had it in a little bob, little asymmetrical bob that I would curl in. You know, it was cute. She was feeling herself.
00:23:38
Speaker
Yeah, I was feeling it. Very T-boss. Well, honey, Mr. Florio was not with my hair bob. He was not with my hair weave. And and basically told me that um if I went to that spot, I'm going to need take out my weave.
00:23:52
Speaker
So what did I do? i go get hair weave 18 inches down my shoulder past my shoulder. ah When in doubt, add some more. Add more.
00:24:03
Speaker
Did I care? No. no i don't have to be here. was my attitude. and I got to be here. You need me. You need me. Which was not really entirely true, but that's the attitude I had to have.
00:24:18
Speaker
So I wonder he i walk in and then I get the exact opposite reaction that I expected. Oh my God, what did you do? I love your hair. This is so much better.
00:24:31
Speaker
I was like, you.
00:24:41
Speaker
So South Florida feels like. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. But yeah, I wound up having a great spot anyway. I didn't have the yellow room, but I was on the 50 the entire time. So the whole show, the whole show. I ran around and came back to the 50.
00:24:57
Speaker
that's That's ultimately where I sat with it. It's like, it's like, ah it wasn't a, but I mean, it was about each color, right? But like the people that were moving in between and that, that bitch in the middle, but like that like that's what I kept saying. and I would always be like that bitch in the middle.
00:25:16
Speaker
Look at that bitch in the middle. Do you know what I mean? It was just like, You know, i think that's even what like Alliance was even in that was like that performance that even in the middle that was literally black wearing black on black. and black Exactly. exactly Exactly. No one standing out. Like,
Drag Career and Roots in Color Guard
00:25:39
Speaker
come on. Yeah.
00:25:40
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah. I was very, i wanted to be very pleased with my spot and um i had a blast. The book was incredible. um you know We were the little color guy that could, because we started off on the struggle bus, but we worked hard. We worked really hard, and we got our butts beat, you know what i mean? And everybody was committed. We would do what we needed to do, because i wasn't going to be outdone. And so, um you know, I challenged myself to have a drop the season, and succeeded, and made sure that, like, every like when I was tearing up some stuff in practice, though.
00:26:13
Speaker
But yeah and they Knocking over lampshades and furniture and things. but but But never in public. But never in public in front of an audience, baby. I learned this a long time ago.
00:26:27
Speaker
The one thing I did learn out of magic was somebody said something that stuck with me. Color guard, if you can't catch it, don't drop it. Fair. Fair.
00:26:39
Speaker
Fair. Put it on a t-shirt. If you can't catch it, don't drop it, baby. i that Here's the exact same thing. I had one that said, color guard, when the flags go up, the flags go up. And when the flag came down flags come come down.
00:26:59
Speaker
Look at that. Appoyant. ah It's life lessons, people. This is the thing. Okay. This is the thing that we need in lives. This the things that we need in our lives. No one is telling children this anymore.
00:27:12
Speaker
right Where is the education going? There's no education in this anymore. And so kids are just running around here being a hot mess. And they don't know that when things go up, they're supposed to come down. They do come down.
00:27:25
Speaker
yeah yeah Yeah, they do. yeah so Cardi B tried to tell us, but, you know, we weren't listening to Cardi when she said that either. ah it' up and it's happening and it's up and it's done I feel like the Hotel California show does get sort of listed as like the icon, like one of the top 10 iconic shows of all times. I mean, why do you think that? Why would you say that?
00:27:49
Speaker
Well, it changed the activity in such a way. I mean, i mean i think we were the first one to use five floors, you know, at once, and then change the entire room and the color of the room.
00:28:03
Speaker
um Because when the when those floors peeled back and the whole black with the whole gym, just like an ominous darkness came over it. Like, it was so cool and way ahead of its time. And so I think people...
00:28:18
Speaker
saw that, you know what mean? You know, ah you know, we had our other issues, you know, we could have been a ah ah tinge cleaner, ah ah but we were exciting. We were musical. We were theatrical. We were in it to win it, you know, and the fans were electric.
00:28:38
Speaker
Like we were rock stars. We were walking the gym. And then the crowd would just go crazy. We're like, who they, who, who just, we looking around like, who they, look at who they crapping for. And it's us, you know, we're signing autographs. Like, we're rock stars.
00:28:56
Speaker
And so, yeah, to to to make those kids feel, to make an audience feel, that's why I moved to Florida. and That's why Alliance. i I totally feel exactly what you're saying because I'm the Northeast kid that did it with Field of You.
00:29:10
Speaker
is that all my gosh. You know what I'm saying? We weren't winning. like It wasn't clean. It wasn't good. it was i to have hell Everyone was like, oh, you're the field of you. Flag boy. Oh, you're the field of you.
00:29:24
Speaker
Okay, yes, me, the star. I love that. Let me entertain you. Let me entertain you. Please. Please. It's funny because I remember those shows more so than I remember most of the shows that I have been in just because...
00:29:39
Speaker
When back in the day, back in the 1900s, when we had to pop a videotape into the VCR, I just ran home every day and watched these shows. I watched you know a Alliance of Miami. I watched Field of View. I watched all the old Pride Cincinnati stuff.
00:29:56
Speaker
I watched the Blue Devils with White Rabbit and all that stuff. And you learn this choreography. And part of it for me being, you know, as most boys in Color Guard are, um isolated from the rest of the world, somewhat feeling awkward about yourself.
00:30:14
Speaker
These shows were my connection to a world that I was building in my head that I knew was going to make a better place for me. And the fact that you...
00:30:26
Speaker
were in those shows and you were living it and you were going through such turmoil and strife in your personal life that Color Guard was the thing that saved you want and took you out of a bad situation and put you into this.
00:30:39
Speaker
And then simultaneously while you're making all of us happy doing this Color Guard thing, you also start figuring out that Latrice Royale is a thing. She's lurking.
00:30:52
Speaker
She's in there. She's in there. you remember here
00:30:56
Speaker
So, no you know, like, we can sit here and talk about Alliance of Miami and and this stuff all day long, but i I know that this was also the same time that you, as a performer, knew that you needed more and that there was something else inside of you. So how did Latrice start to emerge during this color guard segment of your life? Because your color guard friends are your best and worst People.
00:31:27
Speaker
We will convince you to do anything and the name of, we're going to cheer for you.
00:31:35
Speaker
And so oh we're going to win this contest and we're going some drink tickets and it's going to be a kiki. So yeah, they convinced me to do the amateur show at the Copa here in Fort Lauderdale. May she rest in peace.
00:31:50
Speaker
And baby back in the nineteen hundreds There was no Amazon Prime. it was There was no size 16 pumps, just readily available. Or you had to go to Walmart or to pay them to get you a question. No, you had to go to the cross-dresser store. It said cross-dresser store.
00:32:10
Speaker
Y'all had one of them here? Yeah. miami It was I was taking the things off my wall and pouring them together to make a game. No, yeah i'll you was very Scarlett O'Hara.
00:32:21
Speaker
Yeah.
00:32:24
Speaker
Southern Belle you. that was
00:32:30
Speaker
oh we never We went into the good old color guard closet and found a black unitard. We had these gold liquid lame skirts.
00:32:40
Speaker
So we took one of them, made a turban on my head. and The other one we made one leg skirt because i thought I was in the San Jose Raiders 1990 from Old Manon Juliet. Come on, come on. Come on.
00:32:58
Speaker
but i What I want right now is I'm thinking about the people who are drag queen fans, drag race fans who have like not, have like no color reference and are like, what is this bitch talking about?
00:33:13
Speaker
Go back, look at 1990 San Jose Reyes, your world champion, co-champion. ah Okay. you person you have drunk for a lot of job like now but go'll give you that I'm to give you the herstory, honey. I'm a real legit through and through.
00:33:30
Speaker
I'm true to this. I'm not new to this. well
00:33:36
Speaker
um But I went out there and did a lyrical dance piece at the drag show and they said, oh baby, no, I'm not on tonight. Drink tickets. So they gave me some drink tickets and a fashion citation.
00:33:48
Speaker
Wait, we That late was the lyrical dance color guard moment. That's what was. It was. It It was. It was. was. It was. was. was. It was. was. was. It was. was. was. It was. was. was. It was. It was. was. was. It was. was. It It It was. was. It was. was. It It It was. was. It was.
00:34:03
Speaker
It was. was. It It was. was. It It It was. was. It was. It It was. was. was. It was. It was. It was. was. It was. was. was. It was. It was. It was. was. It was. It It It It was. It was. It It It was. It It was. was. It was. was. was. It was.
00:34:14
Speaker
It was Love that. Oh my God. So yeah, that was the beginning of that. And um the following week, I did make a dress. I went to good old Joanne Fabrics.
00:34:26
Speaker
May she rest in peace. May she rest in peace. All the girls are gone, girl. The girls are gone. ah But found me a little simplicity pattern.
00:34:37
Speaker
And I put together the most horrendous dress. And actually, Mark Dwyer was my roommate at the time. He found me some shoes and hair. And I went out to get Patti LaBelle and won the contest. And that was the beginning of the never-ending story. And so here I am 33 years later.
00:34:53
Speaker
girl. Doing drag. That's crazy. goodness. That's quite crazy. And you know what? Like, and and we, we're going to jump to a commercial. I'm sure it is just a second, but like the, the idea that you are now and, and because of 2026 or 2025, I'm sorry, with AMP and WGI championships and having that experience of like,
00:35:14
Speaker
it's it's sort of like seeing you now in this world that you're living in and where you're going, even taking Color Guard into the drag world and all of that is like exactly where it was supposed to go for you all along. Like, do you feel that? Like, do you feel that?
00:35:30
Speaker
It was such a full circle moment to be in a gym, not just a gym, but like be at world championships with such a powerhouse as Amp.
00:35:42
Speaker
Amp is exactly everything that my roots are rooted in. Yeah, exactly. Everything that I am rooted in. So I don't know, I don't care.
00:35:54
Speaker
um You know, you can 8th place, 12th place, whatever there was, it was the fans' favorite group of the year. So, you know, that's what it's about.
00:36:06
Speaker
That's what it's about, entertaining these fans and the crowd and the kids feeling good about themselves and having the time of their life. Who wouldn't want to be on that floor? Everybody wanted to be on that floor with them.
00:36:17
Speaker
But it's now another iconic show. Like you're like- 100%. literally like that was the creation of another iconic show and I mean I think that there are people you know that created that show you being you know a part of that like that took all of those vibes of entertainment and all the things that made Alliance of Miami made you made you take into this color guard world I mean I can't tell you like as soon as I saw you appear on RuPaul's Drag Race and I knew and I saw the connection I you know was friends with Tim Lee at the time and like so I had heard all these things right and I was like
00:36:51
Speaker
This is like, of course, right? Like, and it's just like seeing you person and meeting and like seeing the performances and seeing color on the stage. It's like, of course, we're, of course, this going to be what she does production wise. Of course, she's going understand how to tell the story in like 2.3 seconds. Like that's what we do. That's what we do is what we do.
00:37:13
Speaker
It's wild. um i I tell people all the time that Color Guard has such a tremendous influence on how I program my drag shows. It really is all about a beginning, middle, and end, number one. You got to have that.
00:37:29
Speaker
And then pacing. You have to have incredible pacing. Like, you have to take these people on a journey. You have to have peaks and valleys, highs and lows, ins and outs. Or you're going to be flat.
00:37:40
Speaker
And... i I know what the magic is that makes people jump and scream and lose their mind, but they don't know why they're doing that. You know what mean? And having that little insight um and the control of the room is what I love about um what Color Guard's given to me and given and in in my drag especially.
00:38:04
Speaker
Center square, center square, center square. Black on black on black on black on black. Well, listen, Latrice, we want to keep diving into this and talking about how these worlds collide. But, you know, we also got to pay some bills. so I understand.
00:38:21
Speaker
You know, we're going to be right back after this commercial break.
00:38:35
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:39:04
Speaker
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Speaker
We can set up a microsite for easy student ordering of a wide variety of items. Do you need custom costumes or flags? We can help get you great designs from our team through top vendors like Show Day Designs.
00:39:29
Speaker
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Broad Impact in Performing Arts
00:39:37
Speaker
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00:39:41
Speaker
Check us out at guardcloset.com or follow us on social media.
00:39:55
Speaker
And friends, we are back to on a water break. And we are here with the legendary legend, iconic icon of all things color guard and drag, making those worlds collide.
00:40:10
Speaker
The one, the only Latrice Royale. Back, back, back. Backing girl. Yeah. So Latrice, before the break, we were talking about the whole convergence of art and how that spawned your drag career.
00:40:26
Speaker
um I want to take a minute just to talk about, you know, your time on RuPaul's Drag Race and how that shaped your your drag career.
00:40:38
Speaker
Like, because you were legend down in Miami. You go on to this show and the mother gives you this opportunity and this platform and everybody fell in love with you. Everybody else got to see the Latrice that all the rest of us had known since the 1900s. That's right. That's right. We get to see you on this world platform. What was that experience like?
00:41:03
Speaker
Obviously, life-changing it really was. and i you know When I got on the show, I didn't know what to expect. I just knew I needed a change in my career. I needed that extra elevation to get to the next level. you know and ah know i was booked, and like you said, I was you know a legend in South Florida, but I wasn't nationally known, and I definitely was not internationally known.
00:41:25
Speaker
I'm going to pause you there. Because before RuPaul's Drag Race, there were no internationally known queens except for RuPaul. Correct. Correct. For them to make sure that the other girls or the dolls were lifted up. That part.
00:41:39
Speaker
And so like the way that we as queens were to gain national notoriety was through pageants. you know You would have to do national pageants and that. And then that's how people saw you and and you traveled.
00:41:53
Speaker
That was not my path. I thought it was going to be because that's what I was striving for. I was actually running, are entered for Miss Gay USA at large at the time. That was what I was doing. i had just qualified for a prelim.
00:42:08
Speaker
I'd also auditioned for RuPaul's Drag Race. and so Then I got the call that was going on Drag Race and I was like, ain't going to Nationals. yeah five ah go to wgi fileers You did all the regionals, not going to WGI finals.
00:42:27
Speaker
But no, like you have to do something else less than because like WGI would be the pinnacle of Winter Guard as RuPaul Drag Race is the pinnacle for pageants. you know what mean? Like you want to be there.
00:42:40
Speaker
And so I got on there and I went and I wanted to be my authentic self. I said, I don't know how to be anybody else and I'm not going in here as no character and I want to just share truth.
00:42:51
Speaker
And that's how I actually got on the show because so forthcoming with my struggles in my history and all that. And so they realized I did have a story to tell. And so I got on there and Jess was being me and the mother and me always come out because I want everybody to be their best selves.
00:43:09
Speaker
And so, you know, when snatch game happened, yeah we all know how went. Y'all saw the other side of the trees come out. But ah come out but People really connected with my story on the show and my authenticity and my lack of giving any Fs about what people thought of me, how I looked, all of those things became...
00:43:36
Speaker
powerful tools for other people to embrace for themselves. And little did I know, because at that time, I didn't even know what a hashtag was. Like, i was I didn't have a Twitter. I didn't have no Instagram.
00:43:48
Speaker
I had my face. And some of them youngers don't know what my face is. Back in the 1900s. I got married in 2000s. that's cru thousand album You know what I'm
00:44:05
Speaker
Listen, we know Jujubee still the most like followed on Facebook. So, you know. That was the goal was to get to Jujubee status. Exactly. But, you know, people connected with me and just really changed my whole entire world.
00:44:20
Speaker
And so, of course, um then I was invited to be back on All Stars, like right after literally the same year that I just got off my season, which was crazy about how a nervous breakdown on that.
00:44:31
Speaker
But we got on there and we're guinea pigs for the very first all stars. Yeah. That went. that where it went
00:44:43
Speaker
But I continued growing and elevating and doing my thing. I met my husband, my now husband. which Which I actually have a very interesting question about him. I can't. Because i was actually thinking about this earlier.
00:44:56
Speaker
And not to completely derail the question because you brought him up. He's a musician, right? He is a musician. he is, yeah. I think he's a piece of shit. ah but I so. What?
00:45:07
Speaker
What? ah A musician, yes. He is a musician. Yeah. was about to say, well, this is about to take a turn. And goodbye. And I can't say, no, a musician is about to use ah this
00:45:27
Speaker
um I actually wondered, the question that I really wanted to ask was, does he think the drag race people are crazier or like the marching arts people are crazier?
00:45:37
Speaker
Oh my God. He does have views on us for sure. Cause we are, very relief well, because of the limit. Okay. There's ah another layer to him. He's also a theater queen.
00:45:57
Speaker
Hence, you understand that theater gays are quite... man aware
00:46:08
Speaker
So that being said, there's a correlation between the cattiness and bitchiness that we have as theater gays and color art queens. And so the fandom is just crazy.
00:46:22
Speaker
And he has accepted they are crazy, but we should be studied.
00:46:29
Speaker
It's a lot. And I'm going to have to agree because, you know, we actually, like when you get down to it, And it wasn't until I was casting for this new show that I realized how touched we are.
00:46:42
Speaker
Is that we pay thousands of dollars... To get beat down. To get beat down. To get down. To do this. We pay to do this. We pay do this. no other place. In no other place.
00:46:56
Speaker
In what world oh does that... I mean, I guess it's like... For college, but where does it lead? Where is it going? It don't make any sense. okay You can sit here and pull out a whiteboard and get your Expo markers out and try to draw all kinds of diagrams.
00:47:14
Speaker
It don't make any sense that we pay thousands of dollars to do this. I had to explain to my husband this past year, like last year when I went back to teach in drug court, it's like, well, you're just traipsing around the country going and living your best life and blah, blah, blah. I was like, I'm sleeping on a bus?
00:47:30
Speaker
And a gym pool. So this summer, he tried to pull that crap. And you know what I did? Made him take his ass with me on the road. walked into the gym and the smell of the popcorn jam came And he goes, you're done oh, you weren't just having fun. I was like, uh-huh. And you're going sit your ass here in the sun with me all day today and watch me clap these hands and see how much fun I was having.
00:47:56
Speaker
Oh, I love it when people tell me how much fun I'm having at my job. I love that. It's a job, bro. I still have a job. I enjoy it because it's the thing I love, but it still works.
00:48:09
Speaker
It's worked, baby. And this is part of the sacrifice. This is it. that we made But it's also kind of the crazy because like, who does that? Who does that? Who pays to do it? We do. And I think it was, again, immediately apparent when you're on the show, you go into All-Stars, even you saying, like, I had to go right back in, like, duh, of course we could do that.
00:48:30
Speaker
You know what I mean? You're like, oh, winter season into DC. Okay, boom, boom, boom. Another costume, another show, another performance, done. Done.
00:48:42
Speaker
Yeah. But yeah, we definitely need to be studied because it doesn't make sense. But At the same time, the things, the value that I got out of my experience through Color guard you can't put a price tag on. And so the life lessons and experiences,
00:49:00
Speaker
makes it all worth it. It makes it all worth it. I mean, I wouldn't be the person I am today without my color guard upbringing. Really. It like, I tell people all the time, it teaches you how to not only be just a good member, but a good person because you can't be one and not the other.
00:49:15
Speaker
You know what mean? And yeah, so yeah, so it's it's significant. And, but like, After I met him, because he's a musician, he's the one that helped me find my vocal voice again, started singing again. And so now I do my live cabaret shows, which brings me to the show that I'm about to do for Christmas. Oh, look at that get you You're taking my job away from me as the host right now. You're doing your own segue into what I was going to go with next. It's called transitions. I ran this out in my head, so I'm going to save my whole moment.
00:49:51
Speaker
My honey, do your moments. So, you know, I knew you as Tim from South Florida, Alliance, Miami, and then you pop up on the RuPaul's Drag Race stage, and I'm like, oh my God, I'm talking to all the color our girls. I'm like, yo, that's Tim from a Alliance.
00:50:05
Speaker
That's Tim from Alliance. but You get our hearts warmed and you come out and you do Color Guard on the RuPaul's Drag Race stage. And I collectively lost my shit. I'm sorry, listeners. I lost it because that was how I knew i lost it because that was how i knew you And then seeing you in this drag role doing that on the stage and the rest of the world who didn't know about color guard, because, you know, the intersection of gay and drag and color guard.
00:50:34
Speaker
It's very part of the Venn diagram. It really It's a part of the Venn diagram. Yeah. yeah Not only did you do it on the show, you took the platform that you got for RuPaul's Drag Race and all the touring that you're doing. You have created a show where you hire color guard performers to be with you on the stage.
00:50:55
Speaker
I need to hear everything about it. I want to know all of it. It's coming close. I live in Florida, so you know coming down to see the show. Yeah. The thing of it is, it's like, you know, my i love Color Guard so much. And it's always, has been, and always will be a part of me. And so to be able to have those two intersect and my worlds collide and do the very two passions at the same time, a dream come true.
00:51:23
Speaker
And then after seeing what was possible, the theater stage with Blast, um I was like, Why don't we have more of this? Why are we not doing this?
00:51:36
Speaker
You skip right over blast. You're like throwing it out like the kids from the kids that are watching the blast of it all. That's a 1900 reference. That's a 1900 reference. Okay, so y'all better understand that. And it's still touring today. It's in Japan and all of yeah it. It's still going. But like...
00:51:53
Speaker
It's not so much here in the United States. So like, to be able to have a situation where I can showcase these kids, actually pay them a salary, so they're actually, it's my way of kind of giving back for what they put in. Like, no one's hiring color guard people to come to color guard. You know what I mean?
00:52:10
Speaker
We're paying. So it's kind of funny when I was doing casting process, people were asking me, what is the financial commitment? I'm like, what are y'all talking about? Oh my God, they're doing the guy to do this. They, that's what they think.
00:52:24
Speaker
They think they're paying you. No, no, baby. I pay you to do that. It's the opposite of what you've been raised to think. Completely. I'm debunking all of that. And we're going to be in a professional setting.
00:52:39
Speaker
What is that? Is it a clock? That's our bad thing. That's our bad thing. That's what's up. We don't like it. I say like this. Oh, that's like the snake's shade button. It's the shade button on a water ray.
00:52:52
Speaker
Okay. So, Latrice, tell us, like, the show starts, because I know it's it's a Christmas show. Yes, I'm doing i gotta be White Christmas. And so...
00:53:04
Speaker
You already know why I gotta be white Christmas. Well, the title came, it kind of wrote itself because like I said, I'm from Southern California and I live in Florida. So I experienced the white Christmas in Wisconsin and I wonder why we had to do that. so Why we gotta do this?
00:53:24
Speaker
So I'm taking this weve been a show for about seven, eight years, seven, eight years. We had a pandemic version. We have different versions. So this one have two versions that are going out on the road. One is I'm taking it to Southern California.
00:53:40
Speaker
And I'll do smaller venues, but local venues. And then I'm doing my big show, Knoxville, which is like our homecoming, because it's where Christopher's from, at the Diju Theater, which I'm blowing out. And that's why I'm having all of the dances casting, because I want to fill the room and fill the stage really give a show. um And so ah this is not my first time casting for this show. I cast before back in 2019, and I did a national tour with a different group of people.
00:54:11
Speaker
that actually were on the tour bus and I had leads and then I had fill-ins in different big cities that I would add on to the leads to fill out. You know how we do, fill out, you know, plug yeah i play, do that.
00:54:25
Speaker
And so when I got this opportunity to do this, was like, I want digger. want the full dream, the full fantasy. um I got all these costumes. Let's do it. So I filled all the costumes. I cast all of the roles. So yeah, the thing for me was the incredible turnout of talent. I was blown away, blown away by these kids. I still am. like Back in the night that You remember them divas I was telling you about?
00:54:54
Speaker
Yeah. They would literally say, I'm not doing that.
00:54:58
Speaker
I'm not doing that. Take me out. Put me behind a pop. I'm not doing that. no Those are the divas. That's how their mentality. These kids have no fear. No. And they will put it in between their legs with their teeth. And smile.
00:55:12
Speaker
And smile. With no teeth. But like...
00:55:17
Speaker
They bust out their whole reel, but they then showed all the way out. And so I was really blown away and overwhelmed because I ok i only have 10 spots and like literally um getting all of these people from not just the local era, like I said.
00:55:36
Speaker
These people all want to fly in. They're going pay their flight. They're going to pay for a flight and fly off from other countries. So I soon realized that this casting was not just a local talent. It's just going to be the best of the best. So i got some superstars coming out.
00:55:50
Speaker
to tour with me. And I'm so excited. I'm so excited. You know, I almost justed off my old cha-cha heels. I heel and mean, you could have, baby. I think could handle this. know, girl.
00:56:03
Speaker
She's doing all these turnarounds and things. I mean, it's okay. We put you in where you fit in.
00:56:12
Speaker
Yes. I'm a pose queen now, and I'll give you Okay, you can do that now. See, you can be in the girls' lives and dance and say, they would do that.
Life Advice and Artistic Integrity
00:56:25
Speaker
Now you got the pose down. Oh, my God. I'm here for it. I'm here for it. um But yeah, no, it's going to be an exciting show. And... um Their talent is amazing. So if you are in Knoxville or a surrounding area, come support. I'm flying or Please come support.
00:56:44
Speaker
have already made a decision that I'm coming to see it. I'm going to fly up. It is so going to be worth it. I promise you that. The show is funny. It's, you know, silly. It's drag. It's color guard. It's artsy. It's visual. It's going to give you everything you need because that's what I do.
00:57:02
Speaker
And it'll be coming to Dayton, Ohio in 2026 straight down. They're going to try to get me to come to headquarters and do a little show. I'm like, headquarters ain't the same as it used to be. You should do like 2 p.m. show and the Scholastic A-guards would line up to see it. Like, come on.
00:57:22
Speaker
See, but then we have to get into the whole drag and kids thing. and ah It's color. It's different, ain't it? See, I'm telling you, it's theatric. It's art. It's theater. It's theater.
00:57:36
Speaker
ah The first drag queen that was ever at WGI was Field of View. All of them. Miss Mama in the wedding dress coming down at the end in, what was that, 93? Oh, in Field of View?
00:57:46
Speaker
yes, I know. Listen, he is married. He was a flute player in the marching band. He is married to a lovely woman. And they have been together for a really long time. Wait, plot twist.
00:58:00
Speaker
ah Okay, going to just go ahead and move right along. God, what? A bad bar for later. I'm going to watch 1993's Field of View, the end of the show, and watch the person coming down the aisle with a wedding dress. That was an iconic show. I mean, come on. It was so freaking good.
00:58:23
Speaker
That's the bug spawning kids. yeah, it's like like the whole thing. So good. Yeah, yeah cover yeah, yeah. So Latrice, you know, I hate to stop the conversation, but we normally do a segment called 60 Second Tech Block where we have people come on and they tell us they get 60 seconds to give us like, you know, their best advice on blah, blah, blah.
00:58:46
Speaker
But I feel like because we have you in the room with us today, we are going to call the segment today. Mother Knows. And I'm going to give you 60 seconds on the clock to pour your heart out as you have done with so many drag queens and so many color guard performers to just give us unfiltered life advice from Latrice Royale.
00:59:14
Speaker
directly from the heart. Now I'm going to, I'm going to give you, going to just pause it because I want Ricardo's voice to echo in your ears because we have a lovely ah musical interlude for the 60 second tech block.
00:59:30
Speaker
but You need to hear it, Latrice. You need to be inspired by that voice. Okay. So, do I play before i talk? Listen, I just want you to hear it. You're going take this in because you're not just going to have 60 seconds, however long you want to, but you need to hear Miss Ricardo say and cue it.
00:59:48
Speaker
60 seconds head block.
00:59:58
Speaker
oh Fuck off. You vocal about. The vocal stylings.
01:00:10
Speaker
ah but Bring me on tour next, girl. I'll sing. The deranged. Yes. The deranged of it all. I'm booking. I'm booking. I'm booking.
01:00:28
Speaker
Okay, so Latrice, I want you gather your thoughts. This is a profound moment that not everyone in the world gets to have, but we're going to have it with you right now.
01:00:40
Speaker
This is Mother Knows... featuring Latrice Royale, Chunky Get Funky, the diva of all divas, the legendary legend of them all.
01:00:52
Speaker
Latrice, impart us on some wisdom. 60 seconds and go. I've learned in this 53 years of living that intention is everything.
01:01:08
Speaker
So... everything in your life with intent and purpose. Love what it is that you're doing and take the word trying out of your vocabulary.
01:01:20
Speaker
I'm trying to do this. I'm trying that. That is letting the universe know that you are struggling and the universe will provide whatever it is that your heart desires. So if you keep wanting the struggle, keep using the word trying and you will be trying the rest of your life.
01:01:39
Speaker
60 Second Tech Lock. 60 Second Tech Lock! I need a moment right now.
01:01:51
Speaker
I need a moment, because I think that you just reached into my soul and snatched this burn that I got up on top of my head, just inside out. That that was a nerd from somebody from the 1900s when you marched that color guard.
01:02:07
Speaker
Yeah. Just the amount of wisdom that you have and the love that's in your heart and just... I just appreciate you so much. And I just want you to know that we are so glad that you came here today to share your time and your love and your story with us. And just the fact that I have been cackle at it and laughing for so long.
01:02:31
Speaker
I did not have to do an ab workout today because I got that in good, but you know, we're going to switch this up and we are going to move into some, what are we doing?
01:02:43
Speaker
what are we doing
01:02:49
Speaker
um What are we doing? So Latrice, I know you're busy girl and you don't get to listen to On a Water Break lot, but um this is a segment where we get to rant about something in the marching arts that just doesn't make sense. Or in this case, maybe it's something from the world of drag and color guard. I don't know, but I'm just going to ask Latrice Royale, what are we doing?
01:03:16
Speaker
Oh my goodness. There's so many kids.
01:03:21
Speaker
What are we doing still wearing black unitards on a white floor? What is that?
01:03:28
Speaker
What are we doing? I mean, it's an artistic choice. No, I'm done. Nope. Nope. She said tonight. I'm done. Nope. Nope. Nope. i'm done oh It's so much easier to do so many other things.
01:03:44
Speaker
It's so much easier to do so many more artistic and interesting things. Please give me something. like I mean, if you're not, I mean, come on. I mean, how am I supposed to differentiate from one show to the next when it looks the same?
01:04:01
Speaker
I'm all about identity. You can have your identity without doing the same show every year. Mm-hmm, which speaks to Alliance of Miami and that kind of situation. They had an identity But I tell you there was not the same show every year You cannot say that Adam and Eve was the same as when a man was woman and men was the same as Hotel California and y'all.
01:04:23
Speaker
You can't do that one So I feel like when people are doing things and it was rewarded and then you just keep doing it because you think that's the formula.
01:04:38
Speaker
i feel like we have a problem. Houston, we have a problem. What are we doing? Why are we still rewarding this? Why are we still rewarding this? why that Yeah, what are we doing still rewarding this? Like, that's really what it is. What are we doing still rewarding this, like, sameness? Because you're right, like, our activity really is supposed to be innovative, right? Innovative. It's supposed to be world-class. Like, I thought that's what it was. like Yeah. We're supposed to be setting standards, setting new boundaries, blowing down things, making us go, oh, my God, we've never seen this this way.
01:05:12
Speaker
This way is the operative word. Uh-huh. with that part Because, you know, everything in Color Guard is influenced and inspired as dance, as theater, as everything.
01:05:27
Speaker
So that's fine. But our job as designers and and writers is to bring new fresh ideas and takes to old ideas and make them fresh and say, hey, this is a new way of doing this.
01:05:43
Speaker
yeah Look at here. ye And it's okay to study your history. Please do, so that we don't repeat it. Look out, girl. Get a grip. I mean, periodria like taking the thought processes around the entertainment value value of yeah what that is, is what you do, is what I think that's like, I think that's like the supreme thing.
01:06:14
Speaker
I produce product. That's one of the things I think I'm coming off of producing, Nashville coming out there in Philadelphia. When I produce these events, like I look at it even from the marching on standpoint too. It's like a production. It's like, tell the story, go the up and down, like have the, have the, yes, have the, oh, have the, all the emotions there, right? Like I think it's all that.
01:06:34
Speaker
I think when you get into a formula, like you do this for 30 seconds and then at One minute you hit this and then you got to have a full form block for all flag. And then we got to, no, we don't.
01:06:47
Speaker
No, we don't. No, we don't. No, we don't. No, we don't. But be entertaining about it. Be entertaining about it. Yeah. Be entertaining about it. Put that on a t-shirt too. Put that on a t-shirt.
Achievements and Celebrations
01:07:00
Speaker
Jeremy, you hardly ever really get to say your what are we doings out loud. So this is your opportunity. so that I don't have to get a text message about it later in the middle of the night and have to respond to it in the morning when I wake up. Dear me...
01:07:16
Speaker
What are we doing? I actually want to lean into what we were just talking about and actually say, like, what are we doing not taking these art forms like Latrice has, right? And making them be combined into making them bigger, making them more grand, making them more interesting, making them more, like, pay the children to do it, like,
01:07:41
Speaker
We, you, you take drag and you take color guard and you take all these other things and they're like so interrelated, but the lessons aren't always taken. Like to look at a drag queen and go like, that's how you perform. Like, that's how you perform.
01:07:56
Speaker
That's how you perform. But to take a marching band or color guard show and say to a drag queen, like, that's how you put together a three minute number. You but ah take the philosophies and put it together in 90 seconds. I'm like, kill a drag number.
01:08:12
Speaker
If you watched a color guard show like three or four times and watch like, it's gotta be this, it's gotta to be this, it's gotta be this. And so I like the art coming together. like is is I say, what are we doing? Not doing that more like watching, you know, your influence Latrice on the amp show and seeing that direct influence of the performers and what you gave them.
01:08:39
Speaker
Every moment that you did is what changed them as performers. And that's the combination, the coming together. We just did an interview with this guy, Sam Quinones, who is a really famous writer. he wrote this book called The Perfect Tuba.
01:08:55
Speaker
And what he was talking about was this idea of marching band and the marching arts having gotten so competitive, like football, that it's lost its like...
01:09:06
Speaker
Artistic. The art. The art of it all. Of what it is, because it's like, you have to compete, you have to win. So I just say, what are we doing not being more entertaining?
01:09:17
Speaker
Mark, please. Please. Absolutely. So I am going to do my, what are we doing? And... um This is a little bit of shade, and I might get in trouble for this later, but I judged this past weekend.
01:09:34
Speaker
Okay. And so if I judge you, please don't take this personally. But here's what I'm going to say. What are we doing not focusing on technique? Oh.
01:09:48
Speaker
and spending all of our time working through choreography in show. And I know that I've probably said some version or variation of this on the podcast many times at this point in the last years that I have been on the podcast.
01:10:03
Speaker
But it was very evident to me when I judged on Saturday. Like, kids could do 5, 6, 7, 8, but then when it got to a point of us, like, throwing toss in the air,
01:10:15
Speaker
that it looked like a rifle was a fish just flopping around like outside of the sea. And when we were doing little passe jumps, we had flex feet and all that stuff.
01:10:27
Speaker
Like, spend time in a technique block. ah It will make your show better. It'll make your kids better.
01:10:40
Speaker
Period. Period. here we honeyoo up Make sure your edges are clean. And if your edges are not going to do it, girl.
01:10:51
Speaker
And spray her down. She's got to be. Ricardo. after few days you Michael James must be in your sphere, right, Latrice? You know the name. Michael James did one our first 60-second tech blocks.
01:11:08
Speaker
what called james did one of our first sixty second tech blocks I wanted to introduce this new segment, like, you know, this cool, like we're going to a 60 second tech block. And Ricardo brings on Michael James. It's like black history month that we're doing this whole thing.
01:11:23
Speaker
And so we're like, Michael James is to do the 60 second tech block. And the decision was the topic was going to be how to keep a weave in your head while performing. And his 60 second tech block was like 15 seconds where he was like, just pin it in so that it stays Duh. Duh.
01:11:42
Speaker
Duh. Train your kids so they know how to look good. Yeah. Duh. Yes. And it was, the funniest part of this was, was that the one of the color guards was so...
01:11:57
Speaker
astronomically better than everybody else. And I was like, i said to the instructor, I was like, they are so good. He goes, no, they're terrible. We just been working on technique and the show looks awful. I was like, no, the show does not look awful.
01:12:11
Speaker
They know what they're doing. See, and that's the difference. That's the difference, honey. That's the gag. That's gag. Yeah. I'm here for it. Good job, everyone. Set your equipment down. Cush and go.
01:12:24
Speaker
okay Well, you know what? It is time for... Chris Rutt jumps in with gush and go. Yeah, now that we've got that off our chest, y'all, let's get into gush and go. So this is your chance to shout out something awesome happening in your life, marching arts, drag, related or not.
01:12:43
Speaker
Maybe you're excited about a performance, a student success, a big life event, or just something cool you want to brag about. No negativity here. This is just pure...
01:12:54
Speaker
unfiltered hype. So who's got something to gush about? Jeremy? Because you're always behind the camera and you never get to be on. So I'm going to let you go first today. How about that? What are you gushing and going about, sister?
01:13:09
Speaker
Well, you know that I'm going to gush about this. Like, this is what the gush is about. youre totally And not because it's... Because, like, I've talked to Latrice a bunch of times. Like, I've talked to her and we were, like, drinking on a Drag Race cruise. Like, here we go. It's not about that.
01:13:21
Speaker
Like, I've seen the Tim Lee creations that were once color guard costumes that Latrice wore on Drag Race. Like, I got it, got it. but like to, to, to gush about the, the, the lifting up, I guess, of the activity is what you're doing. and like, that's what I love is like, I want to gush about the fact that you take the activity into the mainstream. And that's what really is important to me.
01:13:53
Speaker
last wait Thank you yes you. Latrice darling. What are you gushing about right now? I had just landed a new movie role.
01:14:03
Speaker
Y'all didn't hear about the Drag Race movie that's coming out? Oh, I did. just wanted to see the person talking about it. I am excited about that. And so that is happening very fast. And so about to jet off.
01:14:16
Speaker
to go start filming um actually like very very soon like super soon and ah yeah so all of this ah right before I take off to South Africa.
01:14:31
Speaker
I'm going back to South Africa after 13 years. My family had planned little family vacation which is a never thing that never happened for us. um And so, like I said, I've been talking about doing things with intention.
01:14:46
Speaker
And so when my brother and sister-in-law um had said, hey, we're talking about going to South Africa and we want to let out a plenty of time, I was like, I'm putting on the calendar as if it's happening to make it happen.
01:14:59
Speaker
And i did. And so i'm doing two shows um in South Africa as well as doing my vacation, but one in Johannesburg, one in Cape Town. Oh, of course. I'm excited to be going back to South Africa right before my full month tour of Christmas in December. Yes. Yeah, so I have a lot going The whole rest of the year is done, baby.
01:15:22
Speaker
Done. Locked and loaded. And um I want to just... Book and bless. You're going to gush. Book and bless. There will be any other appearances in a WGI future for Miss Latrice Setout? If I have anything to do with it, yes.
01:15:40
Speaker
I got my entire life this past season and it was so much fun ah to be back. It was fun to be in a gym again with Amp and literally do 10 hour camp days and that was, you know. How was that 10 hour camp days?
01:15:58
Speaker
Baby! Who I forget!
01:16:04
Speaker
I forgot. But it paid off. I had a blast. All of a sudden, I was dancing and teaching dance choreography. I was like, come on, let's do this, honey. Yes, dance choreo. I can actually say my choreo was on the final floor, darling. Yes, it was.
01:16:21
Speaker
Yes. But we had the blast. And so if there's any things have to do y'all, I'll definitely be back. So for sure. i Love that.
Social Media and Listener Engagement
01:16:33
Speaker
Well, I am going to gush about the fact that the wonderful world of the pageantry arts has a way of bringing people together and how full circle life moments happen.
01:16:47
Speaker
And someone that I met in passing at WGI a million years ago, who is friends with all of my South Florida friends, who also happens to be an international superstar, is and my guest room right now,
01:17:01
Speaker
the internet having me cackling for over an hour and a half at this point in time um that i get to live in this moment and i'm just going to be present for this moment and appreciate it and latrice i love you so much and i'm just so thankful that you took time out of your busy schedule to come back and have a little kiki with the color guard children honey and our Our Tim from Hotel California and all the other iconic shows that you were part of and having this moment with us. So we are so thankful that you took this time to just be here with us and share your life and your story with us. So that's what I'm gushing about today.
01:17:46
Speaker
Well, thank you. I receive it. love you both as well. And thank you for having me. Thank thinking me. And yeah, is this is just the re-beginning of things. We are...
01:17:57
Speaker
We're in it. I'm back, honey. mean um'm i got Now that I get to pick and choose, I'm choosing. I'm choosing. She's coming out her mouth. She's coming out of her mouth. She's coming out her mouth. She's coming out of her mouth. It's about to enter the drum break. Watch out. She's going to enter the drum break. Yes. Okay.
01:18:11
Speaker
Well, thank you, Jeremy, for joining me today. It's called Gush and Go, not Gush and Stay. Let's go. Well, I was trying and then you just started playing without me. So, you know, thank you, Jeremy, for joining me. And of course, thank you, Latrice.
01:18:27
Speaker
We all know where to find you on social media for sure. But will you give us a quick rundown of where our listeners can find you on all of the things? Sure. Facebook and Instagram. I'm Latrice Royale.
01:18:42
Speaker
and I don't use the X very much, but I'm Latrice. Yeah. Latrice Royale Inc. And then well on TikTok, Latrice Royale Inc. Oh, she on the ticket talking too. Baby, I'm there, but I'm not.
01:18:55
Speaker
Ain't about home. I'm going to ask, was there like a maybe social media post of you spinning color guard on a TikTok or something? Yes. Very much so. Yeah, I think you need to get it. Where's the Latrice choreo on TikTok? I think that's a big moment for you.
01:19:11
Speaker
Okay. I can, i can yeah, because I can definitely. Yeah, I think you need like a 5, 6, 7, 8 on there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. So, you know, just so everyone knows, that's Royale spelled with a R-O-Y-A-L-E, honey. Please, please don't forget the E. Give her the respect on the end of the name that she deserves, honey. Yes. But anyway, listeners, you got a question or a good topic to talk about, email us at onawaterbreak at gmail.com or find us on social media and DM us if you want to be on the show.
01:19:44
Speaker
We even have a form now to fill out if you want to be a guest. We love having people on the podcast like our good sister Latrice. So check that out at our link in the bio on our social media, or you could just take out your phone and make a video and send it to us and maybe you'll see yourself on the podcast soon.
01:20:02
Speaker
One more thing. Don't forget, we have a YouTube channel now, so go and subscribe so you can see all of us there. Also, before you close out of your podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review, and share this with a friend.
01:20:15
Speaker
Follow us on social media at At A Water Break, and we'll see you at the next rehearsal on A Water Break.
01:20:26
Speaker
The On a Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Reams. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit LidaMusic.com.
01:20:37
Speaker
And until next time, thanks for tuning
01:20:44
Speaker
super