WMU Welcomes New Artist

Drag performer Misael DeJesus joins the WMU Theatre Department for their 2026-27 season. DeJesus, a Grand Rapids drag performer known as Gabriella (Gabby) Stratton Galore, will work to consult and choreograph Kinky Boots, a musical heavily featuring drag. 

“Gabriella is a dancing queen!” Kinky Boots director Jay Berkow said. “If you go to see her act, she is flying.” 

Kinky Boots and drags go hand in hand. It follows Lola, a drag queen, as she joins the ranks with Charlie to turn his struggling factory around by making sturdy performance heels for drag queens. 

“I feel like Kinky Boots is a great primer into the world of drag and a lovely reminder that we are all more similar than we realize,” DeJesus said.  

Despite Kinky Boots premiering over 13 years ago, its story remains relevant. Its strong themes of prejudice and self-acceptance shine through and apply in day-to-day life.  

DeJesus finds Kinky Boots is “a great story that utilizes queerness as a device to show commonality amongst all walks of life and how we can help each other even when we seem worlds apart.” 

Performing Since the Beginning 

DeJesus has loved theatre since he was a kid; performing is just who he is.  

DeJesus found his passion for drag before he even knew what drag was. Before the stage, he was just a boy in his mom’s T-shirts and heels, discovering his authentic self.  

“Halloween was always an opportune time to play in the image of female role models I loved back in the day,” DeJesus reminisced. 

In 3rd grade he formally began his theatre journey; he was hooked. By high school, DeJesus worked at the historic Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, MI performing various leading roles. With his extensive experience, he studied at Grand Valley State University for Musical Theatre Performance with a minor in voice. After two years, DeJesus dropped out to pursue cosmetology; but that did not stop him from pursuing his dreams. 

With his ongoing interest in drag, DeJesus decided to try it formally. He competed in the amateur Drag Queen of the Year Pageant and won.  

That win launched a three-year pageant journey, earning DeJesus 11 titles and beginning an over 15 year drag career. 

Collaborating with Others 

Switching gears from performer to choreographer did not come without its challenges for DeJesus. But he had the help of his co-choreographer, senior Alyssa Hyska. 

“It’s been a great combination of the two of them together” Berkow says. “Alyssa is giving more traditional ‘this is how you put the choreography into the body of the dancers’ and Gabriella is contextualizing it, so they understand what it’s like to dance as a drag queen.” 

Kinky Boots is all about unexpected relationships and finding community. This manifests itself in the production team as well. Collaboration is key. 

“Gabby's firsthand experience in the drag world helped make sure we covered each other and made the show stronger as a whole,” said Hyska.  

DeJesus and Hyska’s choreography is an amalgamation of joy, energy and sass. Each performer’s unique characteristics shine through each step to help create a cohesive and dynamic story. 

Finding Authenticity 

But collaboration does not come without challenges. Kinky Boots features seven drag queens, Lola and her back up dancers, the Angels. The production team did not want to create Broadway dancers in heels and dresses; they wanted to create authentic drag performers.  

To achieve this, WMU Theatre Department hosted a student-led amateur drag night on Sept. 28. The event kicked off with a makeup workshop hosted by DeJesus, helping the Angels tackle the complicated techniques required for drag. Later, the students debuted their personas in a lip-sync performance.  

“Each of them brings so much exuberance and uniqueness to the characters they portray,” DeJesus commented.  

To DeJesus, WMU’s Kinky Boots production is an accessible introduction to drag. It helps tear down stereotypes and build comradery across the board.   

“I hope the audience will see that drag is a beautiful art form of freedom of expression,” DeJesus expressed. “We have much more in common as human beings than we may realize despite how vastly different we may show up in the world.” 

Kinky Boots opens on Oct. 30 and will run until Nov. 15 in the Shaw Theater. Tickets are available online at wmutheatre.ludus.com or by calling the box office.