By John Hayden, Denny Patterson, Will White
Over the last five months, OutClique has had the privilege of spotlighting the dazzling divas of Stilettos, a weekly two-hour extravaganza at The Pub On the Drive in Wilton Manors. We’ve learned about their individual journeys into the Drag World, their plans for the future, and the countless philanthropic endeavors that many of them spearhead.
It’s been an honor to share their stories with our OutClique family of readers. We hope you’ve had as much fun getting to know them as we have! As we come to an end of this particular spotlight series, we wanted to share a little recap about each of the Divas. Catch the amazing queens of Stilettos every Monday at 8PM at The Pub On the Drive!
Candy Cox
The Queen of these queens is Miss Candy Cox. “I’m the last of the originals,” she told OutClique backstage before a show. Stilettos began seven years ago as a country show and bounced around a couple of bars before finding its permanent home at Pub On the Drive.
Since then, Candy has been the driving force behind the show’s evolution. These days the five permanent hosts also welcome guest queens. “Every week we take turns hosting. [The host] is in charge of the lineup and special guests.” The drag community is large and South Florida is a magnet for new and established queens.
“I just enjoy it. I’ve met so many people through drag. I love entertaining. I love the girls I work with. We love this bar. They treat us like royalty.”
Mercury Rising-Cox
“Mercury Rising-Cox is all about community and what kind of stance I can take in it, in a way that is inspiring to not only my younger self, but everyone around me. I always strive to be my most authentic version both in public and online because I realized that the influence that we have doesn’t stop just on stage. The world always looks to entertainers for that laugh, moment of hope, and humanity, if you will.”
“For myself, I would say my future goal is to make it on a national level. I hope to be recognized as that entertainer from Wilton Manors who started at the Stilettos show to bring more awareness and attention to our venue, city, and state in a positive manner.”
Sharde’ L Ross
When South Florida female impersonator Sharde’ L Ross performs every Monday night at The Pub in Wilton Manors, audiences know they are in for one heck of an evening.
“Sharde’ is a very classy female impersonator and always professional. There are certain girls that you see in the circuit, and every time you see them, you’re guaranteed a great show. You go to them because you’re guaranteed a great show. Because of that, I said to myself, why can’t I be one of those individuals? Why can’t I be the girl where it’s like, oh, Sharde’ is in the show? Let’s go because we know she’s going to give us her best. That’s what I based my entire career on.”
“It’s just not a drag show for us. It’s a chance to entertain, make somebody smile, and take them out of their day. We want them to call their girlfriends and say, I’m at the Pub, come on over!”
Leila Cox
When Leila Cox takes the stage, you know it, and she owns it. That’s not an easy task when you’re sharing the stage with four other fierce performers like she does every Monday at The Pub on the Drive in Wilton Manors.
“I’ve been doing drag for ten years,” she told OutClique. “This is the big opportunity that you, as a drag queen, have been waiting for. A bar to support you and open the door for you. Your name is up there. The community knows you up there. You know the community, you help the community. They know you outside and inside of drag.”
In the end, she says all the fun and personal fulfillment is derived from the energy and love of her fans. “Thank you guys! Thanks for coming to us. We’re here for you. You haven’t seen the last of me!”
Verandah Lanai
“Verandah Lanai is ‘the front porch and the back porch.’ She’s got southern sass and a lot of class! Verandah is, without a doubt, someone with style, grace, and most importantly, humility. Ultimately, she is a performer at heart and has been ever since she was just a youngster.”
“Stilettos gave me my start in drag. It was a chance that I needed. I was guided by some of the best queens who helped me on my path and became my Stilettos family. Without that, I would not be Verandah and I am grateful to all my sisters who have been and are a part of Stilettos.”
“I hope that Stilettos gets even bigger than it already is with gaining new audiences and new fans. Over the years, we have crafted a very well-run, professional show. We will continue to achieve our future goals at Pub on the Drive because we have a mutual support system: the owners, management, staff, and resident DJ Bill Hallquist.”
