He's
been called "a show biz messiah" and "a talented man truly on his
way to the
top." He's been described as an "engaging" and "incredible" performer.
But get to know
Jade Esteban Estrada, and see for
yourself why this Latin entertainer is receiving
so much praise from critics around the world.
The 29-year-old San Antonio native is touring
the U.S. with his one-man show
"ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World,
Vol. 1," in which he portrays six figures
from past to present that he considers iconic: Sappho, Michelangelo, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude
Stein, Sylvia Rivera, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Estrada interacts with the audience during his
performance, and even his wardrobe changes take
place on stage. He says he loves communicating
with his viewers. "Keeping an audience
interested, in the TV generation, is a
challenge. That's why live theater separates the
men from the boys in the entertainment
industry."
"ICONS
Vol. 1" debuted in September 2002.
Estrada also created
"ICONS:
The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol.
2,"
which premiered in September 2004, and he
already has a
Volume 3, which will debut in
September 2006. He portrays different characters
in each volume.
Volume 1 will celebrate its
100th performance in Los Angeles in about three
weeks.
Because he works so much, Estrada says he hasn't
spent enough time "smelling the roses ... I've
lived such a fast life. It's nice to send a
Christmas card sometimes. It's nice to talk to a
friend on the phone. I feel like I'm just now
getting to know my family."
Estrada is a a chameleon on and off stage. In
1994, he won the award for Funniest Amateur
Comic in New York at Stand-Up New York. In 2001,
his album "Angel" was released on the Vicarious Records
label. Estrada was also a choreographer and lead
dancer for the multi-talented Latin star Charo
(you remember, the "Cuchi, Cuchi girl").
In summer 2005, Estrada will star in the new
reality TV show, "Quintessential ... New York" on VOOM TV, and he currently plays bit parts in
Comedy Central's "The Graham Norton Effect". He
says for his last role on the show he was
spanked by a dominatrix. "My most challenging
role ever," Estrada joked. "I wore little tight
spandex shorts and the girl kept spanking me. I
had to say 'ouch' a lot."
But being an entertainer wasn't the only path in
life Estrada thought he would follow. "I really
thought I was going to go into the clergy," he
says. "[Church] was so grand and theatrical.
It's a big Broadway show!" Estrada says that
while experimenting with different religions,
the Catholic faith made a big impression on him.
He might have been a history professor, but in
acting, "the costumes are more fun."
Estrada says he learned a lesson from the GOP
last year. "They went grassroots to get their
philosophies publicized." He plans to do the
same. "I'm taking my show to every town in this
country that will have me. My show in San
Antonio is part of that. My show is not a gay
thing, it's a human thing."
©2005 San Antonio Current
