He
sings, he dances, he acts, he's a comedian.
At 29,
Jade Esteban Estrada
is a
self-described "multitasking Latino
performer."
He
has appeared on PBS's "In the Life"
and Comedy Central's "Graham Norton
Effect." He toured Europe with Andrew Lloyd
Webber's "Starlight Express." His
music can be heard on FX's police drama
"The Shield," and he's released two
albums. He's danced with Charo, Madonna and
Jennifer Lopez.
This week he's coming to Omaha to perform two
self-written, one-man musicals about gay icons
from history. From here, he will head to Lincoln
for two shows Monday, then Norfolk for two shows
Wednesday.
"ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the
World, Vol. 1"
travels forward through time
with vignettes from the lives of Sappho,
Michelangelo, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde,
Sylvia Rivera (who was at the Stonewall riots
that started the gay-rights movement) and Ellen
DeGeneres.
Volume 2 makes a similar journey with Alexander
the Great, Queen Christina of Sweden, Susan B.
Anthony, Billie Jean King, Harvey Milk and Mark
Bingham (a hero from the 9/11 flight that
crashed in Pennsylvania).
To Estrada, the show is not about being gay but
about the human experience shared by all. All
the shows are fund-raisers for Rainbow
Celebrations, which is planning events for the
20th anniversary Nebraska Pride celebration June
9 to 12.
In between recording, doing comedy and being in
movies, Estrada has performed at 132 gay pride
events over the past four years, including
headlining last year's Nebraska Pride
celebration with his Latin pop singing.
He's not tired.
"Every time I do a show I feel like I'm
rediscovering old friends," Estrada said by
phone from his home in San Antonio last week. He
doesn't mean the characters in his show. He
means the audience.
"Comedy is making connections. If you don't
make a connection with the audience in the first
seven seconds, you're dead."
And comedy, he said, has to be honest to work.
"I'm telling stories, not doing
impersonations," he said. "It was hard
finding well-known characters, but I love
history. And I love the people who put on pride
events. They're the hardest-working people
you'll ever meet. They're unsung heroes."
©2005 Omaha World-Herald
