To be a professional, is to make the impossible seem easy. As Jade Esteban

Estrada transforms in front of an audience from the dour Gertrude Stein into the flamboyant transgender hustler Sylvia Rivera during a performance of "ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 1," one can't help but ask, "How does he do it?"

     Born on Lackland Air Force Base, Jade's roots are deeply planted in San Antonio. The eldest of three children, he seemed to be a natural entertainer, performing in the school choir and on stage. Even then, he strived to be original. "My earliest memory of performing was at Morrill Elementary School when I was a singer and dancer in a Mexican folkloric number called "La Cucaracha." I wore a sombrero and I remember thinking that this was a song that no one head ever heard before. I remember thinking "this is gonna blow them away! Watch this!"

     It was perhaps that naiveté that allowed him to pursue the performing arts despite limited support from his family. His father had big plans for him to follow in his footsteps by enlisting in the Army and frequently attempted to steer Jade away from the arts. His mother, was perhaps more torn between wanting to protect her son and wanting to encourage him. "My mother was afraid that people would think I was gay so she really had a problem buying my dance gear. It was like an episode of "Mission Impossible" when we went to buy my first ballet slippers. 'Just don't tell your father,' she'd say, constantly looking behind her back."

     It wasn't long for others to take not of Jade's innate showmanship. He describes being awarded a full scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City, as the best thing that every happened to him. As a young talented performer with moderate success, its easy to become cocky. The move to New York, was an eye-opening experience, one that would help ground Jade for the rest of his adult life.

     "I went to New York thinking I was the most talented person in the world and that everyone needed to know who I was. When I walked out of the Astoria Building, I realized that I didn't know the first thing about show business and that I needed to learn."

     The transition from the Alamo City to the Big Apple was an adjustment for the enigmatic artist who took the culture shock with receptiveness. "I was taken back by the various cultures I had to get used to. I was also surprised by 'the code.' If you spoke Spanish to another Spanish-speaking person in New York, you could get almost anything you needed. If you spoke English, you were just like everyone else."

     Jade would spend many years in New York. He would work as an assistant to the Tony award-winning actress Zoe Caldwell and in 1994, won the coveted award for Funniest Amateur Comic in New York. In addition, his singing talents would secure him a position as a scratch vocalist for the Back Street Boys. Jade would study dance with Slam from Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour, alongside Jennifer Lopez. His dedication proved fruitful when he obtained a position as the head choreographer to notable classical guitarist Charo. "Charo's show is a well-oiled machine," says the Latin star. "She starts the show on time by the second. She sets up her jokes with such scientific exactness that you wonder how a human being can do that every night the same way. I learned onstage discipline from her."

     The pressures of New York weren't easy, but he recommends the move to performers conflicted with venturing outside of Texas. "In New York or LA, you are faceless. You rise to the occasion or you do not." Every performer has questioned whether show business is the true calling. Times get hard, money runs out, and rejection becomes a normal part of everyday life. Jade, who spoke five languages at the time, considered becoming a linguist and even considered leaving the business altogether.

     But like any lifer, Jade's concerns were quickly answered after a late night performance of "Stormy Weather" in Greenwich Village. It was about 1 a.m. and Jade was at a piano bar, singing for the few people gathered at that hour. After his song, a very serious looking stranger with glasses made his way to Jade, kissed him on the forehead, clutched his hand and said "Go back. You belong on stage." With that, the stranger walked out and disappeared from view. Jade would never doubt his calling again.

     He would eventually return to San Antonio. Living in New York was no longer a necessity. With so many out of town performances, he quickly realized that it didn't matter what city he was based in.

     In recent years, he has had tremendous success with his critically acclaimed one-person shows, such as "Tortilla Heaven" and the "ICONS" trilogy. In the "ICONS" trilogy, he portrays a series of history's notable lesbian and gay figures. The musical show is performed in the first person as each character provides not only a history lesson of their contributions to society, but also the fundamental human desire to love and be loved in return, in a world that perpetuates prejudice and persecution. It's a provocative interpretation that has turned Jade into an icon himself.

     The Latin star created the series after a failed relationship. For him, it was about self-healing. As he puts it, "creating something beautiful for my own amusement." His intention was simple: to show the world the accomplishments of gay people through ages with laughter and tears.

     But like any controversial subject, there are misunderstandings, assumptions, and prejudgment. A fact of life that is incredibly frustrating for an artist who wants to articulate a vision. "the biggest misinterpretation about 'ICONS' comes from the people who have never seen it. Some people think it's a drag show and actually think I'm going to do Cher, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler and then for the big finale, Diana Ross. 'ICONS' is not a drag show." He's right. It's not. "ICONS" is a performance of equal caliber to any other musical headlining across the country. And like any good story, it has one necessary characteristic - it has a message.

     "I approached it like a beauty pageant," he says about the selection process. " I took a lot of people in history and narrowed it down until I finally got o the six in the first volume. Greg Louganis did so well in the swimsuit competition, I had to award him placement in 'ICONS 3.'"

     His efforts have not gone unnoticed. NBC coined him America's Prince of Pride. "At first I was shocked that NBC called me the prince of anything. After the initial excitement wore off, I felt inspired to represent the Pride events with dignity and higher entertainment standards. Performing in aire libre is a lot harder that it looks."

     Jade devotes much of his time to Pride events across the country. "Pride events are to me, what MTV is to Madonna. They are home base. They put me on the map. I owe them a lot." Jade has headlined or been the Master of Ceremonies at almost every major city in the world. In 2002, he became the first American musical artist to ever headline the Pride event concerts in Denmark and Iceland and he represented the United States at Europride twice.

     His ambassadorship recently took an unexpected twist when he received a phone call a few months back. He was contacted by an associate of a colleague and was asked to be the spokesperson for MTV Networks' Hispanic Heritage Month. So in mid-September, Jade flew back to New York despite it being his birthday. " I have wanted my whole life to enter the sacred halls of MTV Networks, " he says of the thrilling experience. "It was interesting that it was not my dancing, singing, acting, or comedy that brought me there, but my activism." Jade would fin out that it wasn't only MTV who was interested in him, but also Logo, VH-1, Spike TV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. Not a bad birthday present.

     Only two weeks before Jade had been onstage performing in San Antonio in the time-based production of "TheatreASAP." The event, which is headed by the San Antonio Theatre Coalition (SATCO), takes place over a period of 24 hours. Playwrights are given a phrase, a prop, and a non-specific cast list starting at 8 p.m. They then must incorporate those elements and hand their scripts over the next morning to directors to be performed by actors on stage that evening. With only a few hours for rehearsing, the project requires dedicated, skilled performers who embrace pressure.

     "The most challenging aspect of 'TheatreASAP' was the need to adapt to the script, the cast, the director, the space, and your role almost immediately. I love situations like that. It's like a challenge to 'just be good' any which way you can. It's also a great opportunity to honestly see where your weaknesses lie."

     So on that September night, when the curtains rose to a jam-packed theater at San Pedro Playhouse, Jade stepped on stage to perform, "In My Hands, The Stars, The Stars."

     The play focused on a group of brothers and sisters who had gathered after their mother's death. But unlike most families, this one was different. They were all adopted and with their mother no longer around, the now grown children had to decide what to do with their adopted autistic brother, played by Jade.

     As an actor, playing a disability can be overwhelming. With a delicate role such as this, there is a fine balance that must be achieved. There is a necessity to portray mannerisms and characteristics associated with the disability. But if not done sensitively, it could be perceived as mocking or insulting. "That was a challenging role for me, "he says. "One of the actresses in the cast has a brother who is autistic and she gave us many valuable notes on the facts of autism. The playwright actually gave me a lot of information on the subject. I approach my acting very mathematically. I put all the facts and circumstances in the pool and then I close my eyes and jump in. All the work that happens on stage take place during rehearsal. During a performance, it is the time to just be.

     The night ended well and with adulation from both critics and theatergoers. With six plays viewed that night, the success of everyone participating is all the more exciting. "There is nothing like the feeling of camaraderie; the sound and feel of blended talents." (Read the San Antonio-Express News review here.)

     Life has taught many lessons to Jade, who has never forgotten his roots. To this day, he lives surrounded by his family and his close friends. "My circle, which is what I call people who are closest to me, are a select few. They empower me, they support me and they know they can rely on me to do the same for them."

     Show business is like no other business. It has a reputation for straining relationships and fueling bitter feuds. "I make an effort to pay 100% attention to the people I'm with, when I'm with them. Time is very precious and I will probably die one day having spent half my life with people I've only met once."

     With his diverse interests and multitude of accomplishments Jade has one wish, "to be remembered s the greatest actress who ever lived." He's also a realist and so with each new day, he reminds himself, "blessed is he who knows that at any moment it can all be taken away."

    

©2007 Southwest Actors Guide