A ferocious turn as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ gave him star status, and a subsequent villainous splash in the recent ‘Dune: Part Two’ showed powerful range, but it’s his cover shoot for ‘Men’s Health’ by photographer Matthew Brookes that finally earns Austin Butler this Dazzler of the Day crowning.
Currently crooning over rapt audiences from her make-shift Argentinean balcony in London’s West End, Rachel Zegler earns her first Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to her impassioned portrayal of Eva Peron and a stunning turn in Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of ‘West Side Story’. Zegler is no stranger to illuminating any project in which she appears, such as recent outings in the Shazam and Hunger Games franchises. Personally, I’m on board for any vehicle which affords ample singing opportunities, because it’s her voice that truly soars.
While those of us who have thrilled to ‘The Gilded Age‘ since its first season go into withdrawal, eagerly awaiting Season 4 (which at its typical shooting and production pace won’t see the light of day for at least a year or two) I give you Ben Ahlers as Dazzler of the Day to tide you over. Ahlers played the inventor affectionately dubbed ‘clock twink’, and his character Jack Trotter endeared himself to viewers thanks to Ben’s earnest and winning portrayal. Until ‘The Gilded Age‘ returns, enjoy these other Dazzlers:
Multi-talented, multi-faceted, and multi-dimensional performer Jinkx Monsoon earns her first, and long-overdue, Dazzler of the Day honor thanks to a spectacular career trajectory that saw her triumphing on RuPaul’s Drag Race and currently treading the boards as the new lead in ‘Oh, Mary!’ With show-stopping turns in ‘Chicago’ and ‘The Pirates of Penzance’, along with a memorable appearance in the recent incarnation of ‘Dr. Who’, Jinkx has solidified her place in the performing arts stratosphere. Check out her website here.
Writer Justinian Huang earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to two books that have mesmerized readers for the past couple of years, especially those of us interested in intersectional LGBTQ+ themes and characters: ‘Lucky Seed’ and ‘The Emperor and the Endless Palace’ (the latter of which was recently named as a Stonewall Honor Book in Literature). Check out Justinian’s enchanting website here for further evidence of his brilliance.
Comedian and internet sensation Suzanne Lambert easily earns her first Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to her hilarious takedowns of the ridiculous MAGA crowd. Her journey is an interesting one, and as someone who was raised as a Republican, I understand the shift she’s experienced as she’s learned and met more people than our cloistered bubbles typically allow. Today she is a hero for the anti-MAGA push for freedom and acceptance, and works her magic with style, panache, and biting zingers. See her website here for further evidence of her brilliance.
Australian actor Ainsley Melham earns his first Dazzler of the Day crowning, and is currently treading the boards of Broadway in ‘Boop! The Musical’. Check out Ainsley’s website here and make a visit to ‘Boop! The Musical’ if you’re in New York.
Tony-award-winning (and currently nominated) triple-threat Jonathan Groff earns this egregiously-overdue Dazzler of the Day crowning thanks to a career of inspiring performances and indelible acts. From his scene-stealing antics as the King in ‘Hamilton‘ and his current reign as Bobby Darin in ‘Just In Time’, to his notable turns on ‘Glee‘ and the leads on ‘Looking’ and ‘Mindhunter’, Groff has amassed a deserved fan-base for his multitude of talents. He thrills and dazzles and impresses with every fiber of his being, the truest Broadway baby in the best possible sense of the term.
“I’ve been singing and kissing mirrors since I was six.” ~ Auli’i Cravalho
Same! For that relatable reason alone, Auli’i Cravalho has my heart – she also earns this Dazzler of the Day thanks to star-making turns in ‘Moana’, ‘Mean Girls’, and ‘Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club’. Check out her Insta here.
Artists make the best Dazzlers of the Day, thanks to their largely compassionate view of humanity, and a desire to share the human experience with the world. Vincent Chong is no exception, hence this Dazzler of the Day honor, and they have turned their life into one magnificent and expansive work of art. Check out Vincent’s website here, and the long list of work, exhibits, and artistic magic they have created over the years – it’s absolutely enthralling.
“I’m Vincent Ge-Ming Lia Chong aka Crystal Monkey. I am a Queer mixed-race Chinese-American artist, Chinese calligrapher, seal engraver, and performance artist. I am based in Brooklyn, New York. I am a student of Taipei-based calligrapher Wu Wensheng. My work explores the intersection of my experience as a contemporary Queer person with traditional art practice. I make paintings of members of my Queer and Trans chosen family and create performances combining the traditional practice of live calligraphy performance with Queer nightlife, drag, gogoboy, and gymnastics.”
In honor of his birthday, as well as an impressive body of work that runs the gamut from television to literature, Chris Colfer earns his first Dazzler of the Day here. Rocketing into pop culture orbit on ‘Glee’, Colfer has gone on to write several best-selling books with his ‘Land of Stories’ series while being a powerful and vocal advocate for equality and justice. Happy birthday Chris!
The current concerning corner of our fairy’s tale finds us located within fields queasily tinted of green – not verdant, fresh, summery green, but a decidedly sickly green, hinting at an acid green – a poisonous tone that comes soaked in forewarning and danger – something ominous, something disturbing, something that portends an irrevocable shift.
Something deadly.
There are faint echoes of a Weimar element at work here, and it makes me wonder: how far are we from that now? How far were we from it twenty years ago? And has this always been who we are? What a dismal, horrifying notion – and yet it’s something I have long suspected. When you’re been called faggot, when you’ve been ridiculed and attacked for how you look, what you wear, or the way you talk, then you tend to be a little suspicious of how intrinsically good people actually might be.
Horror is already at hand, and it’s not some silly flight of dress-up fancy.
Back in 2005, it seemed safer to play with such images. It felt like we’d never slide into that sort of world.
Now that feels quaint, and somehow both innocent and overly-trusting of our fellow citizens.
~ The Divine Diva Tour: A Fairy’s Tale ~
Joining co-star Pedro Pascal in this honor a couple years later, Bella Ramsey earns her first Dazzler of the Day thanks to her ongoing quest on ‘The Last of Us‘. While I’m still not over the dirty they did us in this season’s second episode, Ramsey continues to enthrall and fascinate with her tender and tortured travails, giving her character the kind of nuanced, volatile, and heartachingly visceral ferocity of an atypically typical teenager on an impossible journey.
Currently making beautiful music and romantic magic with Helen J. Shen in the refreshingly novel musical ‘Maybe Happy Ending‘, Darren Criss earns a long-overdue Dazzler of the Day honor for a career of musical glory. This marks the first time he has originated a role on Broadway, after astounding audiences in stage roles as varied as ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and ‘How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’. He’s perhaps best known for his role on ‘Glee’ and the subsequent Ryan Murphy series ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ for which he won seemingly all the awards (Emmy and Golden Globe). For his charmingly robotic role in ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ he has been nominated for a Tony Award. Check out the enchanting show at the Belasco theatre while he’s in it – you won’t be disappointed.
