Divinesque

The Legend of Divinesque

As a solo act in a small venue or on a big stage, Bryan Greenwood’s "Divinesque" character knows how to command an audience. With skillful performance and musical production, he creates a full-on dance and music concert that can only be compared to a thrill ride.

A long-time participant in the Toronto Gay Scene, Bryan’s tenure as legendary drag queen/performance artist began in 1981 when he premiered at Club Manatee under the name Amy Gallagher. Not content to be another lip-sync queen, Bryan performed Broadway and movie material, using dance and choreography to spice up his routines.

Bryan’s early act easily set him apart. With a background in dance and theatre, it was clear that Bryan had more than stage presence. He had the ability to hold an audience rapt and take them through the emotional nuances and outrageous moments of each performance.

Within a year Bryan joined the Great Imposters, headed by Rusty Ryan. Changing his stage name to Dana Gallagher, Bryan enjoyed success across Canada’s "straight" hotel show rooms, lounges and dinner theatres. Drag performance was fast becoming more than niche entertainment enjoyed bya few – no wonder with talent such as Bryan’s leading the way.

After a break to pursue a Dance Performance degree and professional dance company experience, Bryan returned to drag performance with a trio called Dana and the Boys. As diva Dana Gallagher, Bryan spearheadedthis one-of-a-kind ensemble, featuring corps-style choreography and a dash of sass.

In 1989 Bryan joined Toronto’s fledgling Evening at La Cage, performing for the first time under his own name. An eerie look-alike impersonation of Anne Murray was a specialty, though other impersonations included Carol Channing and Charo. In 1992, Bryan became the show’s host, with a challenging 14 stand-up routines and costume changes every night.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Bryan obtained a BFA in Music Composition and Theory in 2000. From then on, music composition and production was his driving passion. His credits as a producer, arranger and writer are impressive and far-reaching, into the international markets, where his work enjoys distribution with several major labels.

However, a chance meeting in 2006 got Bryan thinking about drag performance again. He had already married dance to drag. But what about the music? Now with his own recording studio, Bryan could push the envelope once more by creating his own music to sing live. And thus Divinesque was born. Using the late Divine as inspiration, Bryan gave life and breath to his new creation, and he's taking the community by storm again. His 2008 Concert for PRIDE Toronto attracted a rapt and engaged mob audience of over 3,000 people within 10 minutes of hitting the stage. No more a lip-sync queen, but a full-fledged performance artist, Divinesque is at once homage and inspired ingenuity. With that in mind, Bryan is currently producing the release of his first CD and preparing to take no prisoners as he gets ready to travel abroad through Canada, The U.S. and Europe.

Talent? Got it. Presence? You bet. Energy? To the max. Legendary? Legendary indeed!