Say ‘Hello Gorgeous’ at the Leeds Center this weekend
Published 9:00 am Friday, October 13, 2023
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The bright lights will shine on one of Winchester’s favorite performers this weekend.
Ms. Niagara Falls, along with Helena Handbasket, Mya Pinion and Sasha Grant, will grace the Leeds Center for the Arts stage on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the benefit show “Hello, Gorgeous.”
“We are having another fundraiser for Leeds. It is another drag show performance,” said Brett Cheuvront, who plays Falls.
Pinion and Handbasket are making their Winchester returns after performing in “That’s Entertainment” at Leeds earlier this year.
“They are all from Lexington and perform around the city and are very well known in the drag community in this area,” Cheuvront said.
Both are excited to return and hope to draw a crowd.
“They enjoy the theater here,” Cheuvront said. “A lot of their fans will follow them over here.”
Grant will be making her Winchester debut.
But no matter what number visit it is for the three to Clark County, one thing is for sure: they will put on a heck of a show.
“Helena can sing…She will sing one song live and then pantomime. And Sasha also can sing but will be pantomiming her songs. I don’t think they specialize in any genre of music; it is just what they like,” Cheuvront said.
Cheuvront has previously performed in Winchester as Falls on three occasions, twice to benefit local animal charities and once for the Leeds Center.
“She loves animals and she loves the theater,” Cheuvront said about the causes near and dear to Falls’ heart.
At her core, Falls is “a classy broad” born for the stage.
“I like to think that Ms. Niagara is a classy entertainer. All of her shows are very family-friendly,” Cheuvront said.
The Leeds Center is thrilled to have Falls and her guests perform. Their last show in March raised over $12,000.
“We are so excited and thankful for Ms. Niagara for hosting another fundraiser for us,” said the center’s Ellie Miller. “The last one made such a difference in our operating and our ability to expand our programs.”
Leeds is known for hosting numerous shows, concerts and community events during the year, but also provides programming to encourage the performing arts in the community.
“We have an arts education program called SPARK, which are classes for young people and adults in singing, dancing, acting and we have a brand new rock university, which is a rock band class for middle school students,” Miller said.
The center also has a teen board to provide leadership opportunities for high school students and recently started a new program called LEAP to help recent college graduates get their start in the arts.
Cheuvront said he thinks Winchester would not be the same without the center, which is why he wants to raise money for it.
“If we did not have Leeds, the community would fall apart,” he said. “It brings in so much entertainment…Leeds is a place where everyone feels safe no matter what your background, your religion or your sexual orientation.”
And that is at the core of the center’s mission, especially regarding young people.
“The largest part of our mission is to provide a safe place for young people where they can make friends and feel comfortable in who they are,” Miller said.
To see the show or support Leeds, tickets for “Hello, Gorgeous” can be purchased online at www.leedscenter.org.