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Lady Elaine

Seminal drag diva gears up for White Party Week

A A A Comments By Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik Thursday, Nov 17 2005

Elaine Lancaster's arrival in Miami was hardly the auspicious event she'd hoped for. "I moved here on July 15, 1997, to work for the Versace family. Unfortunately that was the day Gianni was murdered. It was heartbreaking," says the statuesque queen, who, despite the tragedy, decided to give Miami the old college try. "When I first came, I thought, I could never live here. Now I can't imagine living anywhere else."

Dale Stine

Three times a lady

Details

begins Tuesday, November 22, and runs through Monday, November 28. Call 305-576-1234, or visit www.whiteparty.com for a complete list of events.

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Eight years after her fateful arrival, it's difficult to imagine South Beach without a head-turning Elaine Lancaster appearance somewhere, towering above the crowd like a platinum beacon. Things have come full circle for Miami's favorite drag diva. As the official hostess for Care Resource's White Party Week, Lancaster will welcome guests to the Casa Casuarina VIP Brunch Reception Friday, November 25, whooping it up with the likes of Janice Dickinson, Carson Kressley, and Billy Bean in the beautiful building where Gianni Versace lived and died.

Though billed among White Party Week's performers, Lancaster will simply show up looking fabulous and make sure everybody's having fun. "Honey, my appearance unto itself is a performance," she laughs. "I think of my drag as art. Everything you see is a product of paint and powder. But the end result is great, and these parties are going to be great."

Lancaster will bring sweaty White Party action into living rooms nationwide, when she hosts QTV's Q on the Move from the Muscle Beach party and celebrity volleyball tournament Sunday, November 27. She's particularly looking forward to the 21st annual White Party at Vizcaya. "There's a certain magic in the air that night," Lancaster gushes. "And it's all in the name of AIDS fundraising. I'm so proud to be a part of Care Resource and the White Party. You know, the tickets [for the Casa Casuarina VIP brunch] cost $250. If I can sell that fucker out, then I've done a good deed."

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