Shequida
Gary Hall, also known as Shequida Hall or mononymously as Shequida, is a classically trained opera singer, songwriter, playwright, and drag artist, born in Jamaica.
He attended Juilliard, where he studied with noted bass-baritone Simon Estes.
As the female character Shequida, he has been the USA Network's spokesperson for Latin America. From 1997 to 1998 he played Wendi Mercury on the daytime television show One Life to Live.[1] He starred in Daron Hagen's Vera of Las Vegas for its world premier in 2003.[2]
His Off-Broadway show, Opera for Dummies, garnered a positive review in The Boston Phoenix,[3] and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.
In 2008, Shequida appeared on the TV reality competition America's Got Talent, getting into the Top 40 for the third season,[4] but was eliminated, later saying in an interview that the experience "was very weird."[5]
Shequida has headlined in a summer show in Cherry Grove, New York in 2013 and 2014.[6] [7]
References
- TV.com's One Life to Live site
- Vera of Las Vegas casts Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Donahue, Anne Marie (August 30, 2001). "Operation Offensive: OUT on the Edge is queer to the core". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- Juergens, Brian (August 6, 2008). "Shequida and two celebrity impersonators bring the diva to "America's Got Talent"". The Backlot by LogoTV. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- Shapiro, Eileen (June 16, 2014). "SHEQUIDA: "I never expected to be a woman"". Get Out Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- Gelbert, Bruce-Michael (June 2014). "Shequida, with Guest Dancers & Crystal Demure, Begins Ice Palace Season on Memorial Day". Fire Island Q News. FireIslandQnews. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- n.a. (May 9, 2014). "Season Opening Celebration". Grove Hotel website. Retrieved September 29, 2014.