Princess Peaches
Paul Corrie's drag alter-ego gets by with a little help from his team
Sometimes it takes a village — and a video game — to raise a drag queen.
“My college roommates and I would spend quite a bit of time playing Super Mario World,” Paul Corrie says, “and they always designated me as the Peach character.” So years later, once Corrie “started embracing my drag persona,” he decided to adopt Princess Peach’s name, and adapt it as Peaches.
You’ve probably seen the name in the past year or so, if you haven’t actually caught her act at venues around D.C., particularly at Town. Most of the time, Corrie has a crop of people with him when performing as Peaches — hence the group name Team Peaches. “We view ourselves as a full-on, high-level production,” explains Corrie, going beyond drag and beyond merely dance to include cheerleading and stunts. Aside from Peaches, the team is led by Caleb Holifield, who doubles as artistic director and principal choreographer/dancer, as well as stage manager Barbara Kurzeja. The core roster currently includes six other dancers: Jonathan Bascope, who also assists with choreography, Victoria Ramm, Joshua Chambers, Aaron Jackson, Mikey Quidort, and Luigi Byron. “As we evolve and establish ourselves, I’m trying to showcase how amazing each and every one of us are through team performances.”
Born and raised in Vienna, Va., the 37-year-old Corrie says his parents are supportive and have been to almost every Peaches event. “I don’t think that they 100-percent understand it,” he says, “but they completely respect it, and they unconditionally love and support me.” Same goes for Corrie’s husband Steve Ewens, who’s part of what you could call Homestead Peaches in Mount Pleasant but isn’t a performing member of the team. “He’s a supporter of Team Peaches — always there, but on the sidelines.”
By day, Corrie runs Paul Corrie Interiors as well as a second business, the airbrush tanning salon Fit To Be Tan on U Street, a couple doors down from Vida Fitness. As he explains, “An airbrush tanning salon is where you go and a technician applies a custom airbrushed tan to your body, so that you have what appears to be a tan for seven to 10 days” — a temporary fix without the lifetime risks that using a regular tanning bed can cause. While very different pursuits, both day jobs are related — as is his nighttime gig as Peaches, for that matter — “in that they’re both about lifestyle and aesthetics, and people wanting to be beautiful and around beautiful things.”
Corrie concedes he’s been spending increasing amounts of time over the past six months or so further enhancing his alter-ego Peaches. “Yeah, I’m another one — I did try out for RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he says. The experience helped him learn more about his abilities as well as “how much harder I can push myself.” He plans to tryout again for season eight.
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In the meantime, he plans to ramp up his performance gigs, both around town as well on the road. “Peaches really kind of embodies all of the characteristics that I have, [while shielded] from the negativity or insecurities that one might encounter on a daily basis.” He cites Donatella Versace, Amal Clooney and Beyonce as inspirations for the character. “Peaches lives life to the fullest,” he sums up, “and maximizes all opportunities in not only bettering herself but enabling those who surround her to shine.”
Peaches performs during the drag show Saturday, Nov. 22, at 10:30 p.m., at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th NW. Cover is $8. Call 202-234-TOWN or visit towndc.com or facebook.com/TeamPeachesDC.
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