Opera Tang On Their Drag Journey And The Driving Forces Behind The Art Form

I stepped into the photo studio, somewhat expecting the big, immediate presence of 28-year-old Opera Tang but instead found myself meeting a shy and gentle person. Opera smiled and gave me a firm handshake.

“Even when I’m in drag, I’m not necessarily loud. The beauty of drag is that it can be subtle, very artistic and abstract and I think most people have this stereotype or what they first think about drag is, because of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where drag is loud and sensational,” explains the soft-spoken Opera. “But that’s also okay because the loudness is what captures mainstream attention.”

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Opera shot to media attention in 2022 with Baby Queen, a locally produced documentary on their journey as a young drag queen, which made its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival. Drag was never Opera’s main job until last September when they were retrenched from a sales position at a tech company.

“Drag is an art form that I associate with movies and it can appeal to many different types of audiences,” says Opera. “Like to an adult audience, obviously I could say more adult stuff but to kids, I would totally chuck the adult stuff off the table. But that said, obviously there are politics in movies too. Baby Queen had no sex, drugs or violence so even though it’s rated PG in other countries; it’s rated R21 in Singapore.”

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Now, Opera performs most days at Tuckshop, Singapore’s first drag bar, and at private corporate events. “Usually, corporations with an emphasis on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) would hire drag queens to speak on their panels, share about their lives and hold performances. Such projects usually happen during Pride month (in June),” Opera explains.

Aside from the yearly Pink Dot celebration at Hong Lim Park, has Singapore truly become more inclusive? Opera is pensive. “The first thing that comes to mind is actually a more top-down approach with regulations to not portray being queer as an ‘alternative lifestyle’.” But Opera also attests that help from social media and easy access to global content has opened people’s minds. “Sexuality is not our entire identity,” says Opera succinctly.

Opera’s 92-year-old grandmother has been the most accepting and supportive family member since they came out to their family when they were 18. “The funny thing is, I actually don’t think my grandma fully grasps what being gay means. Like she still holds the idea that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Opera adds, bemused.

Opera’s grandmother was the one who sparked their interest in fashion, sewing and creating. The seamstress had been making costumes and clothes for Opera’s dolls since they were little and she had passed on her skills to her grandchild. A recent Toa Payoh dragon playground costume that they created for Chinese New Year this year went viral. “I loved designing and creating that outfit so much. I wanted to make something not just for the dragon year but also something that ties to the Singaporean heritage, that’s why I specifically chose the dragon playground,” Opera explains.

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Perhaps Opera’s relationships with their grandmother and fashion have created a safe space for them to be fully themselves because fashion is when you hear the artiste get most excited. I compliment them on a beautiful chiffony lilac-hued halter top they wore to a recent party, and they gush, “Do you know I actually arrived at the event and realised there was a cocktail dress code so I got some friends to help me buy something from a store and after some styling and cinching, I returned to the party?” Trust a true fashion queen to improvise on the spot and still nail their look. “Chiffony” and “lilac-hued” are not adjectives usually used in menswear but Opera says, “fluidity in and of itself is my superpower. And the secret is, everyone has it in them to harness it—if they are brave enough to use it. I use fashion as an avenue to express my fluidity, for the very fact that fashion is fluid and ever-changing, just like the way we feel, what we do and who we are.”

Editor-in-Chief: Kenneth Goh
Photographer: Natsuko Teruya
Stylist: Windy Aulia
Makeup and hair: Rick Yang/Artistry Studios Using Gucci Beauty & Keune HairCosmetics
Makeup and hair assistant: Cadix Yang
Photographer’s assistant: Justin Toh
Stylist’s assistants: Raeanne Cheong, Tara Amelia Sharil