Introducing the New Royal Regime
With the time growing nearer for the biggest charity extravaganza of the year, Night of a Thousand Gowns, produced and executed by The Imperial Court of New York each year, Get Out! felt an introduction of
the new royal regime was in order.
Mark Costanzo
Emperor 15 Fantasia is the brand-new president of The Imperial Court of New York. “I picked my name, Fantasia, because I’m a Mickey Mouse fan,” he says.
Congratulations, Mark, on being elected as the new president.
I was elected by the membership.
The presidency seems like a big responsibility. Do you have a day job?
Yes, I have a full-time day job, five days a week, but I volunteer quite often.
What do you have planned for the next couple of events?
I want to get more into our “Hearts and Voices,” which is our outreach program. We reach out to the community, not only our community but all communities. We do it twice a month at an HIV facility. Now we are looking to expand, because they are closing them left and right. Now we’re looking to do senior citizen centers, regular hospitals and we are even looking to do children’s hospitals, having members go in and read bedtime stories to the children all dressed up in their regal attire. I’m very excited, but I’m also a little nervous taking everything on all at once. Our ball is coming up a month ahead of time also.
When is it this year?
It’s March 11 in the Marriott.
What else are you doing?
Right now we were deciding who the beneficiaries are this year, the scholarship fund for LGBT youth or the Transgender Legal Defense Fund. It’s really a hot topic right now.
Well, best of luck to you.
So I’ll see you this March 11 at the Marriott Marquis. It’s a five-hour open bar, a sit-down dinner. Tickets now are $350, and then at the end of January it will go up to $450.
Keyth Atiles
Madie K Did is the vice president of The Imperial Court of New York.
Do you also have to be elected?
Yes. When Mark stepped up as president, we had to fill in that space.
What is your role as a vice president?
As vice president I basically handle new members. As far as the roster goes, getting people acclimated and I try to put people in touch with other people to help them explain what the court does. If they have a special talent, I try to hook them up with other people to hopefully get them excited and involved in the court.
How many people do you expect this year for the ball?
I’m really hoping for 750, if not 800. That would be great. I love the ball, because I am also the floral designer for the ball. My committee has a lot of fun decorating.
What is it that you do in real life?
I actually own an event florist. I do weddings and parties. It’s called Blooming Floral Designs, and I’m located on Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst, Long Island.
Xavier Bloodstone
Treasurer of the Court
What is your royal status?
Marquis.
[Xavier was a little shy.]
Tree
The current reigning emperor of The Imperial Court of New York.
Sugar B Real
The current reigning empress of the court.
How has the year been thus far for you?
Tree: I’m having the time of my life.
Sugar: It’s really been a fun year. I got really lucky to have Tree as my emperor.
Tree: We like each other.
Sugar: Yeah, we do.
What are you looking forward to from here on in?
Tree: I’m looking forward to all the courts I’m going to go to, the next five or six courts. I thought I would never, ever want to perform. Now I am having the time of my life performing. I am performing the craziest and funniest songs. I’m lip-syncing to crazy songs and making everybody laugh. They are going to put one on Facebook, and we look forward to these things, because every court I get adopted. These are all family, and I have not yet met one person that I can really say I don’t like. There are courts where everybody fights with each other, but I like them all.
Chris Crouch
Farrah Monas is the executive producer or Night of a Thousand Gowns.
What else do you do?
I’m a costume jewelry designer. I own a company named Monas, and I do costume jewelry for Broadway shows.
For example?
I did Rotten, I did Aladdin, I made the jewelry for eight years for Wicked. I’ve got some great shows coming up.
On Saturday, March 11, 2017, the Imperial Court of New York will mark 31 years of service to the LGBTQ community with the 31st Annual Night of a Thousand Gowns, a gala event studded with royalty, pageantry and dazzling entertainment. This year’s event will feature a casino, a galleria of shops and a fabulous silent auction! The evening’s beneficiary will be the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund.
SPECIAL OFFER!
From now through December 31, 2016 save $100 off the Gala ticket price! Use code: NOATG17.
