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Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Meet the tap dancing queen from Fort Lauderdale who made a splash on ‘Drag Race'
Before she was lip syncing for $50,000 on national television, Suzie Toot was an up-and-coming drag queen in Fort Lauderdale performing for free. She'd show up to open stages at bars that don't exist anymore and leave smelling like cigarettes. She worked hard as a cast member at Lips, the iconic Fort Lauderdale drag venue now rebranded as Aquaplex. And she'd perform her favorite number, a Liza Minnelli-inspired lip sync, sometimes for crowds of just 10 people. But things have changed for Toot, the drag persona of 25-year-old Ben Shaevitz. After a memorable appearance this year on season 17 of MTV's 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' Toot performed the same Liza number in front of an audience of 2,000 in London. Toot is not known for the flips, dips and splits that South Florida's drag scene specializes in. She prefers 1920s flapper dresses and tap dance shoes over glamorous evening gowns and towering heels. She's more likely to perform to Lady Gaga's niche jazz records than her pop hits. Her drag style stuck out in South Florida and on 'Drag Race,' where her fellow contestants weren't sold on her aesthetic — that is, until she outlasted most of them in the competition. 'I love being talked about, whether it's positive or negative,' Shaevitz told the Miami Herald, laughing. 'It's funny how my 'Drag Race' experience, in a lot of ways, reflected my experience coming up in the drag scene in Fort Lauderdale because I was so different and I looked so crazy. I'm a polarizing figure, but I love it.' Shaevitz's Toot went from underdog to semi-finalist, nearly making it to the end to snatch the $200,000 grand prize. Though she didn't win the crown, the drag artist still feels like a winner. And she loves the attention, even when she's the butt of the joke. She won $50,000 during the show's 'Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza Smackdown.' She endeared fans with her comedy, like tap dancing the Gettysburg Address in Morse code. She's touring the country with her cabaret-style act. And her feature film debut, a camp horror flick filmed in Fort Lauderdale, is now streaming on Hulu in time for Pride Month. Toot, alongside season 17 co-star Lucky Starzzz, is among a growing crop of South Florida drag queens who have been elevating the local drag scene to international acclaim, like fellow 'Drag Race' alumni Morphine Love Dion, Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige and Malaysia Babydoll Foxx. In the pantheon of South Florida drag legends, Toot emerged as an unlikely reality TV star, a fan favorite and an internet meme. But for her friends back home, the Suzie Toot success story is no surprise. From theater kid to tap dancing drag queen Born in New York and raised in Wellington in Palm Beach, Suzie Toot's creator, Shaevitz attended Lynn University in Boca Raton for its 'tiny but mighty' musical theater program. He'd often joke with friends about what they would be like as drag queens, and during the pandemic, 'we had all the time in the world.' That's when Suzie Toot — with her Betty Boop-esque makeup, curly red hair and niche musical theater antics — came to be. 'Weird stuff, the old classics. This big melting pot of my loves and my interest became the Suzie character,' Shaevitz said. After dropping out of college, Shaevitz moved to Fort Lauderdale to pursue a career in regional theater and, eventually, drag full time. 'This is where everything is. There's theater. There's drag. It just pulled me over,' Shaevitz said. 'And it's my favorite place in Florida. I'll say it. Sorry, Miami. Sorry, Orlando. Fort Lauderdale is where to f------ be.' Shaevitz worked tirelessly developing a tap-dancing, live-singing cabaret act. He found friendship — and his first drag gig — with fellow Fort Lauderdale cabaret drag artist Eric Swanson, who performs as Miss Bouvèé. It all started with a message from Shaevitz on Instagram asking for a guest spot at a show, Swanson said. '[Toot] was brand new on the scene then, and I was giving love to anybody who wanted to sing and come share the stage,' Swanson said. 'And she was exactly as she is now. She has not changed. She is an old soul in a little, young person's body.' Swanson and Shaevitz applied their musical talents as the stars of 'Big Easy Queens,' a campy, raunchy, bloody horror movie musical set in New Orleans and filmed in South Florida. The independent film premiered in Fort Lauderdale in 2023 during Popcorn Frights, South Florida's largest genre film festival, and is now available to stream on Hulu as of Saturday. Swanson, 42, recalled a conversation he had with Shaevitz in their dressing room about where his career may go. 'I said, 'This is good. You're going to get calls from people,'' Swanson said. Soon after, Shaevitz got the call from 'Drag Race.' 'And the rest is history,' said Swanson. 'A win for the weirdos' When Kai Gomez met Shaevitz at a drag competition in Wilton Manors, he had a feeling he couldn't shake. 'Before the competition started, I was like, 'OK, you and me are going to the end,'' said Gomez, who performs in drag as King Vyper. Sure enough, they both landed in the top four, and the hosts were about to announce the top two finalists. King Vyper was called. Suzie Toot was called. 'And they tell us both that we didn't make the top two,' Gomez said. They've been friends ever since, supporting each others' careers and performing together. One of Gomez's favorite moments with Shaevitz was their 'Cuban Pete' number for a Halloween show. He dressed as Jim Carrey's 'The Mask' and Shaevitz was dressed as Lucille Ball. While Shaevitz and Gomez's alternative styles of drag are unique in South Florida, Gomez said it's validating to see how well Toot has done on and off 'Drag Race.' 'It makes me so proud. It's a win for the weirdos,' Gomez said. '[Toot] wasn't very favored because she was the artsy fartsy girly. She was the theater girly. But as soon as she started getting to those challenges, she was knocking them out the park.' And it's a win for South Florida's drag scene as a whole, Gomez said. Toot's success underscores drag's continued popularity in South Florida, despite the state government's anti-drag policies and rhetoric of the last few years. 'We really do have heavy hitter performers here,' Gomez said. In April, drag fans packed R House, a popular Wynwood restaurant, to watch Toot on 'Drag Race.' Though she was eliminated that episode, the mood was celebratory. At midnight that night, it was Shaevitz's 25th birthday. 'Once again, I love attention,' Shaevitz said. 'So hey, people are saying 'so sorry.' They're still talking to me.'
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
These businesses are changing how you spend your money in South Florida
Business These businesses are changing how you spend your money in South Florida This collection of stories highlights businesses that are changing consumer spending habits. Publix has upgraded its Briar Bay locationt. Rooms to Go is replacing a longstanding Kendall bookstore with one of the largest showrooms in the country. Tim Hortons plans to resurface in Florida. And the Fort Lauderdale drag restaurant 'Lips' transforms into 'Aquaplex,' preserving its cultural significance while undergoing significant renovations. Read the stories below. Drag queen Asheeria Pryce performs as Gladys Knight during a celebrity impersonation show at Aquaplex on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Aquaplex, formerly known as Lips, offers guests a variety of drag shows along with food and drinks. By Photo by Matias J. Ocner NO. 1: AN ICONIC FORT LAUDERDALE DRAG RESTAURANT WAS ON ITS LAST LEG. IT JUST GOT A FACELIFT The owners of Key West drag destination Aquaplex bought and remodeled the drag restaurant Lips in Fort Lauderdale. | Published January 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Amanda Rosa A contemporary Tim Hortons restaurant serves coffee, donuts and fast foods like sandwiches, wraps and chicken strips. There is talk about opening locations of the Canadian landmark eatery in South Florida. NO. 2: THIS DOUGHNUT AND COFFEE RESTAURANT IS COMING BACK TO FLORIDA. TAKE A LOOK AT THE PLANS What to know about the chain. | Published February 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jason Dill Publix greeted customers at the 7 a.m. grand opening of its long-awaited rebuilt Briar Bay store with custom bags on Feb. 27, 2025. NO. 3: A NEW PUBLIX JUST OPENED IN THE FALLS AREA, AND SHOPPERS HAVE BEEN TALKING. TAKE A LOOK The Briar Bay Publix is just one of several opening in March around Florida. | Published February 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen In this file photo from Oct. 30, 2024, comedian Brittany Brave is photographed outside of the Barnes & Noble bookstore in West Kendall. Brave grew up in Miami's Kendall neighborhood and worked at this store as a barista during high school and had a stand-up performance at the Adrienne Arsht Center on Nov. 23, 2024. By MATIAS J. OCNER NO. 4: COULD ONE OF THE BIGGEST ROOMS TO GO IN THE COUNTRY REPLACE A BELOVED KENDALL BOOKSTORE? The closing plans coincide with other plans for expansion. | Published March 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Miami Herald
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
An iconic Fort Lauderdale drag restaurant was on its last leg. It just got a facelift
Lips, the beloved Fort Lauderdale drag and cabaret bar, needed a lot more than just filler. It needed a whole face lift. Maybe even a BBL. The restaurant had lost its luster over its 17 years of drag queen dinners-and-shows. The owners were ready to sell, but to no avail. And just when all hope was lost, days before the drag queen waitresses served their last brunch, a Hail Mary flew in from Key West. New owners secured a deal within 48 hours, and Lips was saved to slay another day. After about four months of floor-to-ceiling renovations, menu updates and new daily shows, Lips has been reborn: Aquaplex Fort Lauderdale. All that's left to do is a new sign out front. 'The new owners are amazing. Everything that they have done to this place has just made it so much better,' said Velvet LeNore, 52, a longtime Lips drag performer and the Aquaplex show director. 'The energy in this place has really changed. After every show, I go home and I'm like in tears because I'm so overwhelmed with everything.' Originally opened in 2007, Lips Drag Queen Show Palace, Restaurant & Bar was one of several South Florida LGBTQ venues featuring drag shows. Its revamp as Aquaplex comes as South Florida's burgeoning drag scene gains national recognition, especially with several Miami-based queens appearing on the popular MTV competition show 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' Fort Lauderdale queen Suzie Toot used to work at Lips before competing on the current season of the show. The business's rebirth also comes at a politically divisive time following a wave of anti-drag legislation, both in Florida and across the country. But at Aquaplex, owner Michael Barrett said everyone is welcome to leave their worries at the door and have a great time. 'If you come to the show, you start to understand that no one in here is here to hurt anybody. It's a place of love and safety,' Barrett said. 'We're here to just entertain and let everybody have fun.' So what did it take to save a South Florida entertainment institution from shuttering for good? A couple of drag queens, of course. 'Keep the art form alive' Barrett was ready to retire from the business world, but drag queens dragged him back in. Originally from Arkansas, Barrett retired from owning several Taco Bell locations about four years ago. He and his husband John Barrett, who loves fishing, ended up buying a home in Key West. The two are huge drag fans and spent much of the COVID-19 lockdown watching episodes of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' he said. Their love of drag inspired them to purchase the original Aquaplex, a Key West drag venue. 'We decided to make that our home,' he said. 'We bought the club, started upgrading it, upgrading the shows and getting really involved in the community.' Last year, he was in his office in Key West when he heard a knock at the door. It was two Aquaplex queens with terrible news from Fort Lauderdale: 'Our friends are about to be terminated. Is there anything you can do to help?' The queens had likely seen Amanda Austin's post on Facebook on August 3: 'Well…the rumors are true! After almost 17 fabulous years, the curtain will fall permanently at Lips - Fort Lauderdale after our brunch show on Sunday, August 11.' Austin, 52, who at one point worked as the Lips general manager, told the Herald that the previous owners decided to sell because they did not want to continue investing money into the restaurant. But as several deals fell through, Lips' days were numbered. 'If we're gonna go out with a bang, it was time to tell everybody officially,' Austin said. As one of the original cast members, LeNore said she was sad to see Lips close, but even more upset to see people lose their jobs. 'My worry was really about my sisters. I do work other jobs, so I had things I could fall back on,' LeNore said. 'But my sisters that didn't have things to fall back on, I was a little worried for them. So I just prayed for them and prayed for all of us.' Little did she know her prayers were answered. The Barretts quickly traveled from Key West to Fort Lauderdale to see the restaurant and watch the show. It was love at first lip sync. The couple called the Lips owners and worked out a last-minute deal. 'Drag is an art, and you want to make sure that you keep the art form alive,' Barrett said. 'It is stereotyped in a lot of ways, but it's really an art form. It takes a lot of effort to go and do what they do. We came up here, the performers were fantastic, and I was like, 'How could we let that happen?'' The last few months, from almost losing their jobs to suddenly reaching a deal, have been a 'scary' whirlwind, LeNore said. 'But I live by my motto. You gotta live every day like it's your last,' she said. 'It's not what we're gonna go through, it's how we're gonna come out of it.' 'Elevating drag' The new ownership has breathed new life into the business, and local drag fans have taken notice. On a recent Thursday night, guests celebrating birthdays and bachelorette parties ate, drank and jumped out of their seats to dance as the queens impersonated pop divas, from Diana Ross to Taylor Swift to Gladys Knight. 'Who's drinking?' Austin said on stage. 'It's celebrity impersonation night. The more you drink, the more we'll look like the celebrities.' She joked, 'You all better scream like a white woman at a Taylor Swift concert!' The crowd immediately screamed. The new owners were quick to invest into the restaurant since the sale, Barrett said. Practically everything from the floor up is new— including the floor. Old carpet was ripped up, funky wallpaper was taken down. The food and cocktail menus are new. The stage is completely refurbished with a wall-sized LED screen, new sound and light systems and special effects fog machines. The restaurants' walls are also lined with new LED screens advertising an entire week's worth of shows and events. The entertainment lineup also had a makeover. Performing alongside the queens are the Aqua Marines, a troop of male dancers that are 'not strippers!' LeNore said. Aquaplex Fort Lauderdale will soon feature The Birdcage Cabaret, a Las Vegas-style show that's popular at the Key West location. The venue also brought on new talent to its cast, including 'Drag Race' star Mhi'ya Iman LePaige, a backflipping lip sync assassin known as the 'Queen of Flips.' And Aquaplex guests can come watch the drag shows without needing to order dinner, which used to be a requirement at Lips. Guests are welcome to sit at the bar or the new Key West Lounge, decorated with a Conch Republic rainbow pride flag. 'It needed a lot of work. Just with the TV screens and stuff, we got close to 100 grand,' Barrett said. 'We want to elevate. Our drag is about elevating drag. There's a lot of production in the shows and effects so you become immersed in it. We want to give you the Vegas experience in South Florida.' Austin gave the new owners a shout out during the show. 'They didn't want us to close and all lose our jobs, so they came and they bought it,' she said as the crowd cheered. 'They've made some fabulous renovations.' And she featured some of the new drinks, like the Key Lime Pie shot. 'For $7, you get this shot and this plastic cup we found on Amazon!' Across the country, Austin told the Herald, many gay bars have been closing down, limiting where the LGBTQ community can come together. That's why it's important for Aquaplex to not just stay alive but thrive, she said. 'Right now, more than ever, we need our safe spaces, because the political climate is turning. Back in the day, when we were being arrested for being drag queens and being gay, we had to have our own places,' Austin said. 'It's important to have places like this where people can come and feel comfortable and be themselves.' Aquaplex Fort Lauderdale Where: 1421 E Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Info: Full event schedule and reservations available at
