We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Wang Newton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Wang, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

TL; DR: for an entire year during the pandemic, we gathered 200+ on Zoom during our digital show, @Sacred.Wounds. The audience of 18-84 years in range, from all time zones showed up — laughing, crying and gagging (a compliment in queer slang for shock and awe).

The Japanese concept of “Kintsugi” or “Golden Repair” holds a special place in my heart. It involves reassembling broken pottery and items using golden resin, resulting in cracks that glow loudly instead of hiding the fracture. What might have otherwise been discarded as worthless can be restored to functionality or even elevated to the status of artwork.

When applied to humans, kintsugi represents the central concept behind one of my most meaningful artistic endeavors, “Sacred Wounds.” Simultaneously an erotic ritual and “a healing-focused celebration of the Asian diaspora experience,” as described by Paper Magazine. Bold. Uncensored. Unapologetic. Avant-garde. Co-produced with Kayla Tange AKA Coco Ono, this digital show on Zoom and YouTube Live was 6 glorious episodes that showcased some of the most exceptional talents within the underground scene, encompassing areas such as fetish, drag, erotic dance, and butoh.

For me personally, I found a special sweet spot sharing all parts of myself as a producer, healer, and shape shifter. Our approach was all-encompassing involvement: pairing captivating live performances with thoughtfully curated pre-made videos, audience engagement with a ritual of vulnerable questions and answers, followed by sending a physical gift to a random respondent. The experience concluded with an online afterparty where anyone can chime in (a private portion not included in edited replays). Through this project our wounds became sacred, akin to the gold of kintsugi. We rendered ourselves more valuable than before parts of us fractured.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Picture this: Philadelphia, Halloween 2004! A parody of Vegas singer Wayne Newton with a cheeky double entendre Chinese spin is born. Wang Newton’s unusual performance of campy theatrical masculinity becomes a local hot commodity.

Nearly two decades later, the glow-up is real, as the kids say. I never intended to perform like this. I did not need to become a man per se, yet it was what I needed. I didn’t even grow up listening to Wayne Newton. I was, however, sitting bored in my corporate cubicle. I wanted to act but did not know how to pursue it.

Soon enough, drag as an industry began to form unexpectedly with the core being drag queen performers. Wang is now understood to be a ‘drag king’ and nightlife gigs expanded to day time gigs like Amazon Prime Pride. The early years also had beginner’s luck with Red Bull and Vox Vodka gigs too…with a slight difference in pay rate. Perhaps nearing 18 years into the career, Wang also became an adult: speaking engagements at Harvard, Upenn, National Association of Asian American Professionals, writing for LEZS Magazine, being cast in a Bubly Sparkling Water commercial.

Drag comprises mostly of lipsyncing but I love having morphed into emceeing, producing, and acting. I am proud to be represented by Estrella Management/Harold Mendez, Nava Artists for commercial work, and now serving as Board of Directors member for Chosen Family Law Center. Not too shabby for a Hallowang costume.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience? It is not a virtue to strive for. By definition, “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.” The truth is… I do not recover quickly. I hurt easily. We are no longer hunter/gatherers surviving the weather… my goal is not to be proud of surviving Man-created harshness.

I would, however, prefer to persevere and transform, and to transmute dense energies. For me, being a male impersonator since 2004 is a win — to put myself out there despite not seeing other Asian Americans performing as such, way before social media helped expose every corner of the world. I continued because I could not deny this immense gut feeling pulling me forward. Before the birth of my drag king persona I asked George Takei himself, “Do you have any advice on how to be an extra in film?” He kindly responded, “Why be an extra, when you can be the star?” College Age Me was willing to accept just being an extra. I won’t deny that growing up in small town America was horrendous, but those prejudiced voices did not deserve to run the show. I worked hard to transformed my insecurities and self doubt thanks to Uncle George’s sound advice. The years pass, and still I rise. Only recently did a dear fellow performer bring to awareness, “Perhaps you’re not more famous due to systemic racism.” My journey is thus… one of perseverance.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For those not involved in child education, I invite you to imagine the distinctive role of influencing someone’s life, much like planting seeds without the assurance of seeing them flourish. While I may not nurture as consistently as a gardener, the profound impact of the brief moments I share with someone, whether in the role of actor or as a breathwork meditation facilitator, resonates deeply within me.

The most unexpected responses come from individuals who don’t identify as queer or were not assigned female at birth. After all, there’s no presumption that I exclusively attract those with identities similar to my own. Following public appearances, I’ve received private messages from Asian men expressing how witnessing “Dr. Wang’s” confidence inspired their own. Other times, I also receive stories from individuals recounting encounters from years past, where meeting me in drag was a wondrous mystery that left a lasting imprint in their memories.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wangnewton.com
• Instagram: @DrWangNewton
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/wangnewton
• Twitter: @DrWangNewton
• Youtube: @DrWangNewton
• Other: TikTok: @WangNewton

Image Credits
Wangkerchief & Fireplace: Human Flower Productions Sacred Wounds Flyers Created by Kayla Tange 2 Out-of-Drag Headshots: Tomo Muscionico Wang Valentine: Roger Hagadone Wang in Car: film still from “Oh, Hey Baby!” Music Video Wang’s World: photo by Erica Nix, show intro by Ben Norman Mic Drop: Eric Jukelevics