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by Brad Benedict
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

Crystal's, The Jewel Of Lake Charles,
Holds Pageant

If you want to find a wonderful oasis in the old section of Lake Charles, you have to look no further than Crystal's on Broad Street. Actually the original occupants of the building used the entrance that fronted on Ryan Street, but the current owners switched the entrance to the back so that the front is now facing the parking area. It's in the first block of Broad and easy to find. John Gilland and his significant other of seventeen years, Billy, are the owners. Gilland also owns the fabulous Sound Factory in Lafayette.

The latest contest in the Miss Gay Louisiana America system was held at Crystal's to one of the largest crowds I've seen in quite some time. The people in this part of the state really came out to support their candidates. It was the Miss Lakeshores contest, and the winner was none other than the magnificently talented Shayla Gray of Lafayette. Like Ramona Leger, who was famous for her impersonation of Cher, Shayla is a one-of-a-kind performer with her impersonation of Ertha Kitt. She not only does Eartha Kitt, she IS Eartha Kitt when she's out there modeling or doing her talent presentations. She was most deserving of the title, and I do believe this was her best effort ever. From the gorgeous gown, to the perfection of the talent number, to the sincere answer she gave to the question presented to her, she was simply the best of all the rest.

First runner up was another outstanding talent from Lafayette, Stephanie Stevens, who will join Shayla and the other winners from around Louisiana at the state pageant to be held later this year at Unique in Alexandria. The other three candidates were also very talented, and I see great things for them in the future. They were Keisha Phynne, Sky, and Shania Scarlett. It's not often that you have so much talent in competitions of this type, but this was an exceptional group of impersonators, and they all did masterful jobs with their talent numbers. Phynne and Sky are terrific dancers, and Shania Scarlett made a beautiful bride.

Entertainment for the evening was also exceptional and mainly due to the efforts of Gilland, who strives to bring both Lake Charles and Lafayette the very best in shows of this type. Valeria Sugarbaker performed first as the reigning Miss Lakeshores and did so in two other numbers before relinquishing her crown to Shayla. She was in good company with perhaps one of the finest talents this state has ever seen, the wonderful, talented, and beautiful Sylvia Scarlett, the current Miss Gay Louisiana from Monroe. Add to these names those of Casey Starr, Savannah Leigh, and Victoria Valentine, and you don't find them any better anywhere. Victoria did a rousing number and tore up that dance floor, and Savannah, the new Miss Emerald City (which she won at New Orleans magnificent dance emporium Oz), showed off her beauty with a sultry ballad. I've judged several contests this year, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see the new Miss Gay Louisiana originating from Acadiana, which I think would be a first for this area.

Crystal's is really two bars in one. The larger area is the main Crystal's, whereas the smaller side, which was formerly a restaurant, is called Crystal Light. In layout, this club reminds me so much of Sound Factory, but when you have the Gilland talent behind the scenes, you have to come up with the very best. The lighting and interior d‚cor and lighting was absolutely great, and I was very impressed with all the people I met there.

Let me tell you about a few of them. I arrived there a little early because I wanted to make sure I knew where Crystal's was located. TTT accompanied me on this journey. He kept me company until his significant other, Roger, arrived from Houston for their little tete-a-tete. At any rate, bartender Mark was waiting for someone to open when we arrived, and we had the opportunity to talk with him for awhile. He loves Cadillacs and posed with the only one available at the time. It was later while inside that I learned of his fame as Miranda. Now I've never seen this lovely in drag, but I could see that the personality was there, so Miranda must have been a wonderful creation.

Eddie, or Edwina, was another winner in the bar department. He seemed to be a colorful and affable guy, and that grin was one of sheer delight. Derick was the third member of the main bar, and this is certainly a gorgeous little hunk with a smile that could make anyone weak in the knees. I don't know where he hails from because I didn't have time to get to know him, but I can assure you, from what I saw, he is a definite asset to Crystal's.

Over in Crystal Light, Jaye was making everyone happy, and here too was an outstanding guy and definitely on the cute side. Goodness, I'd have a difficult time picking a winner out of this group. Ken was the DJ, and I did get to chat with him a while, and Clay was the doorman, assisting Billy with checking IDs and keeping everything on the up and up at the entrance. T-shirts, pins, and other items were available at the front desk, and Ambush was displayed in a very prominent place. Everything about this establishment was pleasant, and the crowd came for a good time. It was apparent that they had come to the right place.

In closing, I have to tell you about my pick of the outstanding young man in the crowd. Out of all the beautiful guys, there's usually one who somehow catches your fancy. I had noticed him earlier before the contest started when he was at the bar getting a drink, but I decided to wait for any judgment call until the house was packed but I knew right away that this one would be the cream of the crop, so to speak. Later I asked Derick who this young man was but he didn't know, and since I had to make my way to the judge's table, I was not able to talk with him.

First of all, let me say that this young man probably doesn't know how much he stands out in a crowd. He was quiet, in the company of two girls and maybe another guy, and was almost out of place in the surroundings, but I mean this only in a nice way. Let me explain.

When he first came in, I turned to my right, and he was facing me at the corner of the bar. A first impression for me was like this. He had black hair, which was nicely styled, piercing blue eyes, dark moustache, and was about six feet tall. Rather than stare, I tried to gather my wits about me and just sneaked peeks, not wanting to barge in on the conversation. He moved from the bar to the seating area beyond the pool tables and waited his turn at the game. This was when I noticed his wonderful frame, a body to die for beneath faded jeans, dark shirt (open all the way in front) covering a white T-shirt. His every movement around the pool table was mesmerizing. He even went to great lengths not to disturb the people at the table beyond and probably failed to make a shot or two because of his good manners. Well, judging time came, and I had to head beyond the dance floor to the table near the DJ booth and large television screen.

The contest got under way so I laid the camera aside. As a judge, I usually don't take pictures of the candidates, just the scheduled entertainers. While watching one of the performers, I looked directly across the dance floor, and there he was seated with the two girls, taking in everything in a very dignified manner. When Valerie Sugarbaker began to get everyone in the audience involved in the action of the evening with her questions, he sat there, dignified, proper, enjoying, yet not showing any emotion other than just watching what was taking place. I suppose I gathered him to be straight, yet he didn't show any indication that he was opposed to what was taking place. Through it all, he maintained complete poise. He just simply had to be the most outstanding person there that night. As a people watcher, I was impressed by the way he conducted himself, and I guess I should have just seized the opportunity to photograph him for Ambush, but he was in a private group, and I thought it was best to allow him to remain within this group.

Perhaps he will read this in Ambush and wonder what the hell I saw, but you can tell a lot about a person by looking and listening. This young man could very well have been the twin or younger brother of a certain handsome South African newsman I knew several years ago. All I know is that out of all the people in the massive crowd, he stood tall. I sometimes wonder if a man (or woman) with this kind of magnetism knows how much the people around are effected by this charisma.

Whatever might be the case, it may be that I'll have to make another trip to Lake Charles just to photograph this one for Ambush. Because of the sincerity of John and Billy, and the fine surroundings they provide the local community at Crystal's, I may just have to venture back over in that direction. I can't remember whenever I've had such a nice time with so many great guys and gals, even that young, pretty hunk who tried to get into Sugarbaker's dress, did so in a very stylish, and funny, fashion - but, hey, that's a complete story in itself.

If you haven't been to Crystal's, you've missed a rare treat. So, what are you waiting for, sweethearts?

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