Legend: Toni Midnite

Toni Midnite: Featured Legend of Red Hots Burlesque

Red Hots Burlesque is counting down the gay high holy days in San Francisco by celebrating some of our favorite queer legends in the month of June. Who better to start with than the legendary…

TONY MIDNITE

Not only a famous costumer to many legends, Tony Midnite was one of the foremost female impersonators of the mid-20th century. With a fake ID while stationed in San Francisco during World War II, Midnite visited his first drag show at the famed Finocchio’s in North Beach and decided he could do better. Midnite cut his teeth on female impersonation in Galveston, Texas before moving to Hollywood by the time he was 20. Eventually Midnite settled in Chicago, achieving notoriety with local police forces who were quite clear of their dislike of queens. Midnite maintained a public presence, booking his show “25 Men and a Girl” — 25 drag queens emceed by a drag king — for two weeks, which extended to an eight month run due to its popularity. Midnite kept a number of the top drag queens and burlesque legends dripping in glamour and beauty, creating and exaggerating the female figure. Midnite passed away in 2009, leaving a legacy of beautiful costumes and activism for gay rights.