by JOHN CUSTODIO

Remember when gay men used to argue over Callas vs. Sutherland? Me neither, but were I to enter that debate today, I would say, forget ’em both. For my money, the diva to back is New York’s Shequida. The Juilliard-trained singer, actor and model is making opera cool again, and this week brings the best of her off-Broadway shows, Opera for Dummies, Popera and Jessye Normous, to Montreal.

Mirror: When you first started out, people thought you were lip-synching. Does that still happen? Are you ever tempted to shatter their eardrums by singing your highest note into their ears?

Shequida: No, I would never do that. One whiff of my breath after a night of bars, booze and boys is usually enough to kill anyone.

M: Yours is a true soprano voice, right, not a falsetto? I know this is crass, but there are people out there who believe the stupidest things, so for the record—you do still have your testicles, and they did descend properly, right?

S: Yes, I do have them still. They descended, as any normal person’s would, and fell into a glass jar. I travel with the jar as proof. Wanna see?

M: Have you always had a five-octave range, more or less, or did you have to work to achieve it?

S: My voice grew from years of training and practice. The first three years of the ninth grade were difficult, but I finally graduated from high school and was lucky enough to go to Juilliard, where I went every week to clean toilets and sweep floors.

M: Who would win a cutting contest, you or Mariah?

S: Mariah who?

M: Other drag queens must envy your talent. Other sopranos must envy your gorgeous looks. Which do you fear more?

S: I fear no one, really, because there is room for everyone with talent. Oh wait, I do fear one thing—remaining a virgin.

At Cabaret Mado on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 9 p.m.

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