March 18, 2015

R.I.P CASHETTA AKA SCOTT WESTON

I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Cashetta Scott Weston. But she died in Puerta Vallarta doing what she loved most--performing her great big heart out. Cashetta was a big part of the NYC drag scene--performing at Lips, many clubs and bars, at Wigstock and more. But since she was a Jersey girl, she didn't feel the need to stay in NY like those of us who came from other places and felt we were finally home. So she hit the road with a passion. I think she also realized that her passion for magic was going to be her gimmick in a world of many similar queens. 
I marveled at how hard she worked on the tricks from her early shows at Fez. A drag magician was fairly uncharted territory. But Cahetta slaved over it, receiving new tricks in the mail each week and devoting timeless hours to perfecting her craft. After stints in Fort Lauderdale and Provincetown, she finally made her dream come true with an open-ended run doing magic in Las Vegas. Which was natural for her, because as Cash put it: "I'd been turning tricks since I was a little girl." I'm really glad I happened to have a gig in Vegas which enabled me to catch her act. It wasn't the fanciest room in Vegas, but dammit: Cashetta was a Las Vegas showgirl/magician! So all of her hard work paid off and I was so proud of her.
But show business aside, I can't quite describe what a true friend she was to me. And probably to every person she ever worked with. Drag queens aren't always supportive sweethearts, but Cashetta was. The bitch even took days to teach me how to learn how to use a computer in her East Village apartment--so you can now blame her for all my FB diatribes. Big, brassy, sassy, funny, talented and kind are how I'll remember my dear friend. I loved Cashetta, but I hate magic! I just know there's a trick, but I just can't figure it out. Some of her initial attempts at magic weren't so great so I urged her to add some comedy to her act until her slight of hand improved. But look at her now--she's done the ultimate disappearing act. I wish that were a trick she'd return from. I put a few links of Cashetta performing as comments to help us remember. I think the drunk vlog may not capture her talent as much as it captures her unstoppable joie de vivre.





Get out your handkerchief for this last one!