Drag star Reign Michaels was 'nothing short of incredible,' friends say
CBC
Reign Michaels knew how to make a scene — and so did Johnny Nichol, who, like his drag persona, became a pillar of the downtown scene in St. John's, and whose grieving friends are remembering a spirit with a bright light.
"Every time you'd see them, they would leave you with a kiss, or a hug, or tell you how amazing you were," said friend and drag queen Mitchell White, who performs as Ophelia Delight.
"After seeing them, within 20 to 30 minutes of them going home, you'd receive a message telling you how grateful they were to have you in their life and how glad they were that they found a community and a family like us."
Nichol, 30, who died Sept. 28, made Reign Michaels an unforgettable presence on stage.
"Reign was nothing short of incredible," White said Thursday, when the St. John's Morning Show convened a panel of drag peers to discuss the loss of their friend.
"They were a light for all of us. They lit up any room they walked into. The stage was their happy place."
Nichol didn't do it all on his own. The Reign Michaels persona came from a supportive and loving community, friends said.
Dakota Blake, who performs as Misty Manifest, was Michaels's drag mother, or mentor. He said he met Nichol in 2017 through friends. After Nichol expressed an interest in drag, Blake provided a makeover, and then saw an immediate shift in Nichol.
"I just saw a light turn on inside of him. I knew from that moment on I had created a fierce, fierce drag queen."
Michaels was a frequent and skilled performer, often gracing the stage of Velvet Nightclub and Lounge. In 2023, she won the Drag on George Lip Sync Battle.
"Any show you were in with Reign, you had to watch out because Reign's performances were next level," White said.
"In the last few years, Reign has not only conquered the local drag scene, but she's won the hearts of anyone who's seen her show," White said. "At a Reign Michaels show, you'd see her jumping off a six-foot stage in a gown. She might be climbing the railing of a stage … She was a really charismatic performer."
Out of drag, Nichol was equally loved.
"He was a firecracker," Blake said. "Johnny had no filter. If there was something on his mind that he wanted to say, he would say it."
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