Christer Lindarw

Christer Lindarw
Lindarw in Stockholm in March 2015
Lindarw in Stockholm in March 2015
Background information
Birth nameBert Christer Lindarv[1]
Also known as(1976) Zsa Zsa Shakespeer
Born (1953-03-03) 3 March 1953 (age 71)
OriginSweden
GenresEntertainer
Lindarw debuts in Wild Side Story in 1976

Christer Lindarw (born 3 March 1953) is a Swedish clothes designer, actor, drag queen entertainer, and the leader of drag group After Dark.

Lindarw (in blue) with the cast backstage after a 40th anniversary performance of Wild Side Story in Stockholm's Old Town in 2013

Career

Lindarw was born in Eskilstuna, Södermanland County.[2] He was educated at Beckmans designhögskola in Stockholm.[3] His 1976 stage debut was as Zsa Zsa Shakespeer for director Lars Jacob[4][5] in Wild Side Story at Alexandra Charles's club,[6][7] and he staged his first major production at Hamburger Börs in 1980 together with Roger Jönsson and Lars Flinckman, Lindarw's future co-star of many years from stage shows with their group After Dark. After Dark participated in Melodifestivalen with the song La dolce vita and placed third in the final in Globen.[8]

Lindarws interest in drag showing started after an masquerade where the theme was reversed gender roles.[9] On Jönsson's recommendation he had started to appear in drag in 1976.[10]

Lindarw hosted shows at the nightclub Shazam for a few months and then started the drag show group After Dark and opened his own nightclub with the same name at David Bagares gata in Stockholm.[11] The group had its big breakthrough called Förför Sverige i tiden at Hamburger Börs.[12]

Christer Lindarw also started designing dresses for his friend Lill Lindfors, one being the dress that accidentally "fell off" her during her introduction at the Eurovision Song Contest 1985.[13]

In 2017, Lindarw performed the surprise finale number, imitating Queen Silvia of Sweden, during the annual televised show in Öland for Crown Princess Victoria's 40th birthday.[14] In the fall of 2016 Bonniers had published a lauded book about his life.[15] Simultaneously, Lindarw began another media-praised show tour around Sweden, with him alone leading his cast; all sold out, it wrapped up a year later at Oscarsteatern in Stockholm, also ending the four decades of successful performances of After Dark.[3][16][17]

Outside Sweden Christer Lindarw is known mainly for performances in California and Spain and for clothes he has designed for international celebrities such as Diana Ross.[4][18]

In 2023, Lindarw was a guest celebrity judge in the episode Drag-a'-mera! of the Swedish language reality television series Drag Race Sverige broadcast on SVT1 and SVT Play.[19]

Family

His father was the international speedway rider Bert Lindarw.[20]

Bibliography

  • Lindarw, Christer; Kellberg, Christina (2016). "This is my life" (in Swedish). [Stockholm]: Bonnier fakta. ISBN 978-91-7424-533-2. SELIBR 19413819.

References

  1. ^ Sveriges befolkning 1980 (CD) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Sveriges släktforskarförb. 2004. ISBN 91-87676-37-0. SELIBR 9632925.
  2. ^ ""This is it" snart slutsåld i Eskilstuna". Eskilstuna-Kuriren. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b Ring, Lars (29 September 2017). "När nazister marscherar behöver vi synas mer än någonsin". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Westerling, Kalle (2006). La dolce vita: trettio år med drag (in Swedish). Stockholm: Normal. p. 22. ISBN 91-85505-15-3. SELIBR 10142147.
  5. ^ Lindarw, Christer; Kellberg, Christina (2016). "This is my life" (in Swedish). [Stockholm]: Bonnier fakta. p. 83. ISBN 978-91-7424-533-2. SELIBR 19413819.
  6. ^ Månads Journalen, Stockholm, Feb. issue 1996, cover & p. 34-41
  7. ^ Lindarw, Christer; Kellberg, Christina (2016). "This is my life" (in Swedish). [Stockholm]: Bonnier fakta. pp. 75–76 & 122. ISBN 978-91-7424-533-2. SELIBR 19413819. "Lars Jacob, en kille som jobbat i USA, skulle tillsammans med Alexandra Charles sätta upp en parodi på West Side Story på hennes nattklubb." (p. 75) & "Genom den uppsättningen föste Lars Jacob in oss och mig i dragshowfållan." (p. 122) & "TACK Lars Jacob, Alexandra Charles och Sergio Campogiani - ni förändrade mitt liv när ni i starten trodde på mig ..." (p. 264)... "
  8. ^ "Lasse Flinckman levde la dolce vita". 27 April 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Hektisk höst i högklackat väntar Lindarw". Eskilstuna-Kuriren. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Christer Lindarw: Det känns tomt att jag inte kan ringa Lasse". 17 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  11. ^ "After Dark går i pension - gör sista showen i höst". Aftonbladet. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  12. ^ "This is it för After Dark". Sydsvenskan. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  13. ^ Amster, Harry (31 October 2013). "Lill Lindfors tappade kjolen". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  14. ^ Sveriges Television Channel 1 2017-07-14 10 pm local time
  15. ^ Fakta, Bonnier (26 October 2017). "Publishingpriset till Bonnier Faktas Hemkunskap och This is my life". Bonniers (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  16. ^ "After Dark - This is it - Nypremiär på Oscarsteatern! - Ett glittrande vackert Memento Mori". Kulturvinden (in Swedish). 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  17. ^ Granath, Sara (15 September 2017). "This is it! After Dark". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  18. ^ Lindarw, Christer; Kellberg, Christina (2016). "This is my life" (in Swedish). [Stockholm]: Bonnier fakta. p. 20f. ISBN 978-91-7424-533-2. SELIBR 19413819.
  19. ^ "Drag Race Sverige: Vanity Win, riviga Robert & en lam lipsync". www.qx.se (in Swedish). 19 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Christer Lindarw's grief - nice words to the deceased father". Hant. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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