Steve Vigil

Vigil in a publicity shot at Alexandra's in Stockholm in 1975
Vigil as Bernardo back in his native state of California in 1977

Stephen Allen Vigil (14 September 1952 – 27 May 1997) was an American entertainer known as Steve Vigil, who in a brief career in Sweden in 1975-1976 broke ground which in new genres started the lengthier careers of other well known artists.

Career

Vigil was initially included for small parts in the cabaret cast of AlexCab for the fall season of 1975, playing a Sheikh of Araby, a security guard and the lead in a trio of young male ensemble members who did a parody of American drag queens, a phenomenon which had been completely unknown to Swedish audiences until then.[1] Their initial lip synched number was There'll Be Some Changes Made with the Boswell Sisters. Next director Lars Jacob had Vigil also do his drag parody as a solo, to Shirley Bassey's This Is My Life, to further the positive reaction he had from the venue's audiences which included regulars like Björn Borg, the members of ABBA and trend setter Sighsten Herrgård.[2] Vigil would remove his female attire and make up, and gradually transform his marked body language from that of a woman into that of a man, while performing the number on stage. After the show's Stockholm run, Vigil also joined a tour to Gothenburg.[3]

American Tom Macksey, who owned Alexandra's at the time, had also noticed the reaction of the audiences and therefore suggested that Jacob direct more of that genre there. Vigil's success in AlexCab enabled a production of Jacob's Wild Side Story to open in January 1976 starring Vigil in the demanding central rôle of José Maria Gonzalez,[4] which requires an actor to be convincing as a man, a woman and a drag queen.[5] The cast also included Ulla Jones, in her only stage appearance, and Christer Lindarw whose considerable career in Sweden began then and there. Influential critic Sten Hedman called the production the best show in town[6] and both of the country's the main daily newspapers Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet noted Vigil's ability in their reviews.

Vigil, who had already seen Wild Side Story in Tampa in 1974, after Stockholm went on to play Bernardo in the show in Los Angeles from 1977 to 1980 at the Flama Latina, the Plaza och Osko's.[7][8]

Personal life

Steve Vigil was born in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California but moved around during his childhood due to his father's military career in Germany, Japan and Panama before settling in Michigan. He attributed Native Mexican and Spanish descent to his father's side of the family, his mother being Italian. He had two brothers and two sisters. From 1974 to 1982 Vigil lived with Lars Jacob in Miami Beach, New York City, Stockholm and Los Angeles.[9]

in the 1990s Vigil got married and had a daughter Nicole Vigil (1993–2012). He was afflicted with liver disease a few years later and died in Port Huron, Michigan.

References and notes

  1. ↑ La Dolce Vita by Kalle Westerling ISBN 91-85505-15-3 (the ISBN printed in the book—91-855805-15-3—is invalid). 2006
  2. ↑ Alexandra on the Rocks ISBN 91-7684-105-7 pp. 66–67, 95 & 101, 112–113, 114
  3. ↑ Lasse in Göteborgs-Tidningen 1975-11-21 p. 16
  4. ↑ YouTube synopsis
  5. ↑ Tidningen Södermalm, “Nöjesrepubliken” section, June 24, 2000 p. 22
  6. ↑ Damernas Värld January 14, 1976 p. 10
  7. ↑ Michael Kearns in San Diego Update, L.A. Life 1979-11-30 p. 13
  8. ↑ YouTube synopsis
  9. ↑ Public census records in Sweden and the United States
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