Ethylina Canne

Ethylina Canne entered the world with a love for show tunes and anything sparkly.  Even while growing up on a modest farm on California’s central coast, there were no “Green Acres” for this girl!! Ethylina longed for the stage and screen, inspired by old-school showgirls like Ann Miller, Mitzi Gaynor, and Shirley Bassey … to name just a few.  After finishing high school, she headed for the big city – San Francisco – to start her career. She got her first real break at the now infamous “Trannyshack” run by SF Drag Legend Heklina in the early 90’s. She lived for the nightlife and became a club celebrity almost overnight, but as luck would have it, that didn’t pay the bills and she grudgingly got a job as a clerk at the local post office.

Turning her sights on the glamour and glitz of Hollywood, Ethylina had a very short stint on “Nip/Tuck” as a “West Hollywood Cheerleader”…and by short, she means about 30 seconds!! Her acting career didn’t take off, despite meeting Rosie O’Donnell on set and thinking they’d become fast friends!  After months and months of no calls from Rosie, Ethylina got a job at the corner diner, bussing tables and taking dessert orders to make ends meet … always hoping to meet that director or get that role that was written specifically for her.  But alas, her dreams never came true and her dream of making it big in Tinseltown soon faded to black.

Ethylina knew Palm Springs was the city that Hollywood stars used to flock to and felt they might appreciate a mid-century-style gal like herself. Since moving, Ethylina has taken Palm Springs by storm.  The minute she arrived in town she entered the “Desert Drag Race Contest” at Toucans Tiki Lounge, in hopes of getting her foot in the door and getting herself on that stage.  Well, she won that contest, and has been a regular cast member in the longest-running show in the desert: “Tommi Rose and the Playgirls.”  She then entered the 1^st annual “Queen of the Desert” pageant, benefiting Desert Aids Project, and took home the prestigious award of “Fan Favorite”, among many others.

This year, Ethylina will be joining funny man, Leslie Jordan, as they co-host the 22^nd Annual Steve Chase Awards on February 6^th, a gala fundraiser for Desert Aids Project.  She will be your go-to-gal at the “Red Dress-Dress Red Party” benefiting The LGBT Center on March 12^th.  She is honored to be back co-hosting the 3^rd annual “Queen of the Desert” pageant for Desert Aids Project in May, and she is a contestant hopeful for the “Best in Drag” fundraiser for Aid for Aids, a program of Alliance for Housing and Healing, in October at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.

She can always be seen at Toucans Tiki Lounge on the 2^nd Sunday of each month with shows at 8pm and 10 pm.  Be sure to follow Ethylina at facebook.com/ethylinacanne and youtube.com/ethylina.

Ticket info for upcoming events:

www.desertaidsproject.org

www.thecenterps.org/events/red-dress-dress-red

www.alliancehh.org/bestindragshow/

www.toucanstikilounge.com