“[My beard] reminds me that I am a man. ... The drag world has made me embrace my femininity and ... [made me] proud of being called a woman. Interestingly enough, it has also caused me to embrace my masculinity," says Marrlo Suzzanne.

Bold & Beautiful – SLUG LGBTQ+: Marrlo Suzzanne

Bold & Beautiful

Marrlo Suzzanne is a wonderfully creative artist, bearded queen and an incredible musician. Rock n’ roll through and through, Marrlo’s the lead singer of Marrlo Suzzanne & The Galaxy Band, and he exuberates personality and individuality within Salt Lake City’s  music and drag scene. Be sure to check out his upcoming performance June 4 at the Utah Pride Center’s 2021 Pride Week Celebration (after getting your vaccine, duh, and bring your mask)!


“I rst became interested in drag when I delved into the world of Drag Race in the summer of 2014. I then tried a Halloween costume in drag Halloween of 2016, and the real drag life started in 2018.”
Photo: Bonneville Jones

SLUG: Please tell me a little history about yourself.

Marrlo: I started in music with piano when I was eight years old. I played piano all through high school along with [participating in] marching band, choir and musical theatre. I studied musical theatre at the University of Utah and then moved into the drag scene here in SLC in [the] summer of 2018. I decided to combine music, drag and Marrlo Suzzanne & The Galaxy Band.

SLUG: When and why did you first become interested in drag?

Marrlo: I first became interested in drag when I delved into the world of Drag Race in the summer of 2014. I then tried a Halloween costume in drag Halloween of 2016, and the real drag life started in 2018 with my first drag performance.

SLUG: What does drag mean to you?

Marrlo: Drag means expressing myself theatrically without limits or restrictions. This is such a free art form! Drag means makeup, hair, outfits, heels, hips, larger-than-life EVERYTHING—also, storytelling and dreaming onstage!

SLUG: Your beard is such a characteristic part of your look! What would you say it imparts to Marrlo Suzzanne onstage?

Marrlo: What I love about my beard is that it reminds me that I am a man. I was teased so much for being a femme boy growing up, and it used to really bother me when people called me a girl, but the drag world has made me embrace my femininity and to be proud of being called a woman. Interestingly enough, it has also caused me to embrace my masculinity. I feel more comfortable in my skin in my everyday life because of the things I’ve learned about myself while in drag. I think the beard is an excellent way for me to bring the masculine to my feminine character.

SLUG: Who or what inspires your music?

Marrlo: This has changed over the years, but right now, I am most inspired by the ’70s rock that was exhibited in our show! We are a cover band (for now), and working on this music has taught me so much about what it means to be a rocker. Feeling the music and dancing is natural, but being a rocker takes time and practice!! I’m honestly so inspired by the music of Don McLean. He is the artist that wrote the namesake of our show, “American Pie.”

Of their Galaxy Band, Marrlo Suzzanne says, "I put on a cover show of some of the most popular ’70s rock songs. The show featured music from artists such as Styx, Hall & Oates, Heart, Pat Benatar, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.”
Photo: Bonneville Jones

SLUG: Tell us about your last performance, American Pie: A 70’s Drag Rock Show. What kind of show did you put on?

Marrlo: I put on a cover show of some of the most popular ’70s rock songs. The show featured music from artists such as Styx, Hall & Oates, Heart, Pat Benatar, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Those are to just name a few … We love to make the show as visually pleasing as it is audibly pleasing.

SLUG: Any upcoming shows with MS&TGB we get to look forward to, or any solo Marrlo shows?

Marrlo: Yes! I am opening with The Galaxy Band for a local Pride event on June 4, Loud + Queer Pride Spectacular, with headliner Todrick Hall. For this event, we are reviving a short version of our ’70s rock show! It is going to be such a wild and fun event! I am also opening for JRC Events’ drag show, Joey Jay at Urban Lounge on June 5, and on Sunday, the 6th, I’ll be working an event with Sister Molly Mormon.

SLUG: What does the SLC LGBTQ+ community and Pride Month mean to you?

Marlo: SLC has such a loving and beautiful LGBTQIA+ community. I’m so blessed to be a part of it. I love how everywhere I go in the queer spaces in SLC, I feel loved and accepted. It seems to me that people experience joy and peace when they are here. I think we truly have something special. We are tight-knit, and we really do support each other. Pride Month means, to me, a time of expression of community.

SLUG: What encourages you to do the work that you do for our local queer community?

Marrlo: The biggest encouragement I get to do this work is the feedback I get after sharing my art/music with the community. When someone approaches me and tells me that I have given them the best night in over two years, I realize that’s my purpose. My purpose is to give people joy and passion. I inspire connection and freedom! I love to see how my actions affect the way other people engage with the world.

SLUG: Where do you see yourself as an artist in the future?

Marrlo: I see myself performing in a mega-theater with a production that is so over-the-top in spectacle and glamour. I am standing there on the stage sharing my heart and soul through music alongside the finest musicians around. We do this regularly and enjoy the life that comes from owning a successful business. I see myself in the midst of a career that is so beautifully enriching and deeply satisfying. I wake up every day in disbelief of my life. I know that a life like this can only come from embracing and supporting my community.

SLUG: Where can people find your art online?

Marrlo: Please go to Instagram @marrlosuzzanne and Facebook @Marrlo.Suzzanne. I will also have a website up soon, so keep your eyes out for that.