Bold & Beautiful: M’Lady Wood

What began as a passion for costume design slowly unfolded into something much larger for M’Lady Wood. The looks she created needed a stage, the stage demanded a voice and the voice eventually grew into a live band. Each step felt less like a reinvention and more like the natural next chapter of an evolving artist.

M’Lady’s drag journey started in Kansas City, where she studied costume design in college. “Every night when I would go out, I’d try to catch the drag shows,” she says. “I’d see these performers on stage and think, I could make those looks.” Once back in Salt Lake City, she found herself dressing up for themed shows, just for fun, until someone at the Club Try-angles called her up with a question that changed everything: “Do you want to perform this weekend?”

That was in 2019. Today, M’Lady has become a staple in Salt Lake’s drag scene, known not only for her performances but also for the intricate costumes she creates for herself, her bandmates and a growing roster of local queens. “I love watching shows now and realizing that half of what’s on stage came from my sewing machine,” she says with a laugh.

What sets M’Lady apart is her shift from traditional drag lip-syncing to live singing. “At first, I was nervous about it, like, would audiences even like this?” she admits. But the moment she started performing with Marrlo Suzzanne & the Galaxxy Band, it clicked. “Now I’m nervous about lip syncing. Singing feels authentic in a way that lip syncing never did.”

The Galaxxy Band was the brainchild of fellow performer Marrlo Suzzanne who wanted to fuse drag with a live music experience. Their first Christmas show five years ago turned into a project that keeps evolving – think themed sets spanning decades, from the glam of the ’70s to the nostalgia of the 2000s. For M’Lady, the band became more than just a gig; it was a canvas. “I’m the seamstress for the band,” she says. “I look at who each performer is, what they like to perform, and design costumes that reflect their personality while still tying the whole group together.”

That design-meets-performance approach makes every Galaxxy Band show feel like part rock concert, part runway, part time machine. And it works. The band recently took their talents out of state for Boise Pride, where M’Lady also performed in a musical theater showcase. Naturally, she made new costumes for the occasion. “Why not? I’ve got the skills and a closet full of fabric,” she says.

That DIY ethic has become a signature part of her artistry. It’s also what inspires her audience. After shows, she often hears from fans who want to learn how to sew or start their own creative projects. “That’s the best feedback,” she says. “If people see me and think, ‘I want to learn something new, I want to create,’ then I’ve done my job.”

For M’Lady, drag is about more than just a performance, it’s about connection. “Drag brings people together. With the Galaxxy Band, we’re not just performing for a brunch crowd or a club crowd. Our shows bring in a wide mix of people, and we get to share drag with all of them.”

The future is busy and bright for M’Lady. The Galaxxy Band is booked through the end of the year with decade-themed revivals, Equality Utah’s gala, Halloween’s Witchy Woman showcase, a Country Christmas spectacular, and even a return to the ’90s in the new year. On top of that, M’Lady continues to design commissioned looks for other queens around town.

Whether she’s behind a sewing machine or in front of a microphone, M’Lady Wood embodies the spirit of drag as both an art form and a community builder. “I want people to level themselves up,” she says. And if you’ve ever seen her light up a stage in one of her handmade creations, you know she’s doing exactly that.

Catch M’Lady Wood and the Galaxxy Band at their next show at Metro Music Hall, and find her custom creations or contact about a commission on Instagram at @mladywood or @tlrbnks.

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