Under neon stage lights, Mia Inez Adams, tall and poised in a lacy white minidress, welcomes the night's patrons in with open arms. At 66, the Black trans trailblazer and veteran drag performer still moves with the rhythm of a seasoned dancer. Her humor: crude. Her manner: lighthearted, even tender. If you drop by Stacy's @ Melrose on a Tuesday night, you'll find her and her lethal high kicks transforming a small bar stage into a full-fledged showcase where the Valley’s next generation of drag kings, queens and things come out to shine.

In the heart of Phoenix’s Melrose District, Adams, one of the city's most venerated drag performers , is cultivating a new wave of entertainment. Twenty-two years after Adams conceived of the 10-week, no-elimination show in Oklahoma City, the Rising Star

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