When you walk into Gipsy Nightclub on a Thursday night this season, it doesn’t just feel like a show—it feels like walking into Alexis Mateo’s living room on Christmas Eve. There’s glitter in the air, snow falling from the ceiling, holiday cocktails in hand, and a cast of powerhouse entertainers swirling around one very familiar crown.
“I decided I wanted to stay home for Christmas,” Alexis says. “And home for me right now is Gipsy and Piranha.”
Home. Legacy. Family. Those words come up again and again when you talk with the reigning Miss Continental Elite about her new holiday extravaganza and her role at the heart of Las Vegas drag.
Because when Alexis says “bam,” she’s not just talking about a catchphrase. She’s talking about a life she’s spent carving out space—for herself, for her drag children, and for a community that needs a place to belong during the toughest season of the year.
A Crown 45 Years in the Making
“I am Alexis Mateo, the Alexis Mateo,” she laughs. “And right now, I am Miss Continental Elite. I am reigning supreme gorgeously, and I am excited to be representing Las Vegas.”
Winning Miss Continental Elite wasn’t just another sash to hang in the dressing room. It was the realization of a dream that started long before Drag Race, long before Las Vegas, back when Alexis was just a backup dancer trying to figure out what this thing called “pageantry” even was.
“Continental was the first pageant I ever noticed,” she remembers. “I didn’t even know it was pageantry. I got hired to be a backup dancer for an icon named Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington, and that’s how I discovered pageantry. It was Miss Continental.”
That year, Domanique Shappelle—now a Las Vegas local—took the crown, and Alexis was instantly hooked. “It became a goal of my life,” she says. “I always wanted to be Miss Continental.”
But like so many in the community, she heard the whispers: you have to be a trans girl to win; it’s not for you; don’t bother. So she waited. She worked. She grew. And she set her sights on the Elite division—created for queens 45 and older.
“I always felt like that’s where the real drag happens,” she says. “That’s the people who actually paved the way for us to come into bars and be free on TV to be ourselves.”
On her 45th birthday, she finally stepped onto the Continental Elite stage in Chicago. It was Easter Sunday. It was her first time competing. And she walked away with the crown.
“For me, it’s not just a pageant title,” Alexis says. “It’s an inspiration. It became part of my life to spread my legacy around. I have so many drag kids that get inspired by everything I do. I knew I had to do something important, not just TV and not just an everyday drag show, to leave my mark.”
Mentors, Mothers, and Paying It Forward
If Alexis talks about legacy, she’s quick to point out it didn’t start with her.
“One of my biggest mentors, Darcel Stevens in Orlando, always told me, ‘Pay it forward so drag never dies,’” she recalls. “That stuck with me.”
She talks about legends like Hot Chocolate/Larry Edwards, Tasha Kohl, and Tandi Andrews with the kind of reverence some people reserve for pop stars and politicians. “I started doing drag at the Miss America pageant because I was inspired by Hot Chocolate—Larry Edwards,” she says. “Larry has the contacts, Larry has the knowledge, Larry has lived it all. I learned from his mistakes. I don’t do them.”
Her advice for newcomers is very Alexis—loving, blunt, and just a little contrary.
“People always say, ‘Be yourself, be creative, follow your instincts,’” she says, rolling her eyes just a bit. “Honestly? I’ll say the opposite. I think it’s time for us as entertainers to start mentoring kids and allowing them to learn from us. It’s important to let the knowledge we have go to another person.”
She wants the next generation to look up, not just out.
“For a newcomer starting in this business, pay attention to the people that paved the way for us to be free in this moment,” she says. “They did everything for us. They are the story of our community.”
Sisterhood at Gipsy and Piranha
Alexis is quick to remind you she’s worked “everywhere”—all over the country and around the world. And yet, something about the cast at Piranha Nightclub and Gipsy Nightclub hits different.
“I have never met a more fun cast,” she says, laughing. “When I’m performing with them, I’m intimidated by everybody. They’re a ball of talent. They’re incredible, beautiful, young, hungry for everything—and they’re so humble.”
Yes, it’s a sisterhood. And yes, she’s the mom.
“I think that comes with the age,” she jokes. “The girls don’t necessarily make me feel like a mother, but if I see someone in trouble, or having too many drinks, that motherhood kicks in. ‘OK, it’s time for you to go. Let’s go, I’ll take you home.’”
Motherhood goes beyond keeping an eye on the girls after the show. It’s in meetings, planning events, choosing numbers. “It sounds like motherhood advice, but it’s more like, ‘I’ve been here before, let’s try this other road,’” she says. “My knowledge comes in.”
What makes this particular sisterhood so special is that it doesn’t stop at the staff door.
“These girls are awesome,” she says. “We hang out after work, we go eat, we go to the movies together. It’s a little family and I love that. And it’s not just the Drag Race girls or the Piranha cast. We’re close with local entertainers at Hamburger Mary’s, The Phoenix—everywhere.”
Despite the perception that Las Vegas has a huge LGBTQ+ community, Alexis insists it’s smaller and more tightly knit than people think. “We actually all know each other,” she says. “We’re going through the same things together.”
A Holiday Extravaganza, Straight from the Heart
This year’s holiday show at Gipsy is more than a themed production—it’s personal.
“It’s no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday ever,” Alexis says. Most years, you’d find her spending the season performing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. But this year, things are different.
“People know I lost my parents this year,” she shares. “I decided I wanted to stay home for Christmas. Home for me is Gipsy and Piranha.”
So she went to Jerry, the owner, with an idea: a full-on holiday extravaganza that runs straight through into January, on a year when the holidays all fall on Thursdays. He said yes.
“As soon as I told Jerry and the crew, they were on board,” she says. “I’m having a good time—not just with the cast, but with the bartenders, the security people. It feels like Christmas already.”
The show is packed with star power and trans excellence, starting with Fantasia Royale Gaga, a Miami powerhouse who brings a flavor no one else can match, and Kataluna, the glamorous pageant queen Alexis lovingly calls “the Barbie of the cast.”
“Trans power, baby,” Alexis beams. “We’ve got two of the most iconic and most obligated people here in Las Vegas for trans rights. Fantasia has that flavor none of us can bring. We have a duet together—it’s my first duet with her—and of course we’re highlighting Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, two of my favorite divas ever.”
And then there’s Kataluna. “She’s a collectible Barbie,” Alexis laughs. “A beautiful trans girl who always brings the best to represent the trans community. This show is literally a gift for Christmas for everybody that comes to Gipsy Nightclub.”
The cast also includes their first male lead, Roman, plus Asia Kino, Ador, and a rotating lineup of special guests flying in for the holidays. Add in holiday cocktails, festive music, and yes—it actually snows inside Gipsy—and you’ve got what Alexis calls “the ultimate holiday explosion.”
Her favorite moment of the night? The closer.
“We are doing ‘Oh Santa’ from Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, and Mariah Carey,” she says. “I get to do it with the girls and the dancers. It’s a big celebration moment. It feels like Christmas. It *is* Christmas.”
Chosen Family, Chosen Joy
For Alexis, the show isn’t just entertainment; it’s a lifeline.
“From the beginning of time, we have always been feeling lonely,” she says softly. “For some reason, the LGBTQ+ community always feels more lonely than any other person in the world.”
Especially at the holidays.
“Many of us—especially the older LGBTQ+ community—have struggled with acceptance from our real family,” she explains. “What this show does is bring people together and remind us what really matters at Christmas: the family we make.”
That chosen family, she emphasizes, is just as real as blood. “That’s the people who actually support us, who bring us happiness, who don’t leave us alone.”
In a year where elections and politics have been particularly exhausting, the need for safe spaces feels even more urgent.
“Politics are crazy right now,” she says. “Being with friends and family is when we feel the most happy and the most calm. I think we needed this. I really, really think we needed it.”
Her hope for the community is simple: “Our hope for happiness is love,” she says. “And that’s what we try to be. Love, honey.”
Always Working, Always Drag
Between pageant duties, bookings, weekly shows at Piranha and Gipsy, and national appearances, you might wonder how Alexis keeps her energy so high all season long.
She answers with a mischievous grin: “I don’t. I never take care of myself.”
Then she clarifies.
“When you do what you love in life, happiness comes from within,” she says. “I try to remain creative, I try to remain happy. As long as I’m happy doing what I do, I will be OK.”
On nights she’s not in face, she’s still working for drag.
“If I’m not sewing, I’m learning music. If I’m not learning music, I’m editing wigs and jewelry or doing projects for other people,” she says. “I’m still working with World of Wonder and have a new show coming up with Kennedy Davenport—The Kennedy Davenport Center Honors. I’m going to be a presenter for the awards show.”
If she’s not doing a pageant, she’s doing a show. If she’s not doing a show, she’s helping her drag kids. “I’m surrounded by drag because I love it,” she says. “As long as I love it, I’ll be here.”
Looking Ahead: More Crowns, More Queens, More “Bam”
Alexis also has her eye on bringing more structured pageantry to Gipsy and Piranha.
“I’m trying to get a feel for a Continental Elite presence here,” she says. “I have a lot of gorgeous, amazing divas in Vegas that I would love to see on stage.”
She’s already dreaming up holiday competitions—Miss Valentine’s Day, Miss St. Patrick’s Day, and more—culminating in a big, glittering end-of-year showdown.
“Drag Royale was extremely popular,” she points out. “We do have an incredible drag community here in Vegas. The more we bring it, the more we get to meet new characters.”
And of course, she’s already thinking beyond Christmas and into New Year’s Eve.
“I’m super excited about receiving the New Year here in Las Vegas with my family at Piranha Nightclub and Gipsy,” she says. “If you’re visiting, hottest spot in town, baby. New Year’s in Las Vegas is the tea, and I’m excited to be here for sure.”
Coquito, Santa Daddy, and One Big “Bam”
Underneath the crown, the gowns, and the legacy, Alexis is still a Puerto Rican girl who loves Christmas, coquito, and a good dirty joke.
Her holiday drink of choice? “Coquito,” she says instantly. “The Puerto Rican version of eggnog.”
Favorite Christmas movie? She goes straight to music: *All I Want for Christmas Is You* by Mariah Carey. Mariah over Michael Bublé, every time—especially now that Mariah has a Vegas residency.
She proudly admits she’s always on the naughty list. She will pick rhinestones *and* feathers, thank you very much. At 45, she’s choosing heels she can walk in over heels that are just for photos. Her emergency lip sync is “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit. Best drag advice she’s ever received? “Shave your face.”
And if you’re in the audience, there’s one thing she always wants to hear screamed from the crowd: “Bam!”—Beautiful Alexis Mateo.
“This holiday season,” she says, pausing just a beat, “Alexis Mateo is ready to have fun. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
Fun, yes. But also family. Legacy. Love. And a Christmas home right here in Las Vegas, under the snow machines at Gipsy, where Miss Continental Elite herself is waiting to wish you a very merry, very queer holiday season. BAM!