Angie Star and Her Trailblazing Presence on the Puerto Vallarta Stage

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The art of drag is a fundamental pillar of Puerto Vallarta’s nightlife, and few names resonate with the trajectory and impact of Angie Star. 

Behind the sparkle and perfect lip sync of this Vallarta-born artist is José Ángel Morales Martínez, 47, whose professional career spans nearly three decades. Since her debut in 1997, Angie Star has not only forged an artistic path but has also been a witness and driver of the evolution of the LGBTQ+ scene in Vallarta, facing challenges from personal acceptance to the fight for respect in public spaces.

In that setting, he met a trans woman and a cross-dressing man, whom he remembers as his “fairy godmothers” (Gabriel and Gabriela). They encouraged him to enter a drag contest. “I think of them as my angels since they have both passed. They encouraged me to do my first show in an amateur competition,” shares Angie Star. Her first appearance took place at Paco Paco. She competed and won by performing a lip sync of the song from the movie Titanic as Celine Dion.

“At the moment of the ovation, something clicked inside me. I loved the adrenaline of being in front of people; it was magical.”

That instant solidified her decision to dedicate herself fully to drag. She was welcomed by Maury, her drag mother who imitated Tina Turner and Ana Gabriel, and who provided her with the first tools and tips for performing on stage. When the host of the show at Paco Paco resigned, Maury proposed Angie Star to replace her. Despite the initial reluctance of the manager due to her inexperience with makeup, he agreed on the condition that she host from off-stage, without getting dressed up.

“I hosted like that for one week, and then they put me out there on stage,” she recounts. Her colleagues instructed her in the art of makeup and transformation, launching her into professionalism between 1997 and 1998 in a meteoric rise. Her ease with public speaking, cultivated since school, facilitated her transition to hosting and comedy.

A Career Without Borders

Throughout her career, Angie Star has illuminated virtually every important stage in Puerto Vallarta, from the defunct Balcones and the legendary Bar Mañana to Antropology, Chachalaca Bar, Mantamar, The Top, La Noche, and, more recently, the Blue Chairs hotel and the Santitos bar in Nuevo Vallarta. Her work has extended beyond the bars, as she is hired for private events, weddings, and villas.

Angie Star’s presence was not limited to Vallarta. Along with her group “Las Crazy Bitches,” formerly composed by Diva Divine, her drag mother Maury (who imitated Tina Turner), Angie herself as Chef, and a rotating drag queen; she undertook a successful two-year tour (2017 and 2018) by road in Canada, styled after the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. They performed in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia (including the traditional Lido Theater) with sold-out shows in various venues, from golf clubs and hotel convention centers to pizza bars and sports bars for a heterosexual audience. In 2018, they performed 29 shows on this international tour, a testament to the quality of her work.

However, as in any long career, there have been setbacks. Recently, after seven years at La Noche bar, Angie Star and a colleague were dismissed by a new manager who argued that their drag style was “tired.” This event only reaffirmed her conviction to continue. “When one door closes, others open. I’m not tired yet, it’s not my time; I’m not going to retire yet. It’s something I couldn’t give up,” she affirms.

Identity, Challenges, and Altruism

One of the most defining aspects of José Ángel’s life, in relation to his career, was the exploration of his gender identity. For many years, for the ease of the stage and to please partners who told him, “I like you as a girl,” he went through a transition process, taking hormones and living as a trans woman. It wasn’t until the Covid-19 pandemic that he had the opportunity to reflect deeply on his desires. He concluded that he loved the performance and transformation for the shows, but not living as a woman. Today, he identifies as a gay man and drag artist.

The beginnings of her career were marked by discrimination and risk. Among the experiences that forged her generation, Angie Star recalls: “I learned to walk in heels by learning to run from the police on the cobblestones.” 

She recounts the episode where she was taken away in a police car, along with other colleagues, simply for walking dressed in drag. These events motivated the pioneers to organize marches and activism to change how the authorities viewed them and “open the way,” a struggle that today allows new generations to stand on a stage without fear.

Angie Star describes herself as a maternal person, willing to help new drag artists, provided they approach her with humility. Her activism has manifested in supporting colleagues in the industry with health issues. “We all unite; when help is needed, we always support each other,” she emphasizes. Angie Star deeply appreciates the camaraderie she has shared with Vallarta’s pioneers, such as Diva Divine and the twins Hugo and Alex Mora.

With a life dedicated to the stage, her other great passion in her free time is cinema, a nod to her professional origins. Angie Star’s legacy is that of an artist who, with resilience, authenticity, and social commitment, has become an indelible part of the history of Puerto Vallarta’s nightlife and LGBTQ scene.

This story is from the Winter 2026 issue of Out & About PV. Check out the complete print edition here.

Esta publicación también está disponible en: English Español