An FIT graduate and the winner this year of Shequida’s Drag Wars second finale, this promising queen has proven herself to be a pretty excellent drag performer and makeup artist. Half of any given audience doesn’t even catch on that she’s AFAB! Thotyssey gets On Point with Vicky DeVille.
Thotyssey: Vicky, hello! How was your Thanksgiving?
Vicky DeVille: Hey! Thanksgiving was great. Went home to visit family and friends in NJ. Ate a lot and slept a lot.
Sounds perfect! I see that a few weeks ago, you made your Miss Girl debut at Narcbar… how did that go?
Yes I did! The Miss Girl show is one of my favorites in the city, so I was thrilled to be able to perform there. I love how [host / producer] Rify always chooses performers who have very different styles, and when they are brought together It makes for a great show. Unfortunately It was the night of that random November snow storm, so a lot of friends couldn’t make It out.
Oh, that stupid storm. New Yorkers can be such Weather Pussies, can’t they?
I’ll never make sense of New Yorkers and weather. They will party through a blizzard mid-winter, but four inches of snow in November and everything gets screwed up! I don’t think anyone expected It so early in the season. I was just happy the show wasn’t canceled, and I still go to perform and spend time with the other queens.
So, where are you from originally?
I grew up in Union, NJ which is about 45 minutes outside of NYC – pretty close to the Newark Airport for reference. Then I moved to NYC when I studied at FIT.
Ah, you’re an FIT queen! What was your major?
I have a BFA in Fashion Design from there. I specialized in evening wear for one semester and hated It! After that, I specialized in “Current Scene” which I don’t think they offer anymore. It was more like Ready-to-Wear, trendy fashion.
Is FIT where you discovered drag?
Yes! My first taste of drag was when I was about 17 years-old. One of the girls at my school had a birthday party at Lips (back when It was on Bank St). I remember there was a Cher impersonator there, and It was fabulous. It was close to Halloween, so I think I was dressed up as a French maid? Oh, I wish I could find the photos! It was a while before I went to another drag show after that night; it was hard, since I was underage.
I was reintroduced to drag through my gay friends Maxwell and Wesley. They would take me every Monday to Boxers to watch RuPauls Drag Race. They kept telling me how much I would love the show. Little did they know they had just created a monster! I did love it, and I was so inspired by It. I really loved the excitement of the bar week after week, where everyone would root for their favorites and cheer like it was the Super Bowl! After the episode, there would always be a live drag show to watch, too. It became the highlight of my week.
When did you become aware of the existence of AFAB queens?
A video from Broadly that Maxwell has shown me on YouTube. It featured AFAB performers in London, such as Victoria Sin. I thought, oh wow! I would love to try this. Even if It was just for fun.
Tell us about your debut as Vicky!
To be honest, I was terrified! My first performance was at a celebrity impersonation contest at Rise Bar’s Legend Wednesday. I did Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman” as my debut performance. I spent a ton of money on new hair and new shoes, and made the entire costume from scratch. I wanted to make sure that even if my performance was awkward, I would at least look the part. I think I took about four shots of vodka, too, before I went on stage. Nothing like that liquid courage! Ironic, because now I never drink before a show.
Do you generally design and make all your own stuff?
Yes, I’d say I make about 75% of the things I wear. Of course if I need something in a pinch or don’t have time, I will use store-bought. I also do have some amazing one-of-a-kind pieces from designer Wesley Nault if I need something fancy!
The first time I saw you perform was at Hibiscus’ show at Stonewall back in February. It was you two with Inita D and Izzy Uncut, and you all recreated the Madonna / Britney / Christina “Like a Virgin” VMA performance… it was amazing!
I remember that! Probably one of my fave performances ever!
At the time, I honestly had no idea you were female… do you think most audiences don’t even know when they see you perform?
I’m honestly flattered when people tell me they can’t figure out who the person is under the drag character. I did a show with Vita Summers over Pride Weekend, and at the end of the show she revealed that I was a female and asked the audience to clap if they knew, and then clap if they didn’t know. I’d say It was 50/50 down the middle, which surprised me! My favorite is when people tell me my titties look “so real” and their faces when I tell them “they are!”
Did you get any pushback from other queens because you are a female doing female drag, or did most people get on board early on with what you were doing?
Personally, I don’t think I’ve gotten pushback for being female. I definitely think I have more supporters than haters. The New York drag scene is very diverse, and audiences here really appreciate the variety of performers we have to offer.
Speaking of Hibiscus and Inita, how did you become Judys with them? Are you part of the cheerleading league Cheer New York with them?
Oh, I am nowhere near flexible enough to be a cheerleader! Lol. What they do is amazing. I actually met Hibiscus and Inita D through their drag mother Andora Tetee. Andora was such a sweetheart to me when I would show up at her shows as a drag baby. She introduced me to Hibiscus, and It was right around the time Hibiscus started her Sunday Smackdown shows at Stonewall. I came and watched a few, and once I started performing Hibiscus was the first queen to offer me a spot in her show. We’ve became good friends both on and offstage.
You’ll be back at Stonewall Sunday with Hibiscus, Inita, Cheer New York and a bunch of other queens and performers for a show benefiting the Anti-Violence Project!
Yes! I will! We’ve got some great stuff in store. Some of these queens I haven’t seen perform yet either, so I’ll probably end up watching a lot of the show, too! Best part is that It is all for a great cause.
By the way, how did you enjoy competing in The Ultimate Drag Pageant a few cycles ago?
Honestly, UDP was challenging for me. Each week is a different theme, and It really does bring you out of your comfort zone. Before the pageant, I had never done a Broadway number or a political number. And after every performance was a critique which was sometimes hard to hear. However, all of the queens I competed with were so amazing and talented! It was a great opportunity to get to know them personally and to learn from them. I think that was probably the biggest reward from that experience.
That’s important! This year, you are GLAM nominated as Best Scene Queen, congrats!
Yes! Thank you!!
I’m so honored to be included in this category.
And congrats on your Best Nightlife Blogger/Writer nom! I admit I’m a big fan of Thotyssey myself!
Thank you! How did your rep as a scene queen come about, do you think?
This past year I really dedicated a lot to my drag, and have been working hard to step up my game. I had great opportunities to perform at Bushwig and Guys We Fest, and took home the title of “Drag Wars: All Stars 2″ Winner. I also think it’s important to support other queens and to make your presence known. I’m up against some legends, but I’m honestly just excited to be a part of the whole celebration!
Good luck! Okay, is there anything else?
So I just learned that voting for the GLAM Awards Scene Queen category is open to the general public! So vote for me, and tell a friend to as well! No voting code required! Haha, shameless plug!
Oh that’s great! Okay last question: what Christmas song would you perform at gigs all month if you could?
Funny you should ask! I’m known for my Xtina, but my fave Christmas song is actually Britney’s “My Only Wish This Year!” I love that corny song. Not a huge fan of Christmas music, but that one is so underrated!
Agreed! Thank you, Vicky!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Vicky DeVille’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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