She sings, she paints, she’s a spitfire, she’s super young, and she’s on the fast track to drag stardom thanks in part to a potentially hilarious new web series in the works. Get your kicks from the one and only Vix!
Thotyssey: Wazzup Vix? So, we’re still in Grammy fallout… did you have favorites or least favorites from the night as far as performances, awards, lewks, etc?
Vix: I’m a huge fan of Thierry Mugler, so everything Cardi wore really got to me. I thought her performance was fantastic, as well. If you saw, Ariana Grande’s dress was also unbelievable.
Yes, and even better that she wore it in her kitchen! And what about JLo’s Motown tribute? Personally, I thought it was a fun performance that wasn’t remotely Mowtown.
I mean, JLo could slap me and I’d thank her, so I loved whatever it was she did!
Fair enough! You’re a great singer yourself and can turn a production number… we’ll be seeing you on that stage soon enough, right?
Fingers crossed! I’d love to work on releasing music later on in my career, for sure.
So, where are you from, and how long have you been on the stage and into music?
I’m originally from a little town in Vermont, and I’ve been performing since I was in middle school. I didn’t get serious until after high school ended, but it truly was my undiscovered love.
Was it always Broadway and musicals that really drove you?
Definitely. There was something so fantastical about it that always spoke to me. However, I felt that the female roles always resonated with me more, so drag was a very natural step forward—so I could be those women that inspired me.
I imagine it’s those amazing female roles that have created most of our queens! Do you have a favorite show?
Funny Girl, hands down. I’m a huge Barbra fan, and that was one of the first musicals I was exposed to.
And did you come to NYC to study or be in theater?
I came to study at CAP21, which is a musical theatre conservatory. It was a huge culture shock from where I grew up, but I’m so happy I made the move. NYC feels like home.
How did the drag bug bite?
I had actually never seen live drag before I moved here, and one of my friends at school basically forced me out to the ACE Hotel to see a viewing party of Drag Race. It was there that I first saw Brita Filter, who really was the reason I began drag. She was magnetic and fun, and I came back every week. I started working for her and Vincent Cooper as a personal assistant, and being behind the scenes let me know that drag was something I really gravitated toward.
That’s a great way to gain perspective into that world! You first started performing as “Vix Vaporub”… what made you drop the last part?
I found that Vaporub, although really cute, didn’t really hold any meaning to me. I felt like I chose a name that would be more memorable and fun, but I didn’t actually care for, y’know? Vix was initially a play on the word “Vixen,” since I’ve always been drawn to foxes, but clearly once Season 10 came out, I couldn’t very well just be Vixen. So I dropped the Vaporub and just became Vix. I really like it with just the first name, too. I think it’s simple and reminds me of like, an android woman.
It does stick! How did you like competing in the Ultimate Drag Pageant a few cycles ago?
I had a wonderful time at UDP! It was my first time doing something like that, and I found the creative challenge to be the biggest reward. I loved having to push myself to come up with a number and an outfit for every week. Plus, working with [pageant host] Marti is never a negative. She’s a wonderful mentor.
I saw your turn at the Ace Hotel’s Lady Liberty competition in full cat drag (take notes, Latrice!). You sang “Memories” from Cats… it was glorious!
Thank you! That is most definitely my favorite number to perform. I hope at one point it becomes my most talked about number. I think every singing queen has one song that people just love to hear. I really hope that’ll be mine.
It’s challenging to be a young queen in the city today… there is what some might call an oversaturation of drag, and queens really have to work hard to stand out and be successful. Does that pressure ever feel really heavy on you, or does the good of the art always outweigh the bad?
I think it can get disheartening really easily. But I like to remind myself that there’s a reason I’ve been drawn to drag, and I owe it to myself to be patient and hardworking until my time to blow up comes. I’ve had some really great opportunities, and met some amazing people so far, so any negative energy surrounding my journey is really easily outweighed by that.
And you have something huge coming up! Tell us about Real Drag Moms of New York, and how you became involved.
Yeah! I came into the project through Sterling Tull and his boyfriend, Aaron Cooper, who I met through UDP. RDMNY is a semi-scripted reality mini-series about a group of young, rich women who happen to be drag queens and also happen to be moms. It’s like an extended version of the main challenge on Drag Race where they parody a reality show. It’s been such a fun experience so far, and I can’t wait to see how far it goes.
Are all the queens in the cast playing accurate versions themselves, or are they more like characters from those reality shows?
I feel like we’re playing a really amplified version of ourselves. For example, Vix on the show is a very stereotypical “dumb” heiress who lives off her dad’s money and has almost no grasp on reality. She’s a firm believer in astrology and the Universe, but all of her knowledge on the subject is fully made up. It’s a very played up version of the spoiled rich girl I think Vix tries to be.
Your fellow castmembers include Sterling, Lemon, Xunami Muse, Pussy Willow, Michele Shocked and Audrey Phoenix, all new up-and-coming queens. You all basically knew each other before the show, right?
Oh yes! Pussy Willow, Michele, Audrey and Sterling and I all knew each other from UDP. Xunami, I met through Drag Wars, and Lemon is genuinely my best friend in New York.
And has shooting begun?
We’ve filmed the promos, but shooting is set to begin in the next couple weeks. Coordinating everyone’s schedules is probably going to be the hardest part… but once it works out, I think we’ll be on a pretty solid roll!
Can’t wait to see it! Okay, anything else you got coming up?
Yes! I’m doing a Valentine’s Day concert at Club Cumming with Flower Tortilla and Pussy Willow…
…and my favorite project that I have coming up is my solo show at the Green Room 42 on June 16th (it’s my birthday present to myself), called Ingenue. I’ll be exploring and singing songs from my favorite Broadway females. It should be a really fun night.
Congrats on everything! So, in closing… V-Day: yay or nay?
I actually do love Valentine’s Day. I like the idea of romance, even if I’ve yet to find it!
The search continues! Thanks, Vix!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Vix’s scheduled appearances, and follow her on Facebook & Instagram.
Thotyssey 