One of our great burlesque performers is now also an author, and what a pleasure it is for Thotyssey to acquire so much tea from…. the delicious Fancy Feast! [Cover photo: Ellen Stagg]
Thotyssey: Hi Fancy, thanks for chatting with us today! As a former Miss Coney Island, I was wondering if you were in town this weekend to see the latest crowning?
Fancy Feast: Blow up my spot! I wasn’t in town; I was hosting a burlesque festival in Minneapolis. But Miss Coney Island is my favorite show of the year, so I was sad to miss being there in person… and getting all my gossip secondhand.
Congrats Aurora North! Burlesque performers travel more than other nightlife entertainers, it seems. Do you feel like the global burlesque community is pretty tight knit, and most people in the scene know of each other?
I think burlesque really honors the tradition of the Vaudeville circuit of days gone by, which is something I treasure. The burlesque community is pretty tight knit; there’s a lot of skill sharing, mentorship, competitions and festivals that put us in contact with one another. I think that has to do with how relatively small the scene is. Like, I bet the dulcimer players of the United States all know each other, too.
You are one of the more iconic folks in burlesque, with many fans and folks who admire you within the scene. What do you think it takes to have staying power in burlesque?
That’s so kind. I think there’s something to the adage, “you gotta get a gimmick.” Being fat and Jewish and making weirder stuff has allowed me to be more recognizable in the scene. And then, forgive me if this is basic: I am reliable when I get booked; I do my best to be a pleasant person to work with; I haven’t moved out of NYC; and I’m still alive. I wonder to what extent being “iconic” just means I’m stubborn and not dead yet.
Just like Cher! So can you tell us a bit about where your from originally, and what your early interests were that may have led to all of this?
I was born in Washington DC, and growing up my heroes were Jessica Rabbit, Ginger Spice, Elvira, and Hedwig from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. My lot was cast as a child and teen. I remember drawing images of legs in fishnet stockings in my middle school planner. I took dance as a kid, and kept being reprimanded for being too loose in the hips. It’s always been in me!
How did you get into burlesque?
One of my friends from my college improv troupe invited me to NYC to see shows, and all it took was one show for me to get hooked. I put together my first burlesque number for my friend Lirael’s drag and ballroom show, “Shimmer,” at the campus bar my senior year of college. I moved to the city after school to get into the scene, and became the resident stage manager at “Rebel Cupcake,” a monthly cabaret night at Sugarland – remember that place?
Yes indeed, many great talents today were first baked in that oven! There are several different approaches and styles to burlesque; how might you describe what you typically do in your numbers?
I think my burlesque work is experimental, playing with different genres and using burlesque vocabulary to subvert audience expectations. I like work that’s funny, satirical, or emotionally devastating, or all three. I have multiple acts inspired by Daffy Duck. And I like editing my own music and throwing in a lot of jokes in my tracks. But I guess most typically, I flop around and take my tits out.
Lots of people who aren’t fully in the burlesque world assume that it’s 100% about strip tease and sexuality, but often it’s about so much more, like you said: comedy, clowning, mime, drama, music, elaborate costumes and reveals… do you love it all?
I don’t! If I could have the same impact on stage without makeup or heels, I would be so happy. Being high femme is expensive, annoying, and uncomfortable. But, the other stuff more than makes up for it.
Heard! Was there something you’d consider a favorite show or performance that you’ve done in your whole career?
Sophie’s Choice! It would be hard to top the standing ovation I got after debuting my “plastic bag” number as a contestant at the Miss Coney Island pageant. But maybe the thing I am proudest of was a one-off act I performed as the (white) guest of Brown Girls Burlesque at the Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturday program. The show was centered on the theme of identity. And while I had acts that were about being Jewish, I made a number about whiteness instead–wanting to put some skin in the game, so to speak, about race and privilege. It was a real honor to be trusted as a guest in that space.
Are rhinestones and feathers and pasties all over your house, lol?
Oh my God, I once watched my cat shit out a Swarovski and knew I had to change my ways. Plus, I’m dating a Virgo now… so most of my craft and costume stuff is relegated to a storage room hellmouth. The room has the most putrid vibes. The rest of my apartment is only partially bedazzled.
Well done! You and Switch n’ Play’s Zoe Ziegfeld sometimes perform as the Fuck You Revue. What’s it like working with Zoe?
Zoe is one of the hardest working and most professional people in the game. Working with them is a dream come true, over and over and over. I really value that we don’t agree on everything, so we get to really work out what aligns with our artistic vision, our integrity, and our ambition. I tend to be the one who frets early on, overextends myself, and burns out. Then Zoe really carries us over the finish line and just… executes. I trust her. Front to back, whether she is writing a press release or scrubbing blood off the floor wearing only a diaper, I trust her.
You’re the recent author of Naked: On Sex Work & Other Burlesques, a collection of essays. What can you tell us about the inspiration behind this collection, and what you hope readers will get from it?
It’s crazy to finally stumble into legitimacy! I have always wanted to be a writer and had a LiveJournal when that was a thing, a Tumblr when that was a thing, etc. Documenting this part of my life–which is so precious and is often ephemeral–often just for the 150 people who were in the room that night, feels like a responsibility and an opportunity to invite more people in. But truly, whatever people get from the book is fine; they’re welcome to use it as a doorstop, pulp it into their smoothies, whatever. As long as they buy it.
You’re gonna be in town this week hosting the New York Burlesque Festival’s “Golden Pasties Awards” alongside Scott the Blue Bunny, which is huge! Where can the kids find you then?
Thanks for hyping me up! The kids should not find me… but consenting adults are welcome to follow me on Instagram, and then I’ll be going on a book tour… so I’ll be doing events in Boston, Miami, San Diego, DC, Seattle and a ton of cool events in NYC, of course.
Have great shows! Last but not least: what might your best advice be for someone who wants to explore being a burlesquer?
Is it a teaser to say I answer this in my book? I will say: think about what you have to offer the scene, not just what you want from it. And go watch a ton of shows and ask for help!
Well said! Thank you , Fancy!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Fancy Feast’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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