Come support the hilariously deadly NYC comedy queen Toxic Shock as she get ready to possibly win her first national pageant crown!
Thotyssey: Hello Toxic, how’s this frigid February treating you?
Toxic Shock: Hi Thotyssey! It’s going pretty well. I’ve been avoiding the cold by working on some sewing projects, and binging Kathy Griffin’s My Life on the D-List.
That was a great show! Have you ever seen her live?
I haven’t, but one day! Coincidentally, a friend saw her live last week and confirmed she’s still touring with her classic celebrity-defacing material–so I’m glad to know that. I really think she’s one of the standup greats.
Absolutely! So where are you from… and where you always funny and fab?
I’m from South Jersey, right outside of Philly (go birds!). I like to think I’ve always been funny and fab, but in the last few years I’ve realized I can be both in the same room at the same time.
How did you get into drag and become Toxic Shock?
I was going to Chipotle with some friends, and long story short, we got sidetracked and ended up at a drag show at EGO Providence starring Lili Whiteass. It was the first time I’d ever seen drag, live or on TV, and I realized I had to do it. It was a total lightbulb moment. A month later, Toxic was born. I got my name from a friend’s story about a sex ed class. He didn’t know what toxic shock syndrome was and I didn’t either at the time, but it sounded cool and so it stuck. Period.
There is a drag performer in town named Toxic Waste! Do you two engage in toxic warfare?
Yes, I’ve met Toxic Waste! I think our combined volatility could really help catapult us into the era of the 21st century Drag Cold War, with mutually-assured yassification at stake. Anything to help make the world a more toxic place. (I’m kidding—we have politicians hard at work on that already.)
Did you always know you were going to be a comedy queen when you started, or did that just happen naturally?
I think it’s a curse that I’ve done a pretty bad job at avoiding. I grew up doing improv and standup, and just generally being surrounded by a family full of characters. Jokes are like burps to me; I can’t keep them down without a struggle. Drag came later–and when I realized I could combine them, it was magic. I just wanted to stand there and look pretty, but turns out people like me more when I open my mouth.
You created and starred in a solo stage show at the IRT Theater a few years ago… what was that about, and might we see it come back in some fashion one day?
I hope so! I did an hour-long cabaret called Toxic Shock…and Other Women! The premise is that I die right before the show starts, and then I impersonate twelve iconic women paying their respects. I begin the show as Marina Abramovic and end it as Julia Child, raw chicken in hand. I’m looking to shop it around to other theaters. And I’ve got a few other comedy-cabaret concepts up my sleeve (wink wink, nudge nudge, cough cough, producers…).
You’ve also done well in lots of the big competition shows in the city over the years, like “Polish the Queen” and even “Look Queen!” How do you like the competition circuit, and did you have a favorite competition weekly show experience?
It’s been really fun, and a great way to meet performers and nightlife folks while testing out new material! “Polish the Queen” has been my regular haunt, props to Phil Chanel and the hosts for creating a welcoming environment. I loved doing “Snatch Game” with Chara Confusion, Penny Livonia and Diosa Aurora Oso one week after we had all already earned a spot in the finale. That was so fun because the pressure was off; it was just a victory lap for all of us, and I got to play a very silly Jennifer Coolidge alongside my friends onstage. And any time a competition host is willing (or brave enough) to hand over the mic and just let me do pure standup in drag, that’s my favorite.
Speaking of Snatch Game, any thoughts about this past episode of Drag Race? A pretty mixed bag of quality, as usual!
The best thing about Snatch Game is that most people are bad at it, which makes the great ones absolutely glorious. Sapphira and Plane Jane showed out in a fun way. I still want to see a cabaret where Plasma takes the stage as Patti, just her and a microphone, and maybe a martini. Could you imagine? I have a friend who’s a new initiate to the world of Drag Race, and today we watched old snatches on YouTube. I showed him Season Four with its infamous front row like, “Look at how good this is when it’s a bit of a trainwreck.” Celebrity impersonation is a hallmark of drag as much as fashion or lip syncing, and I love that the show pays homage to that every season while demonstrating how difficult the skill is.
You certainly got the skills… hence getting runner up in the Miss Big Adams Apple prelim to the National Miss Comedy Queen finals! That’s a great achievement! Was that a fun experience?
It was so fun. Everyone I interacted with—[producer] Kari Kerning, [first place winner] Catrina Lovelace, [former winner] Juicy Liu, the judges, the contestants—they were incredibly nice. It was the first pageant I’ve ever done and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I got to do a Barbarella tribute, wear a period-stained period dress, and do stand up all in one night… where else can you get that? It’s a competition, and I remember I was stressing, but something about comedy in the air keeps the whole thing light.
Your first stop to the nationals is the show NYC Road to Comedy Queen at Industry on Monday, which will features a huge cast of drag performers benefiting your and Catrina’s final pageant packages! How amazing will this be?
It’s going to be a great show. We’ve got an amazing lineup of performers ready to make you laugh until you cry and tip until your wallet’s empty. I’m also excited to test out some new standup material and just celebrate this part of the journey with everyone! I think they’re actually creating a special Oscar category to present to the cast next month, but that’s just a rumor. For now.
What else is coming up for you… and when and where is Nationals?
Nationals is coming up March 25-28 in Orlando, FL! We’re going to make people laugh so hard that you can hear it from inside the EPCOT ball. I’m actually coming off a bit of a 2023 hiatus from performing, and Miss Comedy Queen has been a big (and super refreshing) part of that return. I’ve spent that time writing and sewing a bunch, and so I’m looking forward to more cabarets and am wide open for bookings (wink wink, nudge nudge, cough cough, producers…).
To conclude not-too-randomly, since I know you are a Mistress of Puppets… who’s the best Muppet?
Are you really gonna make me choose between Statler and Waldorf!? And by the way…did you know Jim Henson actually died of toxic shock syndrome?
That’s the dark, full circle moment none of us asked for but all of us wanted! Thanks Toxic, and good luck at the pageant!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Toxic Shock’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram.
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