She’s a delicious addition to the musical comedy drag scene: Matzah Belle Soup! [Cover photo: Wesley Adam Walmsley]
Thotyssey: Hi Matzah! Are you gonna do anything, um, St Patrick’s-ish today?
Matzah Belle Soup: Hey Thotyssey! Thank you so much for having me. My St Patrick’s day festivities include my day job, which is serving tables. Gotta pay the bills!
Good luck, I bet people will be extra shitty today!
Surprisingly, it’s been a pretty smooth day thus far, at least for me.
By the way, I notice your name on Instagram is fully “Matzah Belle Soup” instead of just “Matzah Belle” as you were originally known.
It’s a partial rebranding! I think it gets the joke across a bit more, for those who might not have gotten it before. Matzah, Matzah Belle… Ms. Soup if your nasty.
Got it! Also, you just competed in a round of the “Mx. Cantina” drag competition at Fresco’s. Was that fun?
It was! I was competing with a few of my drag friends, so I wanted to really push myself. I had spent that whole week leading up to it with my sisters Mariquita and Eden DarkStar sewing the blue checkered garment that’s on my Instagram! I didn’t end up winning that one, but nonetheless it was a great time. I love competitions, though. What a great way to get exposure, push yourself, and see how different crowds react to your drag.
Can you tell us a bit of your origin story? Where’s your hometown, and do you have a background in art, performance, etc.?
I grew up in Los Angeles, CA and have been doing musical theater since I was little. I’m so blessed that my family was as supportive as they were with me being involved in theater and music from such a young age. I was always in a musical or show of some kind at school, in community theater, or at my synagogue. I ended up going to school for acting in Pennsylvania, and discovered drag right around the time of the pandemic. Some people are Pride queens, some are Halloween queens, but I’m very much a Covid queen.
A great time to start! Do you have any favorite Broadway shows?
Oh, do I! I love a good campy musical, and Spamalot fit that bill for me. Not to mention that I will play the Lady of the Lake in drag one day. I’m dying to see Titanique, and I absolutely love Little Shop of Horrors.
All amazing! What’s your drag like, as far as looks and numbers go?
My drag is campy, silly, and most importantly stupid. My numbers reflect that, and they will leave you laughing for sure. As for looks: I love bright colors, loud patterns, and things that shimmer when they catch the light. I love to dance, too, so I tend to wear things that I can move in as well. I am trying to enter my “look queen” era, and I think learning to sew will help with that.
You also did “Mx. Rockbar” a while ago… Rockbar is a really unique venue for drag!
I loved being a part of Mx Rockbar. It was the first comp that I did in the city that really embraced me, and gave me a new community at a bar. Outside of Astoria, I hadn’t yet found a community at a bar that I really enjoyed until I found Rockbar. The bar itself has a lot of character, and I love performing there. It’s super intimate, and I feel like I can let go and just have fun.
You have a monthly show there now, “Musical Mondays!”
I do! It’s been so fun so far. I do trivia, games, original Broadway drag numbers, and I take audience requests! At the last show, someone had me perform “Rum Tum Tugger” from the Cats movie, so things can get pretty chaotic. I’m excited to start bringing in special guests to join me, starting with Mari at my next show on the 25th.
What’s your other March stuff?
I’ll be hosting my first solo show at Albatross in Astoria on Saturday March 23rd called “Hot Soup…”
…as well as co-hosting a new show called “Mixology,” a night of comedy mixes, with my sister Giardia the Parasite at Mary’s Bar in Brooklyn on March 30th!
And looking ahead, you’ll be in the cast of Icon Bar’s production of Reefer Madness: The Musical on 4/20!
I’m so excited for this show. Not only is it scratching that musical theater itch, but I get to work with such a talented group of performers. Angela Mansberry is a phenomenal director, Avant Garbage’s artistic vision is so strong, and I’m just soaking up every bit of the experience. And it doesn’t hurt that I get to show off a bit of my musical theater training, too.
And afterwards, we can catch you doing a fun show called “Silly Cabaret” at 3 Dollar Bill’s 9 Bob Note on April 24 with a great cast headed by Lori Lu!
What a cast for that show! Lori kicked my padded ass at the “Mx. Club Cumming” competition, but I guess I made her laugh enough for her to want to include me in this show.
Very cool! Okay lastly: what’s your favorite cosmetics item in your drag bag?
It has to be my white Kryolan TV paint stick. I could not highlight my face without her.
Thanks, Matzah!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Matzah Belle Soup’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Thotyssey 