Teasing the holiday season with Andie Sleaze, a Brooklyn drag star on the come-up! [Cover photo: Ryan Kell.]
Thotyssey: Andie, hello! How was your Thanksgiving?
Andie Sleaze: Hey Thotyssey, thanks for having me! It’s been a little slow this week in the Sleaziverse… I was stuck at home under the weather, so I missed a couple stellar Friendsgivings, womp womp. But I still got my fill of pecan pie, plus some fascinating NYC history with a podcast on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade… so I’m satisfied!
Brain gravy! I take it this also means you haven’t seen Wicked yet. Is that something you’d be up for doing, or never in a million years?
I still haven’t, but I will be! I think Wicked falls under the category of “popular media I will begrudgingly consume so I can be in touch with the cultural zeitgeist” as opposed to being a true fan, but I am open to loving it! Watch this space.
You were also in drag troupe Switch n’ Play’s massive “Noobies” show cast last month at Littlefield! What was that experience like?
Literal magic. I’m a huge fan of Switch n’ Play — once I saw their “Filth of July” show at Coney Island last summer, I was hooked. I’ve since become a regular at Miss Malice’s Nitehawk screenings, and have seen so many unforgettable shows by Switch n’ Play members there, too. You can imagine I was very chill (soooo normal, cool, and chill) when they asked if Luxury Bones and I would bring one of our duets to their “Noobies” stage! We did our rendition of “Under Pressure”, which we have SO much fun performing together. It was an absolute honor.
We shared the bill with so many friends and family members, too, including graduates from other cycles of Theydy Bedbug’s “Between & Beyond Gender” drag class. It was very meaningful to me to have all those different generations of performers in one room! My experience of nightlife has skewed both young and ephemeral, so I really value time with performers more seasoned, established, and wiser than me, lol. It was a rare night of having it all: getting to celebrate and support newer faces, then all stand together at Parklife to gag over [Switch n’ Play’s] K. James and Divina giving us a masterclass at the afterparty. We also raised a massive $1,505 in direct aid for Gaza Food and Housing Programs! All in all, one of the highlights of my drag career so far. I’m so grateful for how generous Switch n’ Play was with their support and connection.
Sounds incredible! How might you describe your drag presentation, as in looks and types of numbers you do onstage, to those not yet familiar?
Andie is a hedonist who loves to bring the unexpected. He’s a king, but certainly with a limp wrist, and he can give you Cristal from Showgirls just as hard as he can give you muscle daddy from Pumping Iron. You can expect deep cut media (often of the 80s and 90s) with a pop twist, and almost certainly a comically large prop or a shocking reveal. I believe that sexy, funny, grotesque, and sophisticated are adjectives that belong together, so I do my best to bring them into an (un)holy union. Andie wants to keep you on your toes.
As far as style goes, Andie’s wardrobe blends dark, suave maximalism with a nod to my burlesque and dance backgrounds. You’ll see some dashing suits, Tom of Finland-inspired leather looks, PVC corsets, and a healthy dose of leopard print. He’s certainly boardroom and backroom-friendly.
Can you share a bit of your origin story?
I grew up in a North Texas college town with a very rich music and visual art history. It was not entirely shielded from the kinds of things you see Texas in the news for, but I certainly had a lot more access to weirdos than many of my Southern peers did. I stayed there for college, and in my junior year, I met a drag king who’d helped co-found a long-running weekly drag and burlesque variety show! I was a faithful [Denton, TX venue] Glitterbomb patron from the first time I sat in the splash zone and ate cake out of a visiting Irish burlesque performer’s hands. I didn’t think I was the “type” to do drag, though, despite an entire youth of training in ballet, modern, jazz, etc. as a classic conservatory kid with a burning desire to be onstage. I was pursuing a graphic design degree as a more “practical” choice and assumed performance was behind me.
I moved to Brooklyn right after college on a girlboss trajectory–but the pandemic forced me to pause, unravel and embrace my transness, and accept that I was actually an artist freak who needed an artist freak community. I ended up meeting Theydy Bedbug in 2021 through the Emerge NYC program and started attending earlier iterations of their incredible drag class, until I finally debuted at the first official showcase in December of that year. I had to work through a lot to get on that stage, but I did it! And now I can’t imagine my life without drag. It quite literally changed my whole world.
You’ve already co-produced a few original nightlife events in Brooklyn as part of Big Drama Productions, with Selena Surreal and your partner-in-crime Luxury Bones! That can be a daunting process, but do you think you’ll be back in the producer’s chair to some capacity in the near or distant future?
Oh, absolutely! I’ve loved this break, but I’m learning I love producing more, lol. I grew so much this year producing with Lux and Selena, and I think we created a really unique and impressive body of work together. Big Drama continues to be on hiatus, but Lux and I have been plotting a second coming of our show “Stage Fright”, which we held in January as a collective exorcism of dance trauma. We’ve started talking about what it might look like as a more immersive theater show with a deeper narrative and erotic thriller energy. Stay tuned on that one.
We’ve also started collaborating with fellow garden-variety perverts Mx. Ology and Miss Woman the Woman on our “Honey, I’m Home” series, a surrealist swingers fantasy at its core that we’re expanding with more unhinged narratives and more opportunities to build a larger cast. I’ve met so many performers and producers this year that I dream of crossover episodes with – I’m ready to get back in the swing of things in 2025.
You, Lux and others are joining Nancy NoGood and Reina NoBuena for a special 80s prom edition of their weekly Someday Bar show “Flamboyance” this Wednesday! Tell us more!
I’m very excited for this one – there will be drama and dramaturgy! It’s Reina’s birthday, so naturally we have to battle it out for the heart of our (prom) queen while we convince Nancy that this really will be the best night of her life. Maxx Love, Lollygag, Lux, and I will be giving “promposal” numbers, plus lots of heartthrob backup dancing while our divas tear it up. And here we are full circle – there’s even a number from Wicked! The vibes at “Flamboyance” are unbeatable, and there will be lots to celebrate.
What else is coming up for you?
My last gig before I fly down to the South Pole for a bit is “Honey, I’m Home! For the Holidays” at All Night Skate on December 16th. Our quartet will be giving some XXX-Mas shows, and we’ll also have an open set for maximum cheer… so come hungry for holiday hijinks. I’ve also got a couple pinch me, I’m dreaming level gigs coming up early in the new year, too. 2025 can’t come fast enough!
Finally: what do you want for Christmas?
A kiss under the mistletoe, obviously – y’all know where to find me! And as always, for producers to book! more! kings!
Thanks, Andie!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Andie Sleaze’s upcoming appearances, and follow him on Instagram.
Thotyssey 