Lady Bunny in Rehoboth Beach
The infamous Lady Bunny, drag royalty, and star of the 1985 documentary film Wigstock has a performance coming up on June 7 at Rehoboth’s Blue Moon.
With her glitzy outfits, sky-high wigs, and false eyelashes long enough to sweep the kitchen, Lady Bunny would turn heads even if looking glamorous was her only talent. But this isn’t just another man in a dress: Bunny is a successful comedienne, emcee, singer, songwriter, actress, DJ, and, most famously, the founder, organizer, and hostess of Wigstock, the outrageous festival of drag and music that delighted up to 40,000 New Yorkers every Labor Day for nearly 20 years.
Lady Bunny tours constantly, bringing down the house with her bawdy, Dusty Springfield-meets-Don-Rickles mix of potty-mouthed humor, Southern charm, zany Laugh-In-style skits, and X-rated pop song parodies. Bunny has emceed events ranging from Absolut Vodka corporate parties to Los Angeles’ 2003 Gay Pride parade and has shared the stage with Cyndi Lauper, kd lang, and the B-52s.
She’s also made the leap to television and the movies, with cameo appearances in HBO’s Sex and the City, and the feature films Dragtime, Party Girl, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
Starting July 19, she’s on RuPaul’s Drag U every Monday on Logo. On this new show, the queens from Drag Race make over real women who have lost touch with their inner divas and Lady Bunny is a regular judge.
I got a chance to chat via e-mail with Lady Bunny this week, and here’s what she had to say:
FJ: You’ve played the Moon before—your impressions?
LB: I love it. The place definitely has a party atmosphere but since the audience is seated for shows, it’s perfect for performances, too. Lots of tourists, but some really fun regulars as well. There’s one ancient drunk that always pops in. He’s ugly as sin with death breath that will leave you gasping, but he’s lotsa fun until he passes out. I think he said his name was Christopher Peterson. And Tim who runs the joint is a real doll. Club owners are not usually known for being sweethearts, but he sure is. (Can I get a raise now, Tim?)
FJ: Did you get out on the town? Do you have a favorite spot? Restaurant?
LB: Restaurant? Is that crack about my weight? There’s all that great seafood but I can’t eat fish—that would be cannibalism! I actually like the beach. I wear a bikini and put up a sign that says TAKE YOUR PICTURE WITH THE WHALE. The kids love it and I make a fortune!
FJ: Have you got new additions to your act this year?
LB: I’ve been singing more, so I have some fun new tracks. Unfortunately, they’re dance tracks and I’m recovering from minor knee surgery. So while my dancing is limited, I’m going to be singing more. But I’m the only one who ever thought I could dance anyway!
FJ: So tell me about the wigs...any Gaga knockoffs?
LB: I introduced Lady Gaga at a launch for her M.A.C. lipstick. We were hanging out in her dressing room and she told her hairdresser that she wanted a wig like mine. Maybe she’s knocking off MY wigs! I’ve actually had to downsize my gargantuan wigs a little. The wear and tear on my neck was killing me.
FJ: Can you tell us a little about the gay club scene in New York? What’s the gossip, what are the latest hot clubs? Give us Delawareans some dirt.
\Like many places, internet cruising has really hurt the club scene. Now, people prefer to cruise the internet from the comforts of their own home and where they can smoke, drink cheaply, and do whatever else they like in private. And they don’t have to be hassled by snotty doormen, expensive cab rides, cover charges, and long lines for coat check.
While Splash is still around to represent the sizable venue, most of the large clubs like Limelight and Palladium are long gone. Club 57, where I DJ, is one new larger Saturday night venue and they’ve been bringing in big name acts to perform like Ke$ha, Kelly Rowland, Kelis, Kristine W. It’s hard to pack a big club, but there’s nothing like a sea of wasted, shirtless men—if you’re a pickpocket. Hey, we all gotta do what we can in a recession!
FJ: Since your last trip to Rehomo, where have you been performing? Go ahead, name drop.
LB: I wasn’t there last summer, so that list is long! But I recently spun at a party for Iman, who received a prestigious CFDC award. I got drunk and told her, “So you got a CFDC award? Big deal! I got the STD award—and I got it from your husband!” Luckily, she has a great sense of humor!
This summer, I’m appearing at gay pride events in Warsaw, Toronto, Montreal, and Charlottesville, Virginia.
FJ: Tell us anything else you want us to know!
LB: I had a blast filming for Logo and the guest judges were a thrill to work with—Chaka Khan, Kelly Osborne, and Mama Kardashian. RuPaul, my old roommate from Atlanta and NYC, also wrote and recorded a duet with me on his last album called “Throw Ya Hands Up.” Check it out on iTunes!
FJ: I will! Thanks! See you next week!
For tickets to see Lady Bunny at the Moon, call 302-227-6515.