The legendary Candis Cayne graced the stage of the Laurie Beechman Theatre this weekend with her acclaimed one-woman show Hi, Gorgeous!. Despite an uncooperative floor level fan that failed to muster more than a meager breeze, Candis still held the rapt crowd in the palm of her hand throughout the evening. Enthusiastically, they ate up every song, story, dance number and neck brace (neck brace??) as Candis brought introspection, energy and humor to the stage (and the crowd…..and the bar in the back).
There were a few moments of seriousness as Candice noted that she “usually left the politics to (NYC drag/DJ legend) Mistress Formika” but she did an amazing job explaining the importance of the Caitlyn Jenner show, I Am Cait that she was a part of. Despite Jenner being a polarizing figure in the LGBTQ+ community for her politics, Candice pointed out that I Am Cait aired in 140 countries, including some where being an out LGBTQ+ person is illegal. She went on to explain something that has been a recurring theme in recent interviews of mine (with Jolina Jasmine and Eva Young), that representation in media for minority groups matters! Candis discussed how people in these countries were able to see part of themselves on the screen and that can help to make them feel less alone.
As Candis mixed in some of her favorite numbers alongside several great stories, the show flew by as we raced towards her big finale which included a hilarious video about Candis running for President! YES WE CANDIS! She has our vote!
WERRRK.com was at the Beechman to see the show and we were fortunate enough get a few words with the stunning icon herself post show on Friday night.
What does it mean to you to come back to New York City with a show like this?
“I always think I’m not coming back to New York, I’m just a part of New York. I’m literally just five hours away. Its my soul. Its my life. This is where I learned everything I know, New York City. So its fun to come here and do my shows that I do for my family.”
In the current political climate, do feel an even greater responsibility, as a role model, to the trans youth who are under attack from the right?
“One hundred percent! I never lived my life hiding who I am and its so important for anyone to be true to themself and to support our community, especially trans youth. I had it easy. I was in a community and I came out early, but I made my community follow me and embrace me. A lot of the youth doesn’t have that. They don’t have what I had as far as performance to teach all these people in Chelsea, where I started my show, ‘This is who I am, this is what I do and you guys have to accept me and understand who I am’. A lot of youth don’t have that so its super important of me to be vocal, and out there and completely supportive of all the people who don’t have the same opportunities I have.”
Thank you Candis for taking a few minutes to talk with us. For myself personally this was a huge thrill as Candis remains one of my all time favorites. Obviously if you get a chance to see this legendary performer, you simply must! To learn more about Candis Cayne, check out her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and head to Amazon to buy her book, “Hi Gorgeous!: Transforming Inner Power into Radiant Beauty”! For more fabulous shows coming to the Laurie Beechman Theatre, check out their upcoming schedule here! And be sure you’re following us on Instagram to see some clips from Candis’ show in our IG Story!
