In the legion of drag performers that have come through the Big Apple, there is simply and absolutely, one Sherry Vine. Merging raw talent with a whip-smart sense of humor, Vine has channelled those talents into everything from hilarious song parodies to her own variety show, making her our own modern day Carol Burnett. This Los Angeles based, multi-faceted perfumer is taking her act on the road globally to mark her 60th (!) birthday with her new tour Smoke & Mirrors. Combining larger than life productions, brand new song parodies, and a copious amount of that Sherry Vine magic, this legendary performer is poised and ready for the next sixty.
Michael Cook: Tell me about your newest and landmark show, Smoke and Mirrors…
Sherry Vine: Smoke and Mirrors is my newest show, an extravaganza, celebrating my 60th birthday. Yes, spoiler alert, I’m not really 34!
I’ve never done a solo show this big ever. 4 dancers, 2 back up singers, 3 gorgeous costumes, NEW parodies, some Broadway, a “Judy Garland” moment, an intro video from Bianca del Rio and special guest stars. She is epic!
MC: You are also opening up for Bianca Del Rio all over the place for the month of April for the Dead Inside tour. What is it like to be reuniting with your Hot Mess sister on the road?
SV: Opening for Bianca is literally one of my favorite gigs ever! I’m so lucky to be invited back on the new Dead Inside tour for 5 weeks. I get to perform for a large audience who many have never seen me before and they take very good care of me on the road. And of course it’s a non-stop laugh riot! Touring with a clown witch is just pure joy!
MC: We’re going to do some rapid fire questions and look back on some pieces of your history; tell me about little bit about the following people/places and why you love them….
MC: Jackie Beat…
SV: True story. We met in 1991 in a coffee shop on Santa Monica Blvd. We were chatting and she said a line from the movie Carrie then I said the next line and it went back and forth for the entire scene. We instantly knew we were meant to be friends and 33 years later, she’s the person I work most with. We know each other so well that we don’t have to think onstage; we know where the other is going. She’s the fastest, funniest queen on her feet… even if she is wearing flats!
MC: Raven O….
SVL Mama!!! The first time I performed at Boy Bar when Raven was the Mother we would all line up in the dressing room and she would walk up and down and give “notes” (LOL)! Sounds crazy now, but it was the best learning experience. She’s the one who commanded me to paint my legs if I wasn’t going to wear panty hose which I have been doing for 25 years. I love her so much – she’s a great drag mother and dear friend.
MC: Joey Arias…
The Goddess! I owe so much to this creature. She invited me to join her and Raven at bar d’O in 1993 and it literally changed my life. She’s the first one to take me to Europe to perform and introduced me to a whole world. She’s incredibly generous, outrageous, gifted and the most fearless performer I’ve ever witnessed.
MC: Mario Diaz…
SV: I have many sisters but few brothers; Mario is definitely family. I have had so many amazing experiences around the world with Mario; including being roommates during lockdown. He made what could have been a lonely, terrifying 2 years a creative, bonding experience. And his “Big Daddy” in our Golden Girlz had me breaking character laughing more than anything I’ve ever done.
MC: New York City….
SV: NYC will always be home; I lived there for 27 years! I know people say it’s not the same as the 1990’s but I guess in the 90’s people said “it’s not like the 70’s”. NYC will always be special to me; filled with soooooo many stories and memories. The energy cannot be matched.
MC: Candis Cayne….
SV: Sister! Candis has a special place in my heart. She is very dear to me. We met in 1990 working at The French Market in WeHo and then we were roommates in LA and again in NYC in the 90’s. We have traveled together, performed together and to this day when we meet for lunch or game night, the room is filled with love. I know I’m gushing, but her beauty is only matched by her kindness.
MC: Favorite memory of Squeezebox, the legendary 90’s rock & roll party at Don Hill’s in Tribeca…
SV: Girl!!!!! Too many. I could literally write a book. It was the most exciting time in NYC, sharing the stage with rock stars, singing with a live rock band, being part of a queer rock party that everyone went to, the straight guys ready to “explore” (LOL)!
One of my favorite stories… there was this guy there, Heater, who was absolutely stunning, beyond sexy. Miss Guy was DJ’ing and I spotted him and we both called dibs. Well, she was spinning and saw me walking towards the bathroom with him and STOPPED THE MUSIC and yelled “Fuck you Sherry” (LOL)!!! We still talk about that years later.
MC: We’re eagerly anticipating what you’re going to do for the next sixty but right now; what do you want your legacy to be?
SV: LOL, Optimistic! I don’t really think about a legacy. I do think I have a body of work that I hope will be enjoyable in decades to come. Between all the Theatre Couture shows, YouTube videos, 2 seasons of She’s Living For This, 3 seasons of The Sherry Vine Variety Show (so far) and TV, movies, etc. Not to mention the army of men whose lives I’ve touched (LOL)!
For now, I’m celebrating my birthday for a full year. So please support your elders and buy a ticket!
Tickets for Sherry Vine’s birthday show Smoke and Mirrors are on sale now. Click here for tickets
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