NIGHTLIFE
Lady Bunny: Nice and Naughty
A new Christmas show adds to a storied career
BY DAVID KENNERLEY
Lady Bunny has been working the
New York drag scene for decades. In
fact, the drag doyenne helped forge
the scene at Pyramid Club in the
East Village during the 1980s, along with a
bevy of beauties like Linda Simpson, Lahoma
Van Zandt, and the now-megastar RuPaul. But
whatever you do, don’t quip about her age or
longevity — only she can joke about that.
I found out the hard way during our chat
about her latest show, “Oh Come All Ye Hateful!”
now running at the Laurie Beechman Theater
in Times Square. When I suggested she’s
been around forever, she told me to “Watch it!”
in her lilting, Tennessee-tinged accent. Pretty
sure she was only half joking.
Which is one of the keys to her longstanding
success as a drag artist. The diva deftly
coats her insightful barbs in a glaze of honeyed
charm to make them go down easier. And her
new show is especially naughty, chock full of
raunchy humor that tenderhearted souls might
fi nd offensive. You have been warned.
The curvaceous jokester, known for her ginormous
blonde bouffant and caustic wit, truly
is a living legend. Not only a regular at Pyramid,
she also founded Wigstock, the raucous
outdoor drag-fest in nearby Tomkins Square
Park that ran for over 20 years. She has graced
the stages — or in some cases, bar-tops — of
countless venues like Boy Bar, Roxy, Limelight,
and Barracuda. Plus, she’s a popular DJ, spinning
upbeat tunes known for their kitsch factor
rather than artistic merit.
During our recent interview about her storied
career and coping with COVID-19, the drag
icon was on fi re, punctuating her jests and jibes
with infectious, cackling laughter. It felt like I
was getting my own personal impromptu show.
The following interview has been condensed
and edited for clarity.
David Kennerley: First off, congrats on rebounding
after a dicey lockdown. Between
“Oh Come All Ye Hateful,” Fort Lauderdale
Pride, a holiday show in Grand Rapids, and
your upcoming UK tour, you seem to be fi ring
on all cylinders. How does it feel?
Lady Bunny: I’m thrilled to be on stage again
because I love to work and I love to travel. Right
now, performers are booking dates as if there
will be no future COVID issues, but that is uncertain.
And that’s why I wanted to do a bunch
of gigs. If I have to hole up later this year and
eat peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches and
write a book, I will have stashed a few coins.
How was it during last year’s lockdown?
I’m not one of those extroverts who doesn’t
Lady Bunny is happy to be back on stage after enduring the COVID-19 shutdown.
like to be alone. That said, the lockdown was
rough because I am a people person. And the
only way I was able to safely socialize was to,
weather permitting, go for a walk down to the
Hudson River piers with Flotilla DeBarge or
someone like that. I defi nitely missed people.
Performing online is defi nitely not the same,
no, no, no.
What was the worst part of lockdown for
you?
Eating so much to console myself that I got
pre-diabetes, which is actually a risk factor for
COVID. So that was an ugly circle. And with my
legs, I can’t lose one because that’s all I’ve got.
I ain’t got no titties, there’s no waist, there’s no
booty, there’s no neck. Please don’t mess with
the legs, honey!
You performed an online show called Cuntagious
since the onset of the pandemic. Did
you do other virtual performances?
I did one called Hateful Hags Network, with
Bianca Del Rio, which was like a news show.
JUST TOBY
And you know, especially with comedy, it’s super
tough without an audience. We thrive on
responses from the crowd. Whether you’re playing
up to one table that is especially loud, or
you’re going on a rant and the audience is either
giving you the approval or the disapproval that
they want either more or less. It’s tricky.
What else did you do to keep yourself sane
and busy during that time?
I had an exercise bike delivered and got on
it once, but that’s defi nitely gonna change this
year. I got one with a table where you can put
your laptop or whatever, or watch TV. I quit the
gym because of COVID.
I do enjoy cooking, but perhaps I’m too good
of a cook. I miss sex — I haven’t been daring
enough to do that because I’m in a couple of
high-risk groups. I was such a slut for so many
decades that I can easily afford to take some time
off and let the scabs heal, you know? Believe it
➤ LADY BUNNY, continued on p.19
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