If you know Michelle Visage only as one of the judges on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or as the co-host of the What’s the Tee podcast, you’re at least aware of what an integral part of the RuPaul Andre Charles empire she is — helping shape the futures of drag artists and fans of the show. Bawdy, brassy, but also discerning and aware, Visage has been working with RuPaul since the early ’90s on New York’s sorely missed WKTU (during its dance-pop heyday) and on VH1’s The RuPaul Show. But that doesn’t cover her time as a pop star in the late ’80s and early ’90s in the multimillion-selling Clivillés and Cole projects Seduction and THE S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M., nor her early days in the Harlem ballroom scene as a member of the House of Magnifique, or her time as a featured performer for clubland visionary Susanne Bartsch.
Visage, a mother of two, works — and werks — her ass off on a daily basis, bringing life to the world, fashion to flawless and foolish alike, always ready with a perfectly timed quip and that propulsive laugh. To talk to Michelle Visage is like gossiping with a friend and having a decompression session with a therapist. She spoke with the Scene in advance of her upcoming appearance at Play.
Did it cause any drama when you and the other Magnifiques (as well as the LaBeijas, Omnis, Xtravaganzas, St. Laurents, Duprees and Ebonys) got mentioned in Malcolm McLaren’s 1989 club hit “Deep in Vogue” and some houses didn’t? There was a little bitter chatter, but no one truly lost their collective minds over it. To be fair, we kinda thought, “He’s a Brit, he probably doesn’t know all of us.”
What’s been your favorite style of club music? You and Ru speak often on What’s the Tee of some true freestyle classics, and some great soul and house jams. But what’s the style that kickstarts the Michelle Visage Extended Club Mix? I’m ALL about the transitional period out of disco into dance music. For example, Joyce Sims’ “All and All” and Carol Lynn Townes’ “99 1/2” — there are tons that sit right in that pocket that will always make me happy. I always love ’80s freestyle and old-school hip-hop.
When you hear a Seduction song on the radio or in a club mix, how does it feel? I love that Seduction gives people the great memories that I have with other groups! It was a great experience that I’ll always be grateful for.
This is a tough one, but a friend of mine was absolutely insistent that I ask — if you could have only one pair of shoes for an entire week, what would they be? I know you’re thinking I’d say my So Kate Louboutins, which I don’t even own. But truly? Probably a pair of platform wedge mules.
What’s the Tee has been an absolutely essential listen pretty much since it first started. It’s great for introducing so many distinct and diverse voices into the mainstream. That said, has there ever been a What’s the Tee or Drag Race segment that was just too scandalous for the general public? Nah. I’m actually really proud of Ru for being so honest and forthcoming in the podcast! He’s very private — he got married, and no one knew, so he’s been very open, and I love that it’s basically a safe space for everything honest and left-of-center.
So is Mama Morton in Chicago still your Broadway dream role? And if not, what is? Mama was never a dream role, just a no-brainer. My ultimate dream would be to workshop a production that goes to Broadway so my voice is on the cast recording and would be the definitive “sound” for said role. Self-indulgent? Perhaps. But it is my dream, after all.
Getting into some Broadway deep cuts, you could totally knock “Unsuspecting Hearts” from Carrie out of the park. In a way, you kind of are the supportive and righteous gym teacher who recognizes the swan within an entire world of LGBTQIA youth (and not-so-youth). I am one that actually likes Carrie. I know, I’m crazy.
Talking about Broadway and its milieu, do you miss New York? Are my tits fake?! If I could live there with a husband, two teenage girls and two rescue pitbulls, I’d be there in 3-2-1! When I get on Broadway, I’ll live there, obviously.
Usually, guest appearances at nightclubs entail a cameo during the opening full-cast number and then one solo performance a little later on in the show. How do your guest appearances work? When I’m at Play, I’m not there as a “performer.” I’m there for full immersion with the audience and the queens alike. I’m different that way.
As a full-time diva, mother, icon and activist, do you ever get the chance to just nail up and go dancing? Or does that feel like work, given how much time you put into the modern gay club experience? Honey, I don’t need to do anything when I’m not performing or filming! When I’m at a club, I’m on the clock, and my time is not mine.
With the gentleman apps (Grindr, Scruff, et al.) having changed the dynamic of gay clubs, and then the brand that Ru and you have built with the Drag Race girls helping rebuild that audience, how does it feel to know you’ve helped keep a vital tradition alive? I believe we all have a hand in it. I know the effects of hookup apps, but they have their need and place too! The clubs keep booking me, I’ll continue to show up!
Have you ever thought about turning your girl group years into a series? When you look at something like Empire, Star, The Get Down or even (shudder) Vinyl, it seems like a particularly rich time in the music industry that could lend itself to the no-holds-barred drama of an HBO or a Showtime. The Get Down is my end-all-and-be-all. Besides the fact that I’d literally see anything Baz Luhrmann creates, the acting is on point; I am so invested. I would be so down to tell the real T, but isn’t that Star?
So as a lifelong hip-hop fan, what’s the filthiest jam that you will always love, despite — or perhaps even because of — its nastitude? Oh God, this could be a very long list! “Splash Waterfalls” and “What’s Your Fantasy” by Ludacris, “Hit It From the Back” by Mobb Deep, A Tribe Called Quest’s “Hot Sex,” Lil’ Kim’s “Not Tonight,” and Ice Cube’s “Givin’ Up the Nappy Dugout.” I can clearly go on and on. And on.
So you played a remix of Ginuwine’s “Pony” on an episode of What’s the Tee ... And everyone lost their godforsaken minds!
So was S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. meant to be an acronym? Did that stand for something, or was it just meant to be a means of making the typography distinct? Nope. I have no idea why they chose to write it like that. I told them it looked ridiculous ‘cause it didn’t stand for anything!
Last question, I swear. And this has been haunting me for 25 years. Those nails you have on the cover of the “It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day” single and in the video. How did you lead a normal life with those nails? My nails were real, they were part of me. And as they grew, I adapted. Pretty simple.
Email arts@nashvillescene.com
