Almost every step that Edie has taken in her storied career has been legendary (emphasis on the leg)! This professionally trained dancer became the toast of New York City, then moved on to host Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity for thirteen years. As Zumanity goes dark, the lights are just going up for Edie and her brand new show Edie: Las Vegas Showgirl: Unleashed! In a dynamic and brilliant career pivot, Edie also just announced a brand new career path that is a perfect fit for this multi-faceted performer. I sat down with Edie to talk about her upcoming show at The Blue Moon in Rehoboth Beach on Monday August 2nd (grab tickets here), returning to the stage in her own show after being part of an ensemble, and what she learned about herself as a person & performer during this surreal time.
Michael Cook: Edie is hitting the road once again; tell me how it feels, after all this time, to be back on tour.
Edie: In a word-Amazing! After a year and a half of not performing, it feels amazing! It also feels a little surreal to be touring again. After thirteen years being part of an an ensemble, it’s strange to be performing solo again. But I’m super excited about this new show. I truly feel “unleashed” and I can’t wait to share my story.
MC: The closing of Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity was a crushing blow for both you and the entire company. What has the journey been like emerging from both the pandemic and mourning the loss of that show?
E: I won’t sugar coat it; It was tough. It was very sad and emotional. No final curtain, no final bow. To watch my circus family ripped apart in a matter of seconds was crushing. To add to the impact, we found out on a zoom call. It was devastating. But sadly, shows close. This one shouldn’t have, but they do. And you move on!
MC: What will you take from Zumanity from a professional and personal perspective?
E: The ability not to be afraid to try something. Cirque always would say, “Just try it. Let’s see how it works. And if it doesn’t, that’s ok.” They taught me not to be afraid. Just try it!
MC: You created a great deal of content at home during quarantine that was very well received. What inspired you to be so creative?
E: I happened to be quarantine with three very talented people, Jamie Morris and Robert Ryan from Puppetry of the Penis and Ashton Shawver, aka Vita Summers (Faaabulous! The Show). We inspired each other to keep performing. What can I say, it’s in our blood! That content led to a local producer contacting us to create something live that would cater to a quarantine audience. The end result was the world’s first all-live singing drive-in drag show.
MC: Tell me about Faaabulous! The Show. It has given you a whole new stage to perform on in Vegas!
E: Faaabulous! truly saved me. Originally I wasn’t supposed to be in it, just produce. But Jamie – my partner and my co-creator- and I decided to squeeze me in after Zu closed. And it now feels like it was always meant to be. Every week, I am in awe of the talent on that stage. These girls can SING! And they are funny; I’m blown away by them. It’s the only live singing drag show in Vegas and the response has been overwhelming. We are the little show that could. I still can’t believe it opened during a pandemic. It’s hard enough to open a show in the best of times in Las Vegas, but we are in week twenty-one and still going strong! I’m over the moon. When you’re in Vegas, come see us! Shameless plug: go to notorietylive.com for tickets!
MC: What is next for Edie? More touring? Could we see a reinvented Edie in Las Vegas or New York?
E: After the tour, I will resume hosting Faaabulous! The Show alongside my drag sisters. In November, I will be performing at The Palm in Puerto Vallarta. And In January, I will begin my new adventure as cruise director for Vacaya, the only large-scale adults-only vacation company on earth built for the entire LGBTQ+ community. I am beyond honored and thrilled to a part of this amazing company! Check us out at Myvacaya.com
MC: You are stopping at The Blue Moon in Rehoboth in August. What can the fans expect from Edie’s latest tour?
E: My brand new show Las Vegas Showgirl: Unleashed tells my story through song and dance, from a young dancer in Portland, Oregon and my journey from ballet to Broadway to Cirque du Soleil. Rehoboth will be the East Coast premier before heading to Fire Island, Provincetown and Ogunquit. I’m so excited to return to the Blue Moon in close to twenty years!
MC: The Blue Moon is the same stage that hosted your New York City sister Cashetta for many years. What are your memories of Cashetta?
E: Cashetta was always loving and so damned talented. She was salt of the earth and had such a huge heart. I can’t even imagine what more she would have done. She was taken way too soon and I miss her as I know many others do as well. Her fan base was, and is, huge!
MC: When do you as a performer and a person feel most authentically yourself?
E: As a performer, I feel most myself when I’m in front of an audience. I truly feel like I’m home. And I can’t wait to come home again! Outside of performing, drop me in the middle of a forest, on the beach, anywhere outdoors. That’s how I refresh and re-set.
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