King of the Hill
Murray Hill brings drag appeal to Birchmere's Burlesque-A-Pades
“I bring a queer element to the show,” says Murray Hill, drag king host of the variety show Burlesque-A-Pades In Loveland. “I make it part of the show, through my material but also by interacting with people in the audience.”
A transgender comedian and performer, Hill was one of the first drag kings to gain visibility. Roughly two decades ago, Hill — who keeps his real identity a secret — transitioned from photographer and visual artist to drag entertainer. “I noticed there were all these drag queens everywhere, but few drag kings in New York at that point, and it wasn’t about comedy,” he says. “I wanted to bring that same camp sensibility that drag queens had into drag king performances.”
Though Hill’s resulting look and sensibility is chiefly inspired by lounge lizards from ’70s-era Las Vegas — “Mr. Showbiz” is his nickname — there’s also some undeniable familial influence at play. “I recently looked at some old pictures, and Murray looks a lot like my uncle and my grandfather,” Hill says. “Short, chubby Italian guys that like to joke around a lot.”
Though Hill has had cameos in cult films and on cable TV — including John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, HBO’s Bored to Death and STARZ’s Gravity — his main work has been on stage, performing improv and emceeing touring shows for neo-burlesque stars, including Dita Von Teese and Angie Pontani.
After brief hiatus, Hill is eager to rejoin Pontani and the “amazing burlesque dancers” in Burlesque-A-Pades, playing the “schmuck” in the Valentine’s Day variety show. It will also feature burlesque artists Maine Attraction, Perle Noire and Cherie Nuit, tap-dancer Helen Pontani, and musical duo Sunny Sighed & Bal’d Lightening.
“The Birchmere is actually one of my favorite venues,” Hill says, noting that “the crowd is always up for it.” But it’s not just the crowd that gets him going: It’s Pontani herself.
“She’s my showbiz partner in crime,” Hill says. “She’s the best in burlesque. She has great costumes, and she throws it down.”
Burlesque-A-Pades In Loveland is Sunday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $29.50. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.
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