​Kelly Coxsyn brings forth Hell on Heels

Kelly Coxsyn has been a glittery staple in the FM performance community for a number of years. She produces, hosts and performs with the Hell on Heels drag shows at Jerry’s Tavern, their home venue in Moorhead, and just celebrated her 10th year as a drag performer.

“Seriously, if you’ve never been to a show, it’s definitely something you should experience. I know that drag isn’t for everyone,” Coxsyn says,” but we really try hard to make sure our shows have a little something for everyone.”

HPR had the opportunity to talk shop with the ever-fabulous Kelly Coxsyn about her upcoming show, beauty secrets, and her drag beginnings.

High Plains Reader: How long does it take for you to be stage-ready?

Kelly Coxsyn: I can be “properly” stage-ready in two hours, but I’ve also had to do a 30-minute rush job before in a dimly lit production trailer. I wasn’t pretty, but I was ready. Thank god the audience that night started drinking early. That always helps.

HPR:Is there one ritual or element of your preparation that instantly gets you into character?

KC: For me, it’s that moment when my eyes are done. When I start getting ready, the first steps are all about contouring. So my face is just random sections of shadow and highlight. But once I finish doing my eye makeup (which can be pretty dramatic), that’s really what “flips the switch” and brings out Kelly.

HPR: Did you have a Dragmother?

KC: Janessa Jaye Champagne is my mother but it’s not a standard relationship. Typically a drag mother is a mentor and advisor to a newer performer (she was and still is that for me), but in a lot of those relationships there’s also a kind of an inherent “ownership.” I’ve never felt like our relationship was like that. We’re both very independent performers, we choose our own shows and projects to work on, and we joke that we’re really more like “sisters” (but she’s the older one).

HPR: What was the most important thing that she taught you? 

KC: “Do what you want.” When I first started, I kept thinking that there was only one way to do drag and do it well. I quickly learned from watching her that there are so many ways to do drag. You can be campy, sexy, funny, trashy, glamorous, etc. You just need to find what feels right for you. And sometimes, you might feel like being all of those things in one night or one song, depending on what Beyonce song you’re doing.

HPR: How do you maintain your flawless figure? 

KC: (laughs) Behind every good drag queen, is another drag queen tightening her corset! There are so many unnatural things going on under our outfits--it’s a lot of smoke and mirrors and 4-way stretch fabric.

HPR: What can you not live without in your makeup bag? 

KC: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Lip Tar. The colors are extremely pigmented so they look great on stage and because it’s a lip tar (like a lip stain). You don’t have to reapply and glob on layers throughout the night.

HPR: What is the most surprising thing that you would have either in your costume bag or your makeup bag?

KC: Probably a tooth brush. That’s not an unusual item, but I don’t use it in the intended way. I actually use it when gluing down my eyebrows (look it up on YouTube). I use the bristles like a strong eyebrow brush to work the glue through my brows. And then I use the backside of the handle to smooth them over and make them “disappear.”

HPR: Do you have any special guests for this performance? 

KC: Yes. We have two lovely ladies joining us from Minneapolis. Azalia Selena Cruz is returning to the FM Area to perform with us. She performed at the I-Beam for several years but hasn’t been back in a while. We also have Tonia Lee Anthony joining us. She came to a show a few months back to support a friend, and knowing that she’s a solid performer, I made her do a number in the show. So this will technically be her second time performing with us.

HPR: What is the most difficult thing about performing?

KC: In our show, I’m a performer and the host. Hosting is by far the most difficult because comedy is so subjective. Everyone has a different sense of humor and the line between edgy and offensive can be yards away from person to person. There are some nights when the jokes don’t seem to be landing, I feel like I’m scrambling to come up with better material on the fly and I just don’t feel like I’m connecting with the crowd. Those nights are hard. I want the audience to have a great time and I want to build them up so the energy is high for the next performer. When those “off” nights happen, I feel like I’ve let a lot of people down.

IF YOU GO

Hell On Heels Pre-Pride Show,

Sat. Aug 13th, Doors 7:30, Bingo for the Pride Collective & Community Center at 8, show at 10.$6, 21+

Jerry’s Tavern, 1500 11th St. N, Moorhead