There’s no mistaking that Miss Conception knows how to throw a party. Miss Conception is a star no matter where she performs, be it here in Provincetown, her hometown of Toronto, or the drag queen winter hot spot of Puerto Vallarta. The secret to her success is no mystery. She’s not only an incredible entertainer, but she takes her audiences on a mad frolic as if you’re at a sequined soiree in her living room. And this year she’s flipping through the channels as she presents TV Land, an action-packed romp through television history hitting all your favorites from Baywatch to The Flintstones to I Love Lucy. You’ll never look at the boob tube quite the same way ever again!
Miss Conception took some time to talk to Provincetown Magazine about how Wilma Flintstone is a drag icon, auditioning for the first season of Drag Race Canada, and how to clear customs when traveling internationally as a drag queen!
Provincetown Magazine: When was the moment you knew you were going to pursue drag as a career?
Miss Conception: The moment I danced out of the womb singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music!” I realized when I was 28 years old that I could quit my day job and start making Miss Conception my full time job.
PM: Your show TV Land takes audiences on a wild ride through television history. What TV show spoke to the little drag queen in you when you were a child?
MC: Lots of shows spoke to me, but I always wanted to be Wilma Flintstone with her perfect pearl necklace. I mean every gay man wants a pearl necklace!
PM: What was the first drag show you ever saw?
MC: The first show I saw actually was a group called The Freaks in Toronto, Canada. Silvia, Amanda, and Felicia were a girl group and use to do fun dirty numbers. I was 18 years old standing outside Bar 501 where they held the famous window show so everyone could see from the street and watch.
PM: Your shows always feature a lot of audience participation making it both a party and a bit unpredictable. What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened at one of your show when you brought someone up on stage?
MC: It was here last year in Ptown. I made the people from the audience dress up as sea creatures with the Little Mermaid and when the curtain opened this guy had put the turtle costume on backwards with the shell in front and the face covering his face so he couldn’t even see. It was so funny I literally tripped on my own feet and fell over laughing. One of those moments you had to be there.
PM: You’re from Toronto and perform each winter in Puerto Vallarta and summer in Provincetown. You’re the original NAFTA queen! How is each locale different for drag performance, and what do they have in common?
MC: Well, Toronto and Puerto Vallarta and Provincetown all have one thing in common and that is it’s gay as hell girl! Ptown and Mexico are similar with the cabaret scene, and most performers that work here work in Mexico, as well. Toronto is different cause it’s more a bar scene for drag, but I rent a cabaret there called Buddies in Bad Times for special events.
PM: A casting call has just been announced for the very first season of Drag Race Canada. Will you send in an audition tape? How do you think a Canadian version will differ from the American series?
MC: Of course I will audition for Drag Race Canada because I am Canada’s Sweetheart!!! I think it will be very different cause RuPaul won’t be hosting it for one and there will be a lot of queens saying sorry all the time!
PM: You travel internationally so much as a drag performer. What’s it like clearing customs around the world with all of your costumes, makeup, and wigs?
MC: It’s hilarious going through customs with my drag compacted into my luggage because when they open up my bag it’s like a drag queen farted glitter and sequins all over them. I love being asked what I do for a living by customs because their faces are priceless when I tell them how I tuck.
Miss Conception presents TV Land at the Art House, 214 Commercial St., Saturday through Tuesday at 9 p.m. until September 8. Tickets ($30/$40) are available at the box office and online at ptownarthouse.com. For more information call 508.487.9222.
