Spreading Queer Joy and Liberation through Sing Alongs and Raunchy Poetry
Blending several performance genres - spoken word, dance, song writing, humor - I see myself as part of a long line of gay performers: Quentin Crisp, Ethyl Eichelberger, Rollerina, Lady Bunny, and the campy TV personalities of Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly, to name but a few. I've also been inspired by younger queer folk, who refuse binaries of all sorts. My style is "sissy butch." I wear a neckerchief like the macho cowboys in the 1950s films and the trendy nancies in the 1970s magazines.
My art doesn’t shy away from provocative topics, despite my Protestant upbringing. I don't want to shut anyone out, though, and I know that through dance, music, poetry and humor, we can find real human connections.
- Phil Alexander
Proudly Prancing in the Pride Parade on 5th Avenue, 2023.
My Story
My journey as a performer began at age 7, when - inspired by the films of Gene Kelly - I asked my mom for tap dance lessons, when we lived in Killeen TX. Thus began a life long interest in being on stage, dancing, singing, acting. As a kid, I appeared in dozens and dozens of musicals and shows, and majored in theatre at Interlochen Arts Academy in the scenic woodlands of northern Michigan.
In college, I pursued my love of the performing arts from a "safer" perspective of an English major, eventually going to graduate school in NYC and earning a Ph.D in Theatre History. After souring on the competitiveness of academia, I found employment in arts administration. Working with and supporting artists for over 25 years has been delightful, rewarding -- and inspiring. Because of the dancers, actors, composers, playwrights and visual artists I've worked with during my day job, I found the spark that re-ignited my drive to perform, as a theatrical raconteur. Since the early 2000s, I've developed original storytelling performances, including "Tap Dancing Paul Revere," in which I depict my 6 years of dance performances in my youth. Rainbow Butterfly emerged as an advocate for love and liberation during the 2023 Pride Parade, and has unleashed a new torrent of creativity and expression.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities as well as for collaborations in new performance ventures.