Profile: Gigi Monroe, female impersonator
June 6, 2009 at 9:28 am by Candace Wheeler in News, Profile
Have you been looking for a spot-on impersonation of Madonna or Liza Minelli? Look no further than Blake’s on Sunday and Monday nights. A seamstress by day and a female impersonator by night, Gigi Monroe is one dude who definitely looks like a lady. And he performs like the best of them.
How did you become a female impersonator?
Well, this month actually marks my five-year anniversary, but I pretty much started doing an amateur contest at the Metro, which is closed now, and I went from there.
How did you receive the name Gigi Monroe?
The “Monroe” is in honor of Marilyn, and I picked the name “Gigi” just because I thought it was playful and I liked it.
What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened during one of your performances?
God, there’s so many crazy things that happen every night. I would say one of the funniest was the first time my wig fell off. I was dancing and I ran into a split, and as I went down my hair went up. I didn’t know what to do so I just kept singing along without my wig on. It was pretty funny.
What do people say when you tell them that you are a female impersonator?
Hmmm. I get a lot of different reactions. Sometimes when I tell them, they try to picture me in drag. Usually the reaction is pretty good. It’s a really exciting job. When people come to a show, we’re helping them deal with their problems a little bit by providing an escape for them.
Do you ever dress up outside of your performances?
No, it’s strictly for my work. I mean, it’s different for everybody, but I only dress up to perform.
You mentioned you are a seamstress during the day. Do you sew costumes for your performances?
I do, actually. I sew my costumes and I also sew costumes for other performers. I just launched a costume line on eBay called “Gigi Designs.”
What’s your favorite make-up?
La Femme. Its professional stage make-up, and it’s fabulous. The company is out in California. I love it.
Is it ever hard to find shoes?
No, not for me. I’m pretty small. I wear a size nine, so I’m lucky in that respect. But it can be hard for a lot of people to find shoes that fit.
What do you think are some misconceptions people have about female impersonators?
I would say the biggest one is that this is an easy job. You know, people think you just go and put on some make-up, slap on a dress and a wig, and go on stage. But it’s actually a lot of work. People don’t see that, though, because we [performers] don’t show them that side. If people were able to come backstage and see what it’s like they would know it’s a lot of work.
What is the atmosphere like backstage?
In Atlanta, it’s like a family. Everyone is pretty much sharing and helping one another. You’ll see one performer helping another put their dress on. It’s really good here.
Tell me a little bit about your act.
Well, I do a little bit of everything, but right now I’m really into celebrity impersonations. I was actually just on a nine-month contract in Lake Tahoe performing at a casino as Liza Minnelli.
Describe one of your favorite outfits you’ve worn during a performance.
I’m a classic showgirl at heart, so I definitely love the big feather headdresses with the back pieces. For Gay Pride, I wore an eight-foot-high back piece that was rainbow colored with a matching headdress. That one is always a show stopper.
Name one entertainer today that you most admire.
Definitely Niesha Dupree, who’s here in Atlanta. She has had one of the longest running shows at the Jungle on Mondays, and I have learned so much from her. She was a part of the whole Backstreet generation of performers, who were part of Charlie Brown’s Cabaret on Peachtree Street. During that time, celebrities would come to see their shows, and they had a documentary on HBO called “Drag Time.” Now they’re spread all across the country, but they’re willing to teach you so much. It’s not like you can go to school and learn how to do this stuff. Someone has to be willing to show you.
Where can we see you perform?
At Blake’s on the Park every Sunday at 9 p.m. and every Monday at 11 p.m. It’s definitely a lot of fun.
Click here to see a photo gallery of Gigi’s transformation from dude to ‘Donna.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
June 14th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Gigi is such a sweet and amazing person as well as great entertainer! I think this article captures her kind spirit as well as educates the public about just how much goes into putting on a seamless show!