Joey Arias’s Latest Extravaganza
A cross-dresser without a gimmick is a cross-dresser without a job. For the performer Joey Arias (pictured), whose new show, “Arias with a Twist,” has just opened at the Here Center in downtown Manhattan, the calling card has long been Billie Holiday. I once saw him play that jazz singer at a benefit on Martha’s Vineyard. I have the poster from the gig: it says, “Direct from New York, Internationally renowned artist” Joey Arias. The idea that the short flight from the Big Apple to Vineyard Haven was grounds for saying “Direct from New York” has always amused me, just as Arias gargling his way through the Holiday songbook has tickled me, too. Here’s the New York Times review of the new show, which I can’t wait to see.
