15 Questions for Martha Graham Cracker

Move over, Terry Gross, Martha Graham Cracker is Philly’s closest thing to a mega star. She’s got a voice that would give Whitney goose pimples. Beauty that rivals Elizabeth. And balls. 

You can see the captivating cabaret queen tomorrow night when she makes her triumphant return to the Philadelphia Museum of Art‘s (PMA) Grand Stair Hall to perform with her band and the Martha Graham Cracker Choral Society. (I mean come on, does Terry Gross have her own choral society?) Miss Graham Cracker’s PMA shows continue to be one of the highlights of Philly’s year. You’ve gotta check it out, and you’ve gotta read this hilarious Q&A she did with me this week:

What’s your Philly connection? I arrived here on the same pegasus that Harry Hamlin rode on in Clash of the Titans. When are you happiest? When I can keep myself on balance on those heels and you off balance. What’s your most-prized possession? My lucky ring, a gift from my mother, Isadora Duncan-Hines. Describe the perfect night in Philly in three words. Logan. Fountain. Swim. What turns you on? Doing laundry  next to a creek, using a man’s actual washboard abs. The one book everyone should read is … Just Kids by Patti Smith. If you were told you could only sing one more song, which one would it be? “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant” or “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” or “You’re All I Need to Get By” … a very looooong song. Since you have firsthand experience, why can’t women put on mascara with their mouths closed? That question is amazing. I think it has to do with childbirth and keeping orifices open, but I’m not sure. Ask your doctor. Who would play you in a movie about your life? Jim Croce. I mean Jim Carrey. I mean Jada Pinkett. I mean Hope Davis. I mean Gael Garcia Bernal on stilts. Where is your favorite place in the world? Sevilla, Espana. Where flamenco dancers stomp. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Driving in platform heels. What is your favorite thing about one of your friends? Their eye contact. Their steady calm. Their ability to snap me out of a shame spiral or a doubt drop. Who is your diva inspiration? Kate Hepburn, Jill Scott, Patti Labelle, Aretha and Taylor Mac. What is your life motto? Soup is good food. And don’t postpone joy. I feel gayest when … I wake up with glitter on the pillowcase.

Martha Graham Cracker is performing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Fri., May 3 at 5:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Ticket are $20 and includes admission to the Museum. For more info, go here.

Other questionees:

• Comedic storyteller R. Eric Thomas
• Mazeppa Productions’ Brian Seaman
• Miss Richfield 1981
• Ian Morrison (aka Brittany Lynn)
• Liberty City Kings Drag and Burlesque’s Heather Coutts
• Dumpsta Players founder Ricky Paul
• QueerTimes.net publisher Thom Cardwell