Candy Gram: Nasty Canasta

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop Tanya Cheex a line at t.cheex AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Nasty Canasta of Pinchbottom Burlesque.

What is your hometown?
Brooklyn, NY

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I've been in theatre for most of my life; I gave up acting for burlesque about five years ago.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
My pasties tend to be specific to each act, so I have a different pair for pretty much every number - probably in the double-digits by now. I also can't really help but collect random things to glue to my boobs; friends go on trips and instead of bringing back t-shirts and things as souvenirs, they're like, "Here are two ashtrays from Graceland, I thought you could use them as pasties."

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
It changes a lot, but right now I'm really having fun with Ice Cream by New Young Pony Club, Queen's theme song to the Flash Gordon movie, and You Light Up My Life.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Ziploc bags, Static Gard and red nail polish.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Probably my grandmother, who's been incredibly supportive of my performing habit no matter what form it's taken. She gave me my first box of dress-up clothes and ran lines with me for school plays, and when I was in college studying theatre she would send me postcards from shows in Vegas - a few years ago she even made it out to Vegas for Miss Exotic World.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Julie Atlas Muz. She's a constant inspiration and I want to spend a day living in her brain.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
My 6" black platform stripper heels. It took months to learn how to walk in them, and now I never want to take them off - I've actually done tribute numbers to these shoes.

What’s the last movie you saw?
Little Miss Sunshine -- on DVD. I never seem to make it out to the movie theatre, somehow.

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
Doctor Who. Classic ones, new ones, all of them - it's an obsession. I also finally limped into the digital age and just discovered Hulu, and recently I've been watching my way through old episodes of Barney Miller. It's fabulous.

What book is on your nightstand?
I just finished Lord Of The Flies, which I haven't picked up since high school. It's totally made me want to go back through the old summer reading lists.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
I'd like to say I'd be all adventurous and go whitewater rafting and defy death on a mountaintop, but really all I ever want to do is sit on a beach. With a drink. Naked, if possible.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Time travel, definitely. It'd be the ultimate costume research, wouldn't it?

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