Candy Gram: Gentry de Paris

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 Gentry Lane.

What is your hometown?
Paris (via Hollywood )

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
Since I first saw Gypsy at around age 12. But I didn’t start taking off my clothes until I was 23. (I guess I’m a late bloomer).

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Not that many. Perhaps a dozen. Do you want me to go count?

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Harlem Nocturne (I know, I know! But there’s a reason it’s a classic!)
Too Darn Hot
A French song that I’m going to regret posting called J’Coûte Cher. It’s super vavoom jazzy and has great lyrics. Copy me and I’ll kill you. Actually, I won’t have to. It would be career suicide to use a song that’s already so closely associated with me. So there.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Really high heels with quick release ankle straps, Kryolan pancake and good lighting.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Dita. She’s generous with her advice, she doesn’t mince words, and now I’m getting pretty good at figuring out when she’s joking. (I’m so gullible, it’s tragic/hysterical). She has set the standard and anyone who doesn’t admit to her level of influence on their own career is a Big Fat Liar.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Gypsy is my favorite because of her marketing ability, but she doesn’t seem like she was a very nice person. People will hate me for saying this, but I find the real stories behind these women quite sad. I don’t know one who led an admirable life. Except Josephine Baker, but she was never technically a stripper.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
I have 3 François Tamarin corsets that make my waist 18” In a word: Hot.

What’s the last movie you saw?
Good God! I don’t even remember. I’m fighting the inclination to lie and put something intellectual. But it was probably a BBC documentary. I hate going to the movie theater. The seats are filthy.

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
House and Mad Men. I’d do Don Draper in a second.

What book is on your nightstand?
The script for my show in September -- The Gentry de Paris Revue with Dita Von Teese.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Thailand. I’d like to get a three-hour massage while lying face down in a kiddy pool full of Pad Thai. I hear it’s legal there. And only costs $7.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Teleportation. Because the Paris metro sucks.

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