DINA MARTINA IN NYC

3 days left to see this truly demented diva in her solo show. She electrified Wigstock crowds last year and after reading this TIME OUT NY interview, I think you will agree she is a mess who should not be missed! So get your tickets for her SEDENTARY LADY today!

This week marks the long-expected—or is it dreaded?—return engagement of Dina Martina, the perpetually upbeat entertainer whose performances land halfway between trailer-park variety show and Vegas Strip car crash. Encased in form-fitting outfits, the exuberant Ms. Martina (a.k.a. Seattle-based Grady West) eschews the finger-snapping attitude favored by our homegrown talent, and never lets pitch and key get in the way of a good time. She was kind enough to take a break from her busy rehearsal schedule to answer TONY’s questions.

Time Out New York: Tell me a bit about your background. Where did you grow up?

Dina Martina: I was born in the Appalachians, in North Carolina. My father passed away in childbirth, and shortly after that my mother took me to Las Vegas, because she had always wanted to be a compulsive gambler. We were very poor, and my earliest memories are standing outside the casinos, selling juice and cotton balls. When I’d run out of those things, I’d start singing.

TONY: When did you make your showbiz debut?

DM: My mother entered me into the Young Miss Las Vegas Pageant when I was four, and during the talent competition I sang a lovely piece by Beethoven. I won the title, and things really took off from there. I did a lot of cereal and shampoo commercials. I was the Johnson’s Thumbtacks Girl. When I was 18, I modeled for a while—mostly for the braille edition of Vogue.

READ WHOLE INTERVIEW: TIMEOUT