NATIONAL TREASURE: Foxy Tann

MICHIGAN

The Boss of Burlesque Foxy Tann cut her teeth on emceeing at drag shows in Minneapolis back in 1997. A self-described female female impersonator, Foxy (a Miss Exotic World titleholder of best troupe with the Wham-Bam Thank You Ma’ams) challenged expectations as a burlesque performer as an artist and a business woman: “…There is art and then there is business, and never shall the two meet. We are forging a life on our own terms… and evidently that seems to be radical. God forbid a person lives the life that they want to!” This dynamo of burlesque dazzles with a 1970s blaxploitation film aesthetic personified every time she takes a stage. Foxy Tann stands out as one of Red Hots Burlesque’s favorites because of her stage presence. “I am not the best dancer in the world,” Foxy tells us, “nor do I have the prettiest costumes on the planet. But damn it, I can fucking fill a stage, yes I can.”

WHAT TO SEE IN MICHIGAN: “You MUST see the State Fair… it’s one of the largest in the country. 12 days, 200 different deep fried foods, seed art, the bake offs, jam/jelly/preserve competitions. You can see 1,000 different kinds of chickens, hang out with this year’s crop of political candidates, check out weird gutter systems, and then go to the haunted house. It’s something to do.