Nadya Ginsburg, the self-proclaimed, “Jew-Talian Stallion,” which for those not ac-
customed to the Jewish lingo, is someone who wakes up feeling very guilty and runs very fast. She is an actor and comedian who has been called, “amazingly talented” by Roseanne Barr, a “genius” by Perez Hilton and has been featured in Q Magazine-London, The Village Voice, The New York Times, and numerous other publications. Nadya got her start in comedy creating offbeat characters and celebrity impressions in New York City. Nadya has worked with the likes of Parker Posey in the feature film Adam and Steve
and on Comedy Central with Bill Murray. She has also been featured for both her comedy routines, and her voiceover talents on networks such as NBC, TBS, Lifetime Television, VH1, MTV, and several web-series. She recently co-starred and co-wrote a web series produced by Roseanne Barr and has an international YouTube cult following for the series, The Worm. One of the most beloved characters in Ginsburg’s bag of tricks is the former prostitute “Babka,” a mail-order-Russian-bride-turned-bikini-waxing professional. Most recently, Nadya gained national recognition on the Today Show for her Lady Gaga parody “Al Roker Face.” Nadya will be bringing her newest solo act, The Nadyalogues, to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian
Center’s Renberg Theatre on July 9 and 10. Madonna, Cher, and all the other bitches are back for an evening of original characters, celebrity skewering and song. Be sure to get your tickets to spend an evening with the deliciously twisted mind of Nadya Ginsburg as she takes you on a journey form Madonna to the moon!
The Rage Monthly: As the self-proclaimed “Jew-Talian Stallion,” how has the Jewish community responded to you? Nadya Ginsburg: I haven’t been contacted by any of the major Jewish organizations, but my grandmother says everything I do is very nice.
Rage: Who and what do you pull inspiration from? NG: Everyday people and the insanity of the modern world.
Rage: When did you merge your singing talents with your comedy? NG: I’ve always sung. I think one of my earliest parodies was when Rent first came out.
We did a Rent parody and the first person I made fun of singing was Alanis Morissette. There’s an old saying that every comedian wants to be a rock star and every rock star wants to be a comedian. I love to sing and I hope to be doing more and more of it, but I’ve always done it.
Rage: How did you get your start in comedy? NG: On the lower eastside of New York City in sort of the alternative comedy scene.
It’s all Vaudeville to me, but every so often people have to put a label on things. The first time I did comedy was standup at Caroline’s Comedy Club. But I quickly found that the standup world was filled with a lot of straight white guys, and to be a women in standup comedy, you have to pretend to be someone’s sexless little brother. I think that’s why Janeane Garofalo… you know, you have to wear a t-shirt, hide your boobs, wear dorky glasses and so I ran off and joined the circus. I was most happy with the freaks, the drag queens, and anything that was labeled alternative.
Rage: Were you funny as a kid and do your current friends and family find you humorous? NG: My parents were hippies and they would tell me how I would imitate how all of
their friends dance at parties. When I was three years old, I wrote a poem. The poem was, “When I touch my vagina, it laughs, it smiles, it’s a happy face.” So I think the humor was there, especially being caught with my hands down my pants. Now, yeah, most of my friends are comedians, and most of them find me funny. The only exception is if you’re dating me or are related to me, then yeah, I can be a little too much to handle.
Rage: Who are you comedic influences and idols? NG: The entire cast of Second City Television.
Rage: What kind of following do you have? NG: To be truthful, all of my big breaks are due to gay men. My biggest break was com-
ing to Los Angeles in 2002 to audition with Jonny McGovern for the show “HYPE,” which is where I met Jackie Beat and become close friends with him. It was a gay show; they were the ones who chose me. I’ve worked in legitimate straight culture, but imitating gay icons has been most successful for me because gays love Cher and Madonna.
Rage: Perez Hilton called you a “genius.” What are your thoughts on Hilton posting a revealing picture of 17-year-old Miley Cyrus on his blog? NG: I think Perez Hilton reflects the times and the days of witty, very intelligent
people who took journalism seriously commenting on popular culture are no longer, those days are gone. I don’t find it very inspired or witty to take cheap shots at people, however, someone could say that about the sketch I did with Rosanne making fun of Chastity Bono. I strive to come from a place of love. If it were me, I wouldn’t be too happy, but I hate for people to blame the media. If I choose to click onto the website, I can no longer cast any stones.
Rage: Tell me about your upcoming show, The Nadyalogues, at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center July 9th and 10th. NG: The show is a benefit to support the services provided by the L.A. Gay and Les-
bian Center for homeless youth. The show will feature some special guests along with the usual gay icons Cher, Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Britney Spears. It will also feature some of my original characters. It’s a discussion of the times and how the lines between fantasy and realty are blurred. It has song, dance, and lots of fun multimedia.
Rage: Have you heard any reaction from any of the celebrities you’ve impersonated? NG: Christopher Ciccone came to my karaoke night because his assistant brought
him. I heard Winona Ryder’s assistant was a fan of my impression of Winona. People say to me all the time, “She must have seen it, she must have seen your videos.” There was a piece in US Weekly that wrote that Cher was pissed at Rosanne over our sketch on Chastity. You never know.
Rage: If you were a cocktail what would you be? NG: A Hot Tottie!
For more information on Nadya Ginsburg visit:
nadyaginsburg.com For ticket information for Nadyalogues at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center visit
lagaycenter.org
JULY 2010 | RAGE monthly 17
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