International Chrysis

Best Boobs In The Business!

Oh but Mommy was the real deal...Long lovely legs, big beautiful tits, an ass to stop traffic and an infectious laugh to start a party going. Loved her for so many years. We were all so devastated when she departed this world. I hear her laughter in my dreams. I miss her stage magic and her true gorgeousness. There will never be another like her.

Unless Messy Bonnie has some major surgery maybe.

Honestly..when I was MUCH YOUNGER and had just started performing in clubs and attempting to get paid, I noticed early on that Chrysis ALWAYS got her coins promptly.

So whenever we shared a stage, I would run to the manager or office in her wake, and always got my money too!

My favorite thing about Chrysis is that she died at an absolute peak in her life, when she had finally made it to some big expensive theater on Broadway to top acclaim, pay, and benefits (including the health insurance that Im sure eased her last days.) Only a year or two before, she had spoken of leaving show biz entirely and was attending Statistics school.

Funny how life is!

While still living in DC in the early 90s, Split: Portrait of a Drag Queen played at the American Film Institute at the Kennedy Center, and I went to see the film, but not knowing much about it other than it was about a drag queen, I dragged my friends to come with me.

Well, we all loved the movie, and I was fascinated with her oh-so-glamorous life (or so it appeared on celluloid), yet throughout the story the theme was her rising up and above any perceived pain or misery. Being a showgirl, cabaret and nightlife legend, and Dali's muse was certainly very very glamorous and what she wanted to do (or so it seemed in the film)! The things she did to get there (floorwax injections into her breast made the nurse in me cringe) in her moving in the rags-to-stardom story were also testament to a very determined woman, renowned downtown and internationally.

Then I moved to New York, and I met all these people that I had seen interviewed in the movie (though Chrysis was gone by this point), and it felt liking meeting a royal family, and it was the demimonde of NYC. I will admit that back then in my oh-so-JC way, I was in such awe.

One thing that has spooked me a bit was when Candis wore Chrysis' dress at the DCI show at Mother back in Fall '99 and served such Chrysis realness, and I know Bobby did her hair that night too (and when she is in fullon showgirl effect there is a still a strong likeness one cannot deny). And I didn't even know her, so that is what seems strange to me; it's always a visceral response, which I got again recently when Candis performed at the Slide. Call me kookoo crazy, but they both had that Matthew Kasten influence, and there are some similarities to the two of them, if you think about it. Totally off point here, I am sure Matthew is still in LA and does anybody hear from him? I wonder if he realizes how much he influenced drag herstory in New York. Eve and I have been having discussions about the parallels & rivalries between Black Lips and Boy Bar back in the 90s...now there is a topic.

Chrysis really was a foremother for so many of us, proverbially paving the way. Sweetie is the expert on the movie The Queen where Chrysis makes her debut as the ingenue, but I will defer to her to comment on that. I should really watch that film again...

[This message was edited by randella on 09-01-03 at 12:01 PM.]

I stopped her one night on her way to the office to get paid.
(Chi Chi right behind her)
You can really see that determination in her eyes.
Determined to get PAID!

I was talking to Candice the other night and I was thinking to myself how brilliant it was to cast Candice as Chrysis in the DCI show. I don't think they ever met but her spirit is alive and well in our little long & leggy Candice Cayne!

Candice Cayne walks as International Chrysis at the Downtown Costume Institute Show.

Wow...that is an incredible resemblance. I have to rent split and possibly queen. I say possibly queen, because Miss Flawless told me she was going to be having a screening, but that was a while ago.

I was away for the weekend and didn't get a chance to get online after starting the post. Needless to say, when I got back, was pleased by the response and your insights.

Thank you and of course if there are any more...keep em comin!

Been awhile since we worshipped at the shrine of The International Chrysis.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday my darling. I miss you often.

I wish I could've at least seen Chrysis in person.

She was the first tg person I ever came across, in a book. What an inspiration.

So excited I had to show my parents. they flipped seeing my interests for the first time.(I was 16)

But wow, only saw her in Q&A, and that Van Halen video. Both probably gave little chance to show the real her.

Happy Holidays.

Haven't caught the Van Halen video, which one was it?

Q&A was the first I saw her as well.

Happy Holidays

The video was for their version of "Pretty Woman". It was briefly shown on MTV in its early days (1982?). It was degrading to women, and to Chrysis, who at the end had a wig pulled off her head as shock value, plus she was tied up on I think a swing. Probably tame considering what are shown in videos now.. Never seen it listed anywhere to view again.

It was unforgettable none the less because she was so beautiful.

Uggggh...They did the same thing to her in Q & A.(Although, even out of the wig I still loved her)

I heard that stuff really used to upset her and understandably so.

In editing my archives I just came upon this. Hope you all enjoy seeing her again.

Thats hot! Probably one of the best photos I've seen of her. What year was that?

Bobby thats a beautiful picture.

If you ever want to do a website honoring her, let me know, I'd love to help. I'd love to see more pictures of her.

In that movie Q&A, just yesterday on Bravo. You're right, Colleen, for the most part it was a horrible film, though I always enjoy Timothy Hutton -- I think he's so cute in that Irish choir boy way.

Anyway, I loved Chrysis in it! You can definately see similarities between her and Candis Cayne. Chrysis's brief stint on stage was so mesmorizing, and especially her final moment on screen, with no lines, where Nick Nolte is trying to coax her across the room.

...but she's so hot in it! And then of course he kills her.

Timothy was cute...but I would of prefered 2hrs of her.

I was honered to know the International Chrysis personaly and professionaly Her show's at boy bar were legend she could really rock the house stripping duwn to just a g-string to James Brown,an the fag's went crazy for her!What the doccumentry split did not show us about her was how deeply spritual she was,I think the film maker lost out on a side of her very few people knew.Her manager Gerald was in prosses of mounting a production of the 1920's musical "Little Mary Sunshine" he had a lot of intrest in the project (I was to direct it) after her triumph on brodway,but sadly shortly after our brain storming trip to miami Chrysis was admitted to the hospital.So sad i loved her so deeply she was a great friend and a true star of the highest magnitude!

And here is Chrysis doing a famous monologue by Jimmy Camechi " Got any change for a dying queen" circa 1989

http://www.mrpussypants.com/2007/05/international-chrysis.html

A sneek peek from my other new book:
" Wigstock in Black & White; 1985 - 2005 "

Chrysis at her last Wigstock performance of her (vinyl 33 1/3) cover of " Let there be peace on Earth and Let it begin with me".

I remember that the hairs on my arms were standing on end during her entire performance.
And just when I thought it couldn't be more amazing, 18 people came out from under her enormous robes and she and they began to whirl around on stage causing a vortex of love dust and glitter. I sat right down on the ground and went out of my body. I took this photo just before my knees buckled.