BY SCOTT STIFFLER | With only 12 episodes in the rearview mirror, Season 3 of The Sherry Vine Variety Show (airing now on OUTtv) finds its titular star with plenty of genre tropes left to explore in the profane manner one might expect from the drag queen who turned Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah into How I Blew Ya and conjured Hole Clean from Dolly Parton’s Jolene. A child of the ’70s whose drag aesthetic has always been informed by that era’s songs, sketches, and Bob Mackie dresses, Vine’s Variety Show has somehow managed to be fearlessly filthy while staying true to what the leggy glamourpuss expressed in an interview with Chelsea Community News, shortly after the May 25, 2021 premiere of The Sherry Vine Variety Show, Season 1.

“We definitely felt the spirit of The Carol Burnett Show on set,” said Vine, who this season more than ever has managed to work the beloved Burnett ensemble vibe by booking a Who’s Who of guest performers (Laganja Estranja! Alaska Thunderfuck! Jonny McGovern!) while crafting a core group of players seen in story arcs and callback sketches spaced over multiple episodes.

Pitch-perfect meanie Jackie Beat is an ever-present naysayer to sweet-natured, sex-positive Sherry; formidable comedic foil Monét X Change, as the highest ranking officer in the show’s signature sketch, Lady Cops, referees the girl’s verbal sparring for the express purpose of throwing her own cruel zingers; and Bianca Del Rio, cast as both a devilishly bad influence and the ultimate villain, lobs blissfully bitchy bon mots with her usual deadpan perfection. True, the competition among the cast for Miss Congeniality is practically non-existent—but what they lack in civility, they more than make up for in filthy language and explicit imagery.

It’s not all dresses and wigs and dick jokes. This season also takes Vine and Beat into the world of male (albiet flaming male) roles. As he said/he said correspondents Chase and Chad—of TV news magazine Sissy Minutes—the guys contemplate body shaming, ageism, and misogyny, while elsewhere, faux commercials for designer perfume and cutting-edge ear buds mine laughs from rooted-in-reality concerns such as emotional insecurity and intergenerational miscommunication.

Best of all, having been able to plot Season 3’s six episodes without the restrictions wrought previously by COVID precautions, Sherry & Co. manage to spend a good amount of time unmoored from the interior setting that’s been home to much of their previous work. The net effect of seeing these larger-than-life queens cavorting around a real country dude ranch or occupying a city sidewalk in broad daylight is akin to witnessing the Muppets go from their in-studio variety show setting to riding bikes in Central Park. That freedom to walk among us pays off big time in Episode 5, the traditional “wild card” entry in each season that breaks off from the usual format into a one-off world of its own.

With great sets and costumes and crisp, confident direction by series director John Mark, the Kill Bill parody Kill Jill co-stars Peppermint, Jackie Beat, Jo Lopez, Kelly Mantle, and Bianca Del Rio. Sherry Vine stars, of course, as the razor scooter-riding model whose fall from grace leaves her with a splitting headache and a list of former friends destined to part ways with their pulse. (Pro Tip: Watch it with the Closed Caption option turned “On.” Otherwise, you’ll miss embedded laughs such as the film’s opening scene, where the soundtrack is described as “mellow anticipatory music.”) Having seen everything except Season 3’s final episode (#6), we do declare Kill Jill is Sherry Vine’s most well-structured, tightly paced, smartly written, and well-played piece of sketch comedy yet.

Having said that, we turned the task of self-analysis over to Sherry herself via our traditional Q&A. To access our quizzes covering Season 1 and Season 2, respectively, click here and click here.

Following the Variety Show section of our Q&A, stick around as the format turns its sights on a standard list of questions we sent to many queens early last month, when it looked as if West 42 Street’s legendary Laurie Beechman Theatre (home to many Sherry Vine stage appearances) would be closing its doors for good at the end of August. Thankfully, the beloved performance space got a reprieve through at least October—but that’s no reason not to run Sherry’s multi-tiered testimonial!

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): Congrats on your (currently airing) third season of The Sherry Vine Variety Show. When did you get confirmation of the renewal? From that point onward, what was the timeline for writing, cating, shooting, editing?

Sherry Vine (Sherry): Thank you! We actually got the green light to start working on Season 3 right after the premiere of Season 2, so that was amazing—and also a kick in the panties to hunker down and get to work ASAP. The timeline was much tighter; instead of a year to prepare, I got about 3 months. I actually work better with time constraints, so I loved it. I was working for 10 days in Puerto Vallarta and spent every morning writing for 3-4 hours. We shot everything in 8 days and then the editing took about 5 months. But it was all super smooth and fun—I hope that’s reflected in the show.

CCNews: How does the variety show format unfold in Season 3–anything new or notable in terms of the style, the look, the subject matter?

Sherry: I really wanted each episode to feel like a roller coaster ride—super fast. There’s only a few Lady Cops that are longer, but everything else is 3 minutes or less so we could cram more content in. And the longer sketches have a lot of movement and different locations. I’m always trying to turn the volume up on looks and laughs!

CCNews: How was the filming period–any challenges/surprises pop up?

Sherry: At first, I thought the [May 2 to September 27, 2023 Writers Guild of America] strike was going to be a big challenge. We immediately decided not to film during the strike (even the show is Canadian) out of solidarity. So that gave us a bit more time to prepare and really edit and gather looks, props, etc.

CCNews: We’ve spoken before about the importance, particularly in sketch comedy, about the role post-production editing plays in making the show a success. Who did the editing this season and what was your involvement?

Sherry: Jess Weber did the editing for all of Season 3 and she was FLAWLESS! We worked together for 5 months before I even met her in person, lol. She got the tone and camp so fast. Literally, her first rough cut for Episode 1 was so on I only had like 2 minor notes. I was blown away! We let Jess have free reign on the first draft and then there are a few people it has to go through; me, the director John Mark, the producers at Producer Entertainment, and then everyone at OUT TV including lawyers, etc. But honestly, very few notes!

CCNews: Do you aspire to a Season 4? If so, when might you know and what can fans do to push for that?

Sherry: Fingers and toes and eyes crossed!! We have several pokers in the fire—more news to come.

CCNews: It’s glorious and astonishing how racy, risque, and out-and-out sexy/dirty some of the comedy has been. Given the platform that your show is broadcast on, how much inherent freedom are you given, and are there words/actions/visuals things the “system” you’re working within compels you to avoid?

Sherry: Honey, I’m serious, I couldn’t do this show anywhere else. OUTtv has never said no to me—ever. They questioned a dildo once, lol, and I said, “Please!” and they said, “OK.” So it’s so amazing how much freedom I have there, when your brand is poop and penis lol! I really appreciate that.

CCNews: Covering all shows and seasons so far, what material has been especially fulfilling to write, cast, and see fully realized?

Sherry: Between 3 seasons, now there are 15 original songs. I love them all but I have to say that I’m a Showgirl from Episode 1 [Season 3] is my new favorite. It’s so perfectly Sherry Vine. It’s going to be the opening number of my new [live] show for next year. I also love Lady Cops; Jackie and I have so much fun writing it, and everyone was just so fun to work with. The fact that Monét [X Change] came back for another round [of Lady Cops] says a lot. And I have a special place in my heart for Episode 5. That’s always our “wild card” episode and this season we do a full fantasy parody of Kill Bill. Not to be missed!

CCNews: Talk about the show/shows you’ve brought to the Laurie Beechman Theatre: What stage was the work in (World premiere? Mid-tour? One-off?)?

Sherry: There have been SOOOO many!! I’m trying to remember the first time I performed there… probably with Jackie Beat. Moving back to NYC from Berlin in 2004, The Beechman was the “fancy” new venue for shows. It was in the perfect location and the support team has always been so strong, especially Chip [Duckett, of PR, marketing, & special events company SpincycleNYC].  I did new shows there with Joey Arias before taking them on tour, and appeared with many others in group events. I did a Christmas show with Pandora Boxx and a few solo shows.

CCNews: Let’s play a game called Sweeping Generalizations: Are there things about the Beechman and/or NYC audiences that set them apart from other venues/towns you’ve played?

Sherry: I always appreciated the built-in audience factor of the space. Every show I’d see familiar faces, but also so many new ones. The tech team and the staff were always so supportive and fun. And we got free food! lol.

CCNews: Have you experienced any “anomalies” during Beechman performances, i.e. laughter or audible reactions to a part of the show that never got that reaction before? Conversely, did something flop that usually killed? Do you recall any improvised quips, saves, or audience interactions that became “keepers”?

Sherry: Trying to walk through the tightly packed room improvising with the audience was always a great bit of comedy. Literally squeezing by and making jokes about it would have the audience in stitches. One “keeper” I remember was when I did a show with Joey Arias (who doesn’t drink alcohol), and she was in the wings–and I made a comment, “I’m only drinking Ginger Ale in solidarity” and rolled my eyes, which got this very unexpected huge laugh.

CCNews: Any lasting memories, life lessons, miscellaneous thoughts, and/or anecdotes, regarding off-stage aspects of the room such as tech rehearsals, pre-show rituals, post-show goings-on, meet-and-greets, Beechman drinks, menu items, staff, etc.?

Sherry: One running joke amounts the performers was the “dressing room” situation lol. Which also doubled as the “backstage photo shoot area” for meet and greet. And if Jackie and I had to share the dressing room aka toilet we would just stand there laughing at THE GLAMOUR! But of course it was endearing.

CCNews: Not to get morbid, but are there other venues you’ve played that are no longer with us? If so, what did their presence contribute, and what about their absence is felt?

Sherry: Having worked in NYC nightlife for over 30 years, there are always changes. Venues, people, etc come and go and we just persevere. We take the joy and memories with us and move on. The Beechman will always house many amazing memories and laughs.

BONUS CONTENT: Click here to access a Q&A published just days after Sherry moved from NYC to LA, circa 2019–to be better positioned to get…her own TV show! The Q&A also features Jackie Beat, who has her own show on OUTtv. To read about that, click here.

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