Female Impersonator Performs in Adams House

Crooning in a lovely soprano voice--only occasionally dropping to a husky low whisper--New York cabaret singer and female impersonator Grae Phillips captivated an audience of more than 100 in the Adams House dining hall last night.

"I thought people were going to dress up," exclaimed the performer as he took the stage, dazzling the crowd in a glittering red gown, flashing earrings and a stylish coiffure.

Aiming to "lay to rest the rumor that Adams is becoming sober," Professor of English Marjorie Garber introduced Phillips, who has appeared at the Helmsley Palace and on a variety of talk shows.

Phillips opened the show singing. "Why Don't You Do Right, Like Some Other Men Do?" and be followed with several other seductive numbers.

"This is a cafeteria, isn't it?" asked Phillips, launching into a rendition of "Send in the Clams," and singing, "Isn't it rich, isn't it queer."

Audience response was enthusiastic for this and the other numbers performed, including "Condoms Are a Girl's Best Friend," during which Phillips tossed condoms to the crowd, and another song about a gigolo chauffeur.

Phillips ended the show with an alluring encore performance of "You Give Me Fever," accompanied by the audience snapping the tune.

Garber, director of Harvard's Center for Literary and Cultural Studies, which sponsored the performance, said this was to be Phillips' only appearance in Boston on this trip.

After the hour-long performance, Phillips described his background and fielded tough questions from the audience.

"What skin cream do you use?" asked an envious female member of the crowd, noting Phillips' "nice" hands. Phillips confessed that he doesn't use any cream on his hands, though he said he applies makeup heavily to cover his beard.

Phillips started as a female impersonator when he auditioned off-Broadway in 1982 for a normal role. He said Boy George was popular at that time, and "so they thought 'Oh, well, he sounds like a girl, why don't we dress him up like one?'"

It took Phillips a year to deal with the idea of performing as a woman, he said, but finally he accepted the role and opened at the Helmsley Palace.

Phillips said his wife helped him "with the little things" of acting like a woman.

"A lot of me is her," he said. "[Often] I'm actually doing my wife.

It took Phillips a year to deal with the idea of performing as a woman, he said, but finally he accepted the role and opened at the Helmsley Palace.

Phillips said his wife helped him "with the little things" of acting like a woman.

"A lot of me is her," he said. "[Often] I'm actually doing my wife.