Brittany Against the Music

by A.D. Amorosi

This drag goddess doesn't just look good or make sassy comments from afar. Whether fronting her Drag Mafia at Shampoo or doing solo standup, Lynn works a room. Since she released her coloring/board game book, Brittany Lynn's Summer Fun Activity Special in 1998, her comedy troupe has packed Shampoo. Moving from the white room ("where they hid me like Anne Frank") to the dancefloor, Lynn keeps it as far from the usual drag as possible. "I perform comedy skits and standup while having the other girls give the kids the high energy diva anthems they require at any dance club." So she forsook the lip-synch route for standup shows at Studio Six in A.C., and won Atlantic City Magazine's "Queen of Casinoville" title. The new Brittany Lynn: American Idol will follow in the footsteps of Desperately Seeking Brittany with a classroom setting tackling everything from religion to gay shopping to gay fine dining. Beyond the jokes, there's something more for Lynn. "I don't hold back — but I'll say it in a way that puts comedy in front of offense. I rant about why it sucks to go through life being gay, or how fucked up it is to being raised Jewish," she says. "If I go too far and hear a groan or a gasp, I know I've done my job well and that I've touched someone in a way I could never do out of drag. It's the best feeling to know I created something that makes gay kids laugh and forget how much being gay can sometimes suck ass."

Brittany Lynn and her Drag Mafia, Fri., Sept. 3, 11 p.m., free before showtime, Shampoo, Seventh and Willow sts., 215-922-7500. Brittany Lynn: American Idol, Sun., Sept. 5, 10:30 p.m., $5, Rainbow Mountain Resort, 210 Mount Nebo Rd., East Stroudsburg, 570-223-8484.