Miss Gay Missouri Pageant
Foxx Tales Newsletter
AUGUST 2009
Foxx Tales August 2009 Welcome to the first edition of my monthly newsletter “Foxx Tales”. I hope everyone has recovered from the Miss Gay Missouri 2009 contest and are looking towards another fantastic pageant season. Being chosen as your “symbol of excellence” for the next year has been one of the proudest moments in my life. I am truly thankful to all those who gave their time, energy and financial support to my quest for the crown. It was a thrilling 4 days and it was so nice to meet you all, some for the very first time. Kudos to each of you for really “bringing it”. Our contest is one of the most prestigious in the Miss Gay America Pageant system and each of you should be proud to have been selected to participate. Being a 3 day contest it proved to be a mini Miss Gay America with 25 contestants. Ours is so far the largest pageant in the system and has always proven to be one of the most popular. For years, the winner and 1st alternate of Miss Gay Missouri were the “talk of the pageant” at the national contest, as they normally were some of the most prepared and professional contestants. Our history has shown that. Our state has produced some of the most glamorous and respected female impersonators and you are each destined to help foster and continue that history. I am so excited to see that our contestant base continues to rise each year with the aid of an increase in our preliminary system. As I write we are waiting for the promoters to start their bids for the next season of preliminaries and I hope you are thinking now of which ones you’ll be competing for. Although announcements have not been made for all (except Miss Gay Springfield September 6 and Miss St. Louis Newcomer November 15) I would encourage each of you to start getting yourselves ready. It can be a challenge to put together a winning pageant package but starting early can prove beneficial as there are so many things to consider. Be sure you check out the websites www.mgmpageant.com and www.missgayamerica.com for information about each of the competition categories. I would like to take a little time to give my views on what really makes a fine illusionist. Each of us has chosen this as a field of entertainment and we should treat it as a profession and be proud of the persona we have selected to present to our audiences. When you selected your name what were thinking about? Who is “Susie So-n-so” (not a bad name). Because you are the writer of your own show you have the capability of defining your stage persona and how “she” will be viewed. In my case, Erica is always a lady of grace and class. She is divorced and has had very wealthy husbands, (and no, she didn’t kill them off). But she did get some great alimony. She doesn’t sweat on stage and will never be seen without her signature 60 carat diamond ring. She has an expensive wardrobe and a shoe collection to rival Imelda Marcos. Some of the best advice I was ever given was by my old roommate Dominique Sanchez. She said, “Tippy ( the nickname she gave me) it doesn’t matter how much you spend, just look expensive.” Remember that you are directing your own show each time you grace the stage and have complete control over the emotions that your audience will feel. By identifying the feelings in the song, you should be sure that your own choreography and facial emotions are mirroring the song. Because a song is telling a story, is it happy or sad? Are you showing these emotions? They say the “eyes are a portal to the soul” and you can use your eyes to help convey the meaning of the song. Don’t be afraid to raise your eyebrows even though they may be painted on. Nothing is more boring than to watch a performer who shows no emotion in their face and all they do is move their mouth. Remember the art of illusion requires acting. So listen closely to the words and go out there and act the song. No matter if you are dancing the house down, you should still sell the emotion of the song with your face. One of my goals this year is pass on my knowledge and help the world of impersonation in Missouri to become the finest in the country. Our profession has seen its highs and lows and I want each of you to feel that you have the power to mold the future of impersonation. Take charge of careers. Be sure that each performance is your best. Take pride in learning the lyrics, choreographing yourself, and dressing the song. After performing for 25 years I am still learning. So never think you know everything. Because we all have untapped potential and that is very exciting to think about. Till next month keep the EXCELLENCE flowing!!! Love and Peace Always Erica Foxx Miss Gay Missouri 2009 ericafoxxinc@yahoo.com 314-807-7707
