Varla Jean Merman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jeffery Roberson |
| Occupations |
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| Website | varlajean |
Varla Jean Merman is thedrag persona of American drag performer, actor and singerJeffery Roberson. Varla's fictitious pedigree boasts thatErnest Borgnine is her father andEthel Merman is her mother.[1]
Merman is perhaps best known for her role in the 2003 independent filmGirls Will Be Girls.[2] She also had a co-starring role in the 1997 filmFranchesca Page. Merman was also one of the performers featured in the HBO original documentaryDragtime. She has appeared in a number of short films and live cabaret acts since she and her male alter-ego attended the School of Music at Louisiana State University.
Merman's shows are a staple of summer entertainment inProvincetown, Massachusetts.[3] She also performs fairly often inNew Orleans,New York City,San Francisco, andLondon and has also enjoyed billing at theSydney Opera House inAustralia andCarnegie Hall.[4]
The gay-themed television networkLogo commissioned Merman to write and star in an animated educational short film about theStonewall riots of 1969.[5]
Merman appeared on the August 20, 2008Project Runway episode "Good Queen Fun".[3] The outfit created for her was the winning design.
She also had two short runs on thesoap operaAll My Children as the character "Rosemary Chicken".[6]
Roberson has almost always been credited as either "Varla Merman" or "Varla Jean Merman" rather than his birth name, though in the role of Mary Sunshine in theBroadway revival ofChicago, he was credited as the gender-neutral "J. Roberson," in keeping with the show's tradition of concealing the performer's gender.
Merman appeared along withLeslie Jordan in the 2011Off-Broadway musicalLucky Guy.[7][8]
Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads, a film based on Roberson and Jacques Lamarre's fake kids' show that's been performed in New Orleans, San Francisco and Provincetown, Mass., is slated for a fall 2011 release. In it, an alcoholic Varla tricks a couple into paying for her services as a surrogate mother to raise money to produce a children's TV show.[9]
Merman's 2012 schedule included the role of Madam Flora in an Off-Broadway production of theGian Carlo Menotti operaThe Medium.[10]
In 2013, Merman played the title role inthe Gold Dust Orphans productionMildred Fierce.[11]
Along with co-starsMiss Coco Peru andEvie Harris, Merman shared the Best Actor Grand Jury Award atOutfest 2003 and "Best Actress" honors at both the 2003U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and the 2003 Aspen HBO Film Festival for her role inGirls Will Be Girls.[6]