BY MICHAEL MUSTO | One of the NYC performance scene’s most original inhabitants, Daphne Always—by her own definition—”blends music, standup, burlesque and drag” for a stage persona that is both subversive and charming. Born on Long Island and raised in New Jersey, she came to NYC in 2011 and started performing in drag as Daphne Sumtimez. Six years later, she started transitioning and changed her name to Daphne Always.
By now, Daphne’s artful antics are prevalent at clubs like The Slipper Room and Club Cumming, the latter boîte being where she’s hosted a loosey goosey open mic night every Tuesday for over a year (505 East Sixth Street; 9pm to 1am, no cover). Bathtub Gin and House of Yes are two other venues she performs at. I decided to check in on Daphne, because what she has to say is interesting—always.
Hi, Daphne. Are you based in Brooklyn?
Yes. My grandparents were from Bushwick.
Where do you fit in the NYC performance scene? Or does that even matter?
I try to be pretty genre-defying. I like always being between things. I’d say between drag, burlesque, theater, and—recently—film acting. I’ve been doing shorts with my friend, Amanda Mustard. And that’s a real name, that’s not a drag queen. She just a had a documentary on HBO about trauma (Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing a Family’s Secrets). We’re pivoting from that and she’s interested in making queer joy films. We did a short called Seconds, which has played festivals in Tokyo, Rome, and Toronto.
Speaking of queer joy, are you tired of the often morose mood of the community?
Less than tired from it, I feel it’s not helpful to participate in any more despair than I have to. Whether or not I’m miserable today is not gonna change anything, and in fact if I’m happier, I’m going to do more things to help. I’ll do more things that make me feel like life is worth living.
Have you ever been suicidal?
Absolutely. I was medicated. I have bipolar.
Is it one day at a time?
I’d even say one second at a time—trying to ride the mechanical bull of consciousness.
You have hinted that when you transitioned to Daphne Always, it might not have been as heavy and meaningful as some people made it out to be. True?
Yeah. I think 10 years ago, there was this cultural moment of “How brave and sincere to be trans!”—and with me, to change my name from Daphne Sumtimez to Daphne Always, it’s kind of a joke. “It’s not ‘sumtimez’ anymore!” People thought it was such a sincere and authentic moment, which I guess it was, but I try not to be saccharine.
Well, you inspire us anyway, even if you’re not trying.
Thank you.
I love your satirical song, Holding Out for a He/They, and also your sweet cover of The Velvet Underground’s I’ll Be Your Mirror. Do you generally perform a mixture of original material and cover songs?
Yes. If there’s an original song that occurs to me, I jump on a piano and start writing it. I keep a roster of songs and keep it fresh and rotate through them, so neither me nor my audience gets bored. I have categories—”These are songs that make me feel I’m going crazy”; “These are fun pop songs that I like…” Not just that they’re watching me jerk my dick for two hours, but this show is supposed to be a gift for them.
So you basically have these folders in your mind that you can draw from?
In my mind and in many, many Google Docs. I’m sort of anal retentive about things. I have Google Docs about everything I’ve worn going back several years. I’m a Virgo Moon.
Virgo rising?
Gemini rising. Virgo Moon. And all of this matters.
I agree. Hey, we have to believe in something.
I get frustrated by nihilism—Congrats, you found the truth, except nothing you believe matters, so what do you believe matters? It feels lazy.
Are you more a provocateur or a humorist?
I more just want people to laugh and feel a glimmer of hope and artfulness. More so than I really want people to think, it’s that I want people to remember that it can be fun to be alive and feel feelings. I consider myself a celebrant.
Rather than an irritant?
[Laughs] I hope not to be, but I guess I’m fine if I am. I’ve made my peace with the fact that I can be irritating. If people are irritated by me…Well, I live with her. Trust me. I get it!
When you’re imparting messages to your audience, do you sometimes feel like you’re really talking to yourself?
Absolutely. I have a sense that all of our experiences are more similar. We’re all ultimately human people trying to get through this life.
Do you feel loved?
Absolutely. My life is so full of love from so many directions. I just did a little Euro tour—Paris, London, and Iceland. Doing shows in other countries and languages and still feeling that sense of connection affirms something for me. There’s something here and it’s real. It’s not just playing off a specific queer New York cultural moment.
You’re more of a timeless Judy Garland.
Damn. I’ll take it.
In Iceland, did you go in the “hot springs” (geothermal lagoons where, no matter how frigid it is outside, people can disrobe and luxuriate in the gorgeously warm waters)?
Every city we went to. Hot pools. People go every day. You do the hot plunge, the cold plunge…
Aside from the springs, I have to admit that I found Reykjavik a bit alienating. On Saturday nights, scores of people stand in the snow and throw empty beer bottles in the air.
My plan is that next fall, I’m hoping to be enrolled in the University of Iceland to start with a degree in Icelandic as a second language and then move on to a Master’s in performance art. I’m lucky I have some striking community connections there. Every Saturday, I’ll throw beer. I’ll say, “It was Michael Musto’s idea.” [laughs]
Great! In the meantime, will you bring some Icelandic joy to Club Cumming?
Actually, yes. The undisputed first lady of Iceland burlesque, Miss Mokki, is performing tomorrow night!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sure enough, I went to Club Cumming to see Miss Mokki’s guest appearance the next night, and when I walked in, the Icelandic diva had the hot bartender blindfolded onstage as she instructed the audience to make a variety of alarming sounds. I think it had something to do with a water balloon! Then Daphne came onstage and asked Mokki what she would tell the young version of herself. “Keep doing what you’re doing,” she replied, as Daphne seemed to light up in agreement. “I had my heart broken not long ago, but it was the same week that I won the lottery. So keep buying lottery tickets!”
MICHAEL MUSTO | Musto is a columnist, pop cultural and political pundit, NYC nightlife chronicler, author, and the go-to gossip responsible for the long-running (1984-2013) Village Voice column, “La Dolce Musto.” His work appears on ChelseaCommunityNews.comas well as thedailybeast.com, and he is writing for the Village Voice(which debuted in April of 2021) and RAG Magazine (which debuted in October of 2025). Follow Musto on Instagram, via @michaelmusto.
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