Chris Harder

Nasty Drew and That Harder Boy:
The Mystery of the Family Jewels

Chris Harder, one of the sexist and most popular dancers ever to hit New York nightlife, has created and produced a very new and unique burlesque/boylesque play called “Nasty Drew and That Harder Boy: The Mystery of the Family Jewels.” It includes burlesque, boylesque and drag performances and is loosely based upon “Nancy Drew” and the “Hardy Boys.” It will be presented at The Laurie Beechman Theatre beginning April 1.

Harder is no stranger to a stage. I’ve personally watched him perform many times and have observed the audience’s—both men and women—overwhelming response as he rocked the house, each and every time.

Get Out! has once again had the privilege of speaking with Harder, this time about his new endeavor. As usual, he was warm, candid, sincere and very excited.

What have you been up to since we last spoke?
The big thing then I’m working on right now is the play, “Nasty Drew and That Harder Boy: The Mystery of the Family Jewels.” It’s a play that I wrote with drag performances, burlesque and boylesque performances. So the show is based on the “Nancy Drew” and “Hardy Boys” series, being a queer parody on those books. I incorporate my boylesque performance, and also female burlesque, and fabulous drag queens, into the show. I did a preview of it in January, and it got picked up by the Laurie Beechman Theatre. We open April 1. So that’s my big stripping baby right now.

You wrote this by yourself?
I started it in October, and I’ve done some rewrites since our last production. Everyone is familiar with the “Nancy Drew” and “Hardy Boys” series; for example, Nancy Drew supposedly has this overtly lesbian cousin. So I have this really butch lesbian that’s played by a man, which is not to say that I’m making fun of lesbians, because I’m not. This show is not a gay show; it’s very much a queer show. There are all kinds of performers. There are all kinds of audiences. There are all kinds of genders. That was really important to me when I was making this work, to have this really eclectic ensemble production.

Is anyone I know going to be in it?
I don’t know if you know FiFi Dubois and Honey Davenport?

Absolutely, and love them both.
They are the two main drag queens. I have actually double casted the show because of the different work schedules that the performers have. I’m really excited to be working with all of the performers. When you produce a nightlife show, it’s hard to find people that are really talented and give them extra work, like memorizing lines and rehearsals, rather than just show up and do the normal stuff. I am very honored to be working with them. They are a bunch of big, queer wackos. They’re great!

What character do you play?
I play That Harder Boy. I am a very gullible, overtly gay character who doesn’t realize it, who is forced to team up with Nasty Drew. She’s played by this really great burlesque performer named Nasty Canasta. Together we have to solve the mystery of the family jewels.

That must’ve taken a lot of hard work.
It has. It’s been really great for me. I started the project with a kind of challenge to myself before I turned 30, which I did this month. The goal was to really push myself to create a bigger show. I kind of set the challenge for myself for a more clear career path. It all sounds very crunchy granola, but it has help me do that. I’m really very happy also to be working with Spin Cycle. They do a lot of the RuPaul girls. It’s a great opportunity.

Without giving too much away, what do you think the funniest part of the show is?
That’s a great question. There are a lot of inside jokes built into the show. Everyone is in very traditional costumes, but they fit tighter or are cut more revealingly. So I have these short shorts, and they keep getting shorter. When we find the first clue we find all the sex toys that the drag queen keeps saying are family heirlooms. I also have great sponsors for the show. They are all companies that I have had something to do with in New York, for example Hype Gym, The Bureau, Leathernecks Tattoo, Shag Brooklyn and The New York School of Burlesque. These are people that have been a part of my life since I’ve been in New York.

What else are you doing?
I still have my usual gigs. I do a lot of burlesque in the city. I’m always working on a costume, fixing a costume, working out. I have a very blessed life that definitely keeps me busy. So that’s what I’ve got going on.