Carisa Hendrix brings the magic of Lucy Darling to the Winspear on April 5.
(Photo by James Murphy)

RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com

Lucy Darling is the self-described grande dame of magic and comedy — if not the only comedian/magician out there. And behind the classic glitz and glam of Lucy is Carisa Hendrix (she/they), who is on tour serving up her distinct brand of entertainment.

The tour is a testament to Lucy Darling’s growing popularity, which has found a large queer following as well. And for the nonbinary, queer-identifying Hendrix, things couldn’t be better right now.

But, oh, she is so busy!

“Honestly, I feel like I’m playing catch-up. This tour has been amazing, with sold out shows in big seater venues,” she said. “I never imagined a tour of this scale, But this is where we’re at.”

Hendrix is bringing Lucy Darling: Simply Darling to the Winspear Opera House on Easter Sunday, April 5.

The saga of Lucy Darling began in Calgary where Hendrix, 38, was working onstage as a magician. In the process of entertaining audiences with her magic, Hendrix created characters for each of her bits. And in doing so, she found a comfort that helped her onstage presence.

“Lucy is my 22nd character,” Hendrix explained. “I fell in love being these other people, and it taught me a lot. There’s this deeply fantastical energy to be whoever, and I’ve learned that people enjoy sitting in the fantasy of that.

“I miss my old characters so much because they taught me how to move onstage serving the work.”

But in 2017, Lucy Darling became her primary focus. Magic and comedy were fully married within Lucy.

Steeped in classic Hollywood, Hendrix based Lucy Darling on those grand dame actors and characters of the silver screen. Always dressed to high glitz and offering up witty repartee, her alter ego allows her to fully express Hendrix’s love of classic cinema.

Plus, it’s her drag. Lucy Darling is the queer intersection of Hendrix’s own identity and her work. But also, she came from a very comfortable queer environment back in Canada.

“The queer community in Calgary has been a cornerstone for me in creating Lucy. I got so much help from the drag queens there, and they were so brutal in their honesty, and I loved it.

I was grateful for it,” she said.

Hendrix performed in queer clubs around Calgary, hence her sisterhood with area queens. In that sisterhood she found a support system.

“There was this tendency to be overly positive and hype each other up. It was almost essential to be supportive,” she said.

Hendrix said she was probably 7 years-old when she realized she was gay. All of her friend group from that time grew up to come out as transgender. None of them knew then what was to come, but still there was an inherent tendency to gravitate toward each other as children.

“We did not recognize what we were, but we recognized something in each other. It was effortless for me to find my tribe as a kid,” she said.

And Hendrix herself grew up to create a queer character which is now selling out shows across the country.

“I love that Lucy’s queer but that it’s not about taking ourselves too seriously,” she said.

“Everyone’s there for the comedy, and there are tons of straight people. I love that we’ re all in this room together having a good time.”

Magic, comedy, drag, alter ego — so, what does Hendrix want to be remembered for?
“It doesn’t really matter. The thing I craved, I have now. I didn’t dream of being a celebrity; legacy isn’t something that ever occurred to me. Fame is just a job, and, right now, I’m doing what I love.”

For tickets, visit ATTPAC.org

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