DATE: Monday, November 3, 1997              TAG: 9711020022

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  126 lines

MARILYN AND MORE

BY DAY, she is Brandi.

By night, she is Marilyn Monroe.

It's an illusion.

``Girls like me attract all sorts of men,'' Brandi purred as she sat at a table in the lounge above the newly opened La Cage Aux Folles Cabaret in downtown Norfolk. ``Who knows why they come here? Maybe men go home and make love to their wives, pretending they're married to Marilyn Monroe. But women like the show too.

``But once they come in here, they're in my territory. If they come here, I can show 'em. I deal in illusion.''

Brandi is a female impersonator - not, technically, a real female - but she doesn't live a double life. She, in her mind, and to the outward eye of even the most careful observer, is a woman. As Peggy Lee would spell it: W-O-M-A-N. Brandi doesn't encourage anyone to forget it.

``I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by what I do,'' she said, emphatically. ``There are a lot of female impersonators, but very few that are good. I'm one of the elite. I don't say that in any nasty or egotistical way. It's just the truth. You HAVE to have a lot of confidence to get out there. In the first place, I'm a guy in full woman's attire and I'm coming down those steps. You've got to be prepared mentally. If you have it prepared up there, you can pull it off.''

She's also prepared physically, via hip and butt surgical operations, silicon injections, hormone treatments and electrolysis.

Her measurements are 36-26-36, and it is, according to her, all real - no padding. She wears a size 6 dress and size 8 shoes.

Behind the person who will identify herself only as Brandi is a story that combines bravery, independence, glitz and maybe just a touch of sadness.

At 30, she's made her living as a female impersonator for 10 years. She claims it is quite a nice living.

``I have a fabulous home, three TV sets and go on vacation every year,'' she said. ``My husband, boyfriend or whatever and I have been together for five years. I wanted someone who is just as adventurous as me. He's in security and makes a good living too.''

Born in Dade County, Fla., she grew up, from age 7, in Newport News. ``My family was of average wealth. I'd say middle-class,'' she said. ``One brother and one sister. Growing up, I led a very sheltered life. Dinner was at six, prompt, and then I did homework. It was expected.''

``But,'' she quickly added, ``I always wanted to be a girl. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a boy but I wanted to see a girl.''

Her high school classmates never suspected. She was on the boys wrestling team. ``I didn't get much flack, because I hid it successfully,'' she said. ``I didn't know until later that I was hiding myself.''

At home, her secret idol was Stefanie Powers of the ``Hart to Hart'' TV show.

``Stefanie Powers was who started it with me,'' Brandi said. ``I got this wig that looked like her and I put it on. I thought I looked so cute. It was a revelation to me.''

She went to Old Dominion University for one year, planning to go into dental hygiene but left at the end of the year. ``I was tired of it. I wanted to have some fun,'' she said. ``I fooled around with the female impersonation thing for a good while and suddenly I realized I could make some money with this.''

Her family accepted her choice. ``They have my photographs from my shows on their mantel,'' she said. ``When they realized the happiness this choice gave me, they backed me. I'm sure they would rather I be a boy. It's only normal that they would want that, but when they saw what happiness it brought me, they knew that their son had not been happy, and, maybe, could be now.

When I quit college, they were worried about what was going to become of me, but then I brought home this little red sports car I had bought with money I made from shows. I've always put taking care of ME ahead of everything else. Well, a girl has to. For that matter, so does a boy.''

She went through five years of physical alterations to become the woman she wanted to be.

``It was scary. Yes it was, but it was only moderately painful,'' she said. ``I searched everywhere for the right doctor. My breasts had to be right. I mean, I couldn't have anything shoddy. I found Dr. Michele Malden in St. Louis. I went through butt and hip surgery. Hormone treatments helped to soften the biceps in my arms. My face was done in one session. I had silicone injections in my cheeks and chin. The rest took years of building, building, with hormone treatment changing the male testosterone to female hormones. I was never into drugs or alcohol, but I cut out alcohol totally when I found it canceled the hormone therapy. Me being a beautiful girl is much more important than shaving or drinking.''

Did anyone, particularly the doctor, try to dissuade her from going through with the opera-tions?

``Only my flat-chested girl friends,'' she retorted. ``I didn't listen to them for a second.''

She wears women's clothes at all times. At home. At the grocery store - everywhere.

She won several local drag pageants, but claims, ``People were always critical of me. They'd say, `You don't look at all like Marilyn' or something like that. They miss the point. I'd tell them, `The Marilyn you know is how she was presented to you. This is MY version.' Actually, makeup can make you look like anyone. The art of makeup is awesome, but learning to move is another thing.''

She fingered the ``diamonds'' she had just paraded in her ``Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend'' number downstairs. ``They're just crystal,'' she said, softly ``but they LOOK like diamonds. Don't they?''

Her strapless black evening gown was made by her own seamstress, Klara Varga, a native of Hungary who lives in Virginia Beach.

``She's amazing,'' Brandi said. ``I can show her a picture, and she can make a dress from it. I spend a lot of money on clothes for the shows.''

Her other acts include Ann-Margret, Charo and Dolly Levi.

``It's a job, just like any other job,'' she said. ``I work from about 6 in the afternoon until 2 a.m. It takes about an hour to get all the makeup, clothes and wig on. The quick changes are a real push.''

She has done the ``Diamonds'' song so many times that ``I could sing it backward,'' yet she's not tempted to try singing on stage - just lip-synching.

``Lip-synching is strain enough for the voice,'' she said. ``Vocally, you have to simulate the same sounds. The illusion can't be maintained just by moving your lips - not at all. But my own singing voice sounds like a guy trying to sing. It wouldn't work at all. I need Marilyn's voice to complete the illusion.''

Brandi, getting in the mood to go downstairs and again become Marilyn Monroe for the La Cage audience, had a parting note. ``Just remember,'' she said as she left, ``I don't live in a fairy tale. I'm an honest, straightforward person.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]

L. TODD SPENCER

Brandi and Echo...

Brandi...

L. TODD SPENCER

Craig Haythe gives Brandi a kiss of encouragement before she goes on

stage to do her Marilyn Monroe act at La Cage Aux Folles Cabaret.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu