Interview: The Multi-Talented Sis Discusses Her Brand-New Variety Show, Upcoming 54 Below Concert & More!

Broadway and TV actress and activist Sis a multi-talented performer whose star has only been growing brighter and brighter. Sis recently finished a year on the road starring as Ado Annie in the national tour of Oklahoma!, appeared in the latest season of American Horror Story 'AHS:NYC' as Dunaway, will present a holiday concert Sismas: A Holiday Spectacular at 54 Below, and currently has her own variety show, Living For Sis on Broadstream!

In Living For Sis, you can get to know Sis through interviews, conversations, sketches, and musical performances!

BroadwayWorld spoke with Sis about her brand-new variety show, her experience in Oklahoma!, representation on TV, what people can expect from her 54 Below show, and much more!

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You currently have a brand-new variety show LIVING FOR SIS on Broadstream. How does it feel to have your own show?

It feels really surreal. It's one of those things that you always dream about, and imagine, and envision, and then when it's real you're like, "Oh my god, that's crazy!" It just validates a lot of the dreams that I set for myself. It's a really exciting and special thing.

How does it feel to be paving a path forward as far as representation goes?

For the representation part of it all I think that it's special to be in a time where the existence of people who are different, and folks with marginalized identities, are finally getting a chance at bat. Even though optic-wise it might seem like it's coming easy, it's not, it's very much a fight, and very difficult, and something that needs to be noted. People like, for example, Laverne Cox, having her own show on E! Network, and Ts Madison having her own show on WE, that took a lot of gumption, and a lot of fight, and a lot of having to be the only person believing in yourself to get to a certain place.

I never want to conflate any experience to just one thing because for a lot of folks, including myself, and speaking for myself, my existence as a plus-size, black trans woman from the south, who came from little to nothing, and made my way all the way to New York, all the way to LA, and have a name now and made my way, there are so many things that have to do with that for me to get here. And I think people look at it a lot of the time as, "Oh my god, you're a black trans woman who made it." But there's also a lot of other stuff that comes right behind that, in addition to my transness, and my queerness, and why right now, and what that has to do with, especially, my advocacy work.

A couple years back people would say, "You cant expect to have a career in this and want to have a voice. You can't speak out about things and then expect someone to give you a TV show," but it's all about the work. When something is for you, it's always going to be for you. I think that's a special part of the representation, I've made it because of the hard work, and because I believed in myself, not because of any other merit. And representation-wise, I want people to know that you're not going to get successful because you're black and trans, or you're not not going to get successful because you're black and trans or because of your nuanced marginalized identity. You're going to get success because of who you are and how hard you work. And when it comes to certain people, certain people do get some things because they are who they are. But it just really tells me that I'm in good company because I've worked hard enough, and there's something about me that people want to see. So, that's special.

For anyone who hasn't seen LIVING FOR SIS, what can they expect from the show?

I think Living for Sis is good and cute, you get perspective on who I am and all of the layers of my identities, and you get a quick version and recap of it to catch you up, if you hadn't heard about me, or didn't know about me, and you wanted to know just a little bit more, and you wanted to go in on who is Sis? What does she do? What is she all about? I think it's special for that reason. It's Sis 101. You get to fast-fact understand exactly who I am.

You recently starred as Ado Annie in the national tour of Oklahoma!. Can you tell me what that experience was like for you?

It was a lot of learning! It was my first time out of the gate in that way, my first big professional national tour, so there is a lot of eyes, and having come from this space of advocacy work and activism, then going into the very thing you are advocating for, it's hard. My experience as Ado Annie was very special, but it was also very nuanced. When you are the first- I was the first openly black trans woman to lead a national tour - and when you're the first in that space, it's not easy. It's not easy for the public and it's not easy on stage, in front of stage, or backstage. And so, it taught me a lot, and I learned a lot about this industry, and who I want to be in this industry. I'm just proud that I did it, and I made it through that year. For someone that is trained in musical theatre, and is a professionally trained actress, to get to have the opportunity to do that, it was really special to take this role that a lot of people know and love and transcend it just because I am who I am.

Can you tell me about your upcoming 54 Below show?

I am doing a 54 Below show on December 23 at 9:30pm called Sismas with Seth Rudetsky, it's going to be a big Christmas spectacular. I'm really excited for the concert, we will be livestreaming it for the folks that can't make it to the city. Really excited for Sismas!

What can people expect to hear?

People can expect to hear some fun versions of classic Christmas songs, and a fun throughline of my experience with the holidays, and what's so special about it. And for the first time there is going to be some original music that I have collaborated on with some folks.

Do you have anything else you'd like to share?

Tune in to the show, follow me at @ucancallmesis, and stay tuned for what's to come! A lot of my existence has to do with the craft and the art of musical theatre, so Living For Sis is really theatre-themed, and a lot of my guests are Broadway stars, so I think it'll be really good for theatre folks to get an idea of me, and my own space, and my own world.