Fighting for a spot on The Second City Mainstage roster is remarkably strenuous. Yet, for so many improvisers in Chicago, it's the ultimate goal: work hard, climb the ranks and eventually be selected to join the newest revue.
But for Victoria Elena Nones? She went ahead and created her own show to headline. "I've never been one to wait around for someone to tell me that I 'can' or I'm 'good enough,'" said Nones, the creator of "I am Victoria Fierce," debuting Sunday at MCL Chicago with musical accompaniment by David Yontz. "Life is too short and, I hate to break it to you, but we are all going to the same place. I like to create my own opportunities."
Only 7 percent of directors, 13 percent of writers and 20 percent of producers in the entertainment industry are female, according to the Geena Davis Institute of Gender in Media. Those are statistics that Nones, who is 29 and lives in Old Town, said she is thrilled to help change. Her post-Valentine's Day show mixes together rap beats, pop tracks, comical rhyme schemes, a keytar and Nones' powerful singing voice to create original songs in a musical "comedy special" format.
"You can ask my mom, I lived real life as a musical for most of my childhood," said Nones, who grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and, over the years, performed in everything from a Patsy Cline musical to burlesque shows with a troupe she started called Backdoor Burlesque.
Nones just finished a year with The Second City's Musical Improv House Ensemble after previously training with both iO Chicago and The Second City's Music Improv Conservatory. The multifaceted performer has performed at the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, Music Comedy Live and the Chicago Women's Funny Festival. Yet even after finishing conservatory programs, jobs are nowhere close to guaranteed. It's the indie-style shows and venues that continue to keep Chicago atop the market.
"This city is saturated with immense talent," Nones said. "Huge talent. So many people are more than deserving of making a fortune with their amazing talents and I truly feel Chicago has the best of the best. But too many talents go to waste because they are waiting for someone else to take a percentage of their hard work. I think it's important to highlight the up-and-comers because their work is just as amazing as those who have 'made it.' We should all go back to the old model of pounding the pavement instead of relying on someone to come in and 'make it happen' for us."
Nones said all the best venues in the city have one key thing in common: Somebody decided to tear away from the path and create their own trail.
'I am ... Victoria Fierce'
Go: 7:30 p.m. Sunday at MCL Chicago (3110 N. Sheffield Ave. 773-610-5930)
Tickets: Free with RSVP at mclchicago.com (limit 2 tickets per person)
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"I am Victoria Fierce" is Sunday. It sounds intense. What can we expect?
Expect to feel welcomed and embraced. The musical improv community is inclusive and lovely. [People] will hopefully feel inspired to go out and write their own show, do their own thing, tell their story. I think they will feel entertained and hopefully have a chance to identify with some of my life experiences. I hope that they will leave feeling like they got to enjoy themselves and step away from their real world for a bit.
Love and relationships are such a staple in the performance world. Why is that?
I think it's like Shakespeare. It's about "the human condition." Everyone can relate to love and to relationships. No matter what socioeconomic background you come from, the color of your skin, your sexual orientation. Love is universal. And we can all relate to, and laugh at, the flaws and flattery of love.
What motivated you to put this type of a show together?
Beyonce, years of writing material here in Chicago and not wanting to wait for permission. As Roseanne Barr says, "The thing women have yet to learn is that nobody gives you power, you just take it." Creating this show is the beginning of taking a new risk. I'm gonna pack up and self-produce my way across the country. I'm excited for the obstacles, rewards, learning opportunities, disappointments and successes that will come along the way.
You fuse a lot of different music into this show, don't you?
In entertainment these days, I believe it's crucial to have variety. I'm a big fan of pop music and playing with genre, which is why I think having a few different musical stylings in the mix is imperative. I also think that genre adds an instant feel and element of parody that is effective in comedy.
But why this type of show?
Self-producing, getting my material out there, singing and Beyonce, honestly. I think we all have a secret inner pop diva that likes to come out either in our cars, in the shower, at a concert or in our heads. I'm just going to live mine out a little on stage through various songs and styles. I also think that it's important to remind and inspire other women of various shapes, sizes, backgrounds and experiences to share their stories.
I have a hunch you have been inspired by and adore Beyonce.
Yes! Sparkles, fierceness, independence and business. Beyonce is a business woman above anything else. Beyond the killer vocals, her humility, her branding and her onesies, I admire and respect her the most for her work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. She brings it.
Talk about this idea of "being funny" in music. Does it set you apart?
There is something about musical comedy that elevates the expression of comedy. A great teacher, Michael Gellman, once told me, "Comedy is complaining with charm." I think I'm just being truthful about my experiences and my thoughts about the world, and I feel that musical comedy is the way I want to express those thoughts, feelings, experiences and convictions. Life throws a lot of painful things our way, and being able to laugh about those experiences is key. It's what separates the optimists from the pessimists. I'm a singer first, feminist second, comedian last. The comedy just comes from me complaining ... with charm.
Speed round: What are your five biggest goals?
I want to tour my material nationwide, guest star on "Saturday Night Live," create a 30-minute HBO special, star in my own Comedy Central sketch show that will last two years and then disappear off the face of the planet like most of them do and I want to live in a beachfront property with two great Danes--one named Beyonce and the other named Joan Rivers-where I can write from home and oversee a production company that advances women in writing, comedy and producing their own work.
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Who is "Victoria Fierce"?
Full name: Victoria Elena Nones ("It's a Venezuelan thing.")
Age: 29
Hometown: Salt Lake City
Favorite musicians: Jewel, Tori Amos and Beyonce
Favorite actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
What keeps you going: "The struggle."
Favorite preshow meal: Pita chips and hummus
Favorite show you've ever seen on a stage: Beyonce's World Tour in December 2013
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sely@redeyechicago.com | @theseanwow