'I absolutely adore posing for artists, either for 1-on-1 sessions or for group sessions. I love to see the work these guys create, it gives me yet another outlet to express myself through nudity.'
Although the model is the visual focus, in classic art, they were traditionally thought of as the instrument of expression for the artist. Today, having the ability to not only take just a selfie, but to capture original, creative and artistically erotic imagery, many models take on the role of creative director, deciding exactly how they want their images to be created and produced.
I was first introduced to boombazookaboy through an image, an Instagram shot that appeared on my feed that someone else had tagged. There was something about the shot that went beyond just enjoying boombazookaboy's adorable face and smile and incredibly hot body. I could see and feel that his images were more than just quickly taken nude selfies, their purpose was more than just body shots to tease and tantalize the viewer, (although they certainly do that!) they were expressions of sexual confidence and pride from the model in front of, and the artist who created the image.
I quickly discovered that boombazookaboy was actually actor and singer Joey, and the Instagram handle was part of his desire to create a space where body positivity is encouraged, while wearing any sort ofclothing is highly discouraged. Focused on theatre and dance since high school, Joey went to make musical theatre his primary focus, receiving a B.M in Vocal Performance. Joey has appeared on stage in numerous musical and theatre productions including roles in; Titanic, The Wedding Singer, The Fantasticks, Shrek, The Producers and Hello Dolly.
Demonstrating he puts his money where his mouth is, Joey has found the perfect way to combine his love of Musical Theatre with his passion for expressing himself through nudity. Joey is currently performing Off Broadway as part of the cast of Naked Boys Singing at the Kirk Theatre in NYC. For someone who loves being naked, it would seem having a job sans clothing would be a dream! I took the opportunity to throw a few questions Joey's way about his role in NBS as well as a few other topics, all things naked of course!
Was it difficult to decide join Naked Boys Singing, and what factors did you weigh before you could decided you'd put it all out there night after night?
Honestly, the biggest factor in deciding whether or not to join Naked Boys Singing was deciding if I was ready to take my equity card (and join the Actor's Union.) The nudity was a non-issue. In fact, it was one of the things that attracted me to the show!
I imagine there are some funny stories backstage or with audience reactions to the show, any you can share?
Our audiences are mostly bachelorette parties, tourists, and gay men, but every once in a while we get a different type of audience member. One time a married man was caught by our usher fingering his wife in their seats during the show. Another time, a woman brought her two year old daughter to the show. She laughed and clapped for the first 15 minutes, and slept through the rest.
You had the opportunity to perform for George Takei on The Howard Stern Show. First, what was that experience like and secondly, were you all really completely naked?
The show gave us a decency blur, but yes we were completely naked. We've actually been on Howard Stern 3 times in the last year or so, and their staff is incredibly kind, professional, and good to us. Howard himself has been such a great guy to work with. He's a master at what he does, and though he's usually a sarcastic ass (in the best way) to most of his guests, with us he takes a more self-deprecating approach and he's really nice to us. The time we were on with George Takei was the first time, and it was an absolute blast. George was hilarious and was like a kid in a candy shop when we came out. The show airs so early, so the strangest thing is being naked on air at 7:30 in the morning.
You opened for the incredible Joan Rivers, was there a moment, or something about her that really surprised you?
'I did an opening act for one of her performances in Maine with three other guys. Joan was kind enough to come watch the end of our dress rehearsal before her mic check, and she heard us do a couple of our numbers. Before she went to do her mic check, she came over to us and said: "You guys are great, you sound fabulous. If I could take you on the road with us for the rest of the tour we would but we've got openers already lined up. I just want to say, no one is here to see you. We are in Portland f***ing Maine. There are no producers, no casting agents, no talent scouts; you aren't going to get ANYTHING from this. So don't be nervous. Just go out there, give 'em hell, and warm that stage up for me." It was the funniest, bluntest, kindest, best way to pump us up before the show. We got a great photo with her after the fact too. I will always cherish that moment and that gig.'
Mirror Image
If you could switch into any show on Broadway, which would it be, and what role would you take?
'Woof. That's a tough one. The recent revival of Angels and America came and went, and I would have given my right arm to be in that production. As a younger gay I thought I was a Joe, but as an older gay I'm likely more of a Prior.'
I love your mirror image shots. Have the illustrations mostly been done from photos or have you posed in person for any artists?
'90% of the art pieces of me have been in person posing sessions. I absolutely adore posing for artists, either for 1-on-1 sessions or for group sessions. I love to see the work these guys create, it gives me yet another outlet to express myself through nudity, and the pieces are gorgeous. Group sessions lend themselves more to more traditional poses, but I enjoy pushing the eroticism when I'm posing for a single artist. As my social media presences and following has increased, there have been artists who have wanted to draw me or I have asked to draw me that don't live in NYC, so I will send a photo for them to turn into art.'
Painting by fabianfidelart
Your Instagram layout is so visually creative, do you have a background in design and how hard is it to maintain?
'When I was deciding what college to go to and what major to pursue, it was between musical theatre and graphic design. I ended up with musical theatre. I taught myself HTML and Photoshop in middle school 18 years ago (an all but obsolete coding) and made websites for years. Now, everything is so user friendly that anyone can do anything, but I think my passion for that as a kid made for my eye for aesthetic. It is definitely a good amount of work to maintain, and I'm constantly changing the layout and creating content to keep it fresh and interesting.'
Is there an image you have posted that's gotten the biggest or best response?
My most recent nature shot (below) actually got some of my biggest response.
'I started a new IG page with handle @my.naked.truth. It's a page for anyone who wants to participate to share a nude photo (or as nude as they are comfortable with) along with a #NakedTruth, which is a secret, revelation, or honest reflection about themselves that they want to share. It does not need to me about nudity or their body (though many of the revelations have been about that), it can be any sort of truth that they would like to expose.
Primarily my submissions have been from men, but I would love to expand the page to women or any other gender identity, as well as people of all races, ages (18+ only), body types, etc. It has been getting a really lovely response so far, and I really love having a place to share these people's stories and encourage as many people as possible to express themselves through nudity.'
1 comment:
Glad you and Joey were able to connect!
Post a Comment