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‘Drag Race’ live!

Vets from Logo smash join forces in first-ever ‘Battle of the Seasons’

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Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx, RuPaul's Drag Race, gay news, Washington Blade
Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx, RuPaul's Drag Race, gay news, Washington Blade

Pandora Boxx and Manila Luzon, two ‘Drag Race’ vets on the current tour. (Pandora photo by Jose A. Guzman; Manila photo by Kate McLaren; courtesy Producer Entertainment Group, LLC)

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons’

Tuesday at 9 p.m.

9:30 Club

815 Vine St., N.W.

930.com

$30

“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the popular Logo television show, swaps entertaining on the small screen for performing on the local stage on its tour, “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons.”

It’s the first tour to feature so many fan favorite contestants in a theater venue. Among those slated to appear are Sharon Needles, Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx, Alaska Thunderfuck, Ivy Winters, Carmen Carrera, Mimi Imfurst, Michelle Visage and Phi Phi O’Hara. The tour comes to Washington Tuesday night at the 9:30 club.

The tour showcases the talents of each performer and includes lip-syncing, dancing, comedy and more. There was a previous tour, the “Absolut Drag Race Tour,” but this tour only featured the season winner and runners-up. “Battle of the Seasons” is the first tour to include so many popular “Drag Race” alums.

The show — as one would expect — has been enormously helpful in terms of visibility for those involved.

Pandora Boxx, real name Michael Steck, was a contestant on the second season of “Drag Race” who came in fifth. Since the show, the New York native has been touring the world, started doing stand-up comedy and starred in his own off-Broadway show “Lick This Boxx!”

“’RuPaul’s Drag Race’ was an amazing platform to get things started,” Boxx says. “It’s fun to see men dress up. Everyone loves Halloween.”

Her drag persona was formed before the show but the show’s influence on her career has been significant. She says she learned more about comedy from the experience.

“It took me from a small town queen to something bigger,” Boxx says.

Manila Luzon, real name Karl Westerberg, was the runner-up on the third season. Since the show, Luzon has left her long-time home New York and moved to Los Angeles. She has been touring the world and performing her own original music. Her drag persona was also fully formed before the show.

“Manila Luzon is an extension of Karl,” Luzon says.” I wear a wig and sparkly heels and thought I might as well perform my own music.”

She thinks the show’s success is due to its diverse audience and is excited to see that reflected on the tour.

“A lot of us have performed in gay nightclubs that have a certain demographic,” Luzon says. “But the show demographic is much bigger than just gays. There are mothers and daughters, families and straight couples who watch. I’m so used to seeing 21-year-old gay boys in nightclubs so this will be different on tour.”

Luzon also thinks the show caters to different popular reality show types.

“It’s like ‘American’s Top Model,’ ‘Real Housewives’ and ‘Basketball Wives’ all in one.”

Boxx and Luzon admit the confines of a reality show can be hard. Boxx likens it to a prison with no contact allowed to the outside world during filming. Luzon is excited to connect with fans now that the show is over. She says once reality shows end, it can be hard for fans to keep up with contestants. The tour allows fans the chance to reconnect with their favorites right in their neighborhood.

The driving force behind the show has been RuPaul. She has become a legendary drag performer and her influence has helped to shape the contestant’s careers and inspire them.

Boxx says RuPaul is friendly and fun but maintains professionalism. She tries to have limited contact with contestants during filming of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” because she’s judging. However, she remained backstage much more during “RuPaul’s Drag U,” the show that gives drag makeovers to three women, where both Boxx and Luzon served as “drag professors.”

“RuPaul is very hands-on with the show. You can really see his influence. He’s inspiring as a person and as a drag queen. I was able to see what a drag queen can have,” Luzon says.

Another facet to the show is Sharon Needles, perhaps the most famous of all “Drag Race” vets. Needles has made a name for herself by being known as the punk rock party girl. Boxx and Luzon say Needles is just as outrageous in real life as on the show. They say her interesting antics, such as being carried out in a coffin, are a big part of her allure.

One trait these “Drag Race” contestants share is that they aren’t from the District. In the show’s history only one drag performer, Tatiana from Falls Church, Va., has been from the local area. Boxx and Luzon believe the reason is a combination of interest and audition tapes.

“It certainly isn’t for a lack of talent. San Francisco has never had any performers on the show either. You really need an amazing audition tape,” Boxx says.

Luzon said the show isn’t a goal for a lot of drag performers.

“Every drag queen in America isn’t thinking ‘Maybe I should be on ‘Drag Race.’ There are also so many girls who don’t get picked. But they have to keep trying and audition again.”

Now that the show is over, the competition has shifted for the contestants. Boxx says there is less pressure because no one is getting eliminated, but there is still a friendly competition. She believes it pushes each performer to give her best effort.

As the tour continues, Boxx says the real story of the tour is what happens off stage. Once while on tour, their bus broke down and they filmed the debacle for YouTube. Boxx says the after-show antics can be just as shocking as the performance itself.

“Put all of us on a bus and that’s the real entertainment,” she says. “The real show is behind the scenes.”

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Theater

Talented pair of local queer actors tackles ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Ford’s production features terrific score

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Chani Wereley (Audrey) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Ford’s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ 
Through May 18
Ford’s Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.org 

Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, “Little Shop of Horrors” has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Ford’s Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors who’ve longed to appear in the show since they were kids. 

Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.  

Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymour’s love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, “Audrey’s been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.”

The queer D.C. native adds, “On long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing we’d do is pop a ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ video [film version] into the car’s VHS player. I’ve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.”

After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllister’s production at Ford’s, Wereley never thought she’d book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.  

Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: “I started watching the film in ’86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didn’t know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.” 

When asked by Ford’s to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant “yes.” 

Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, “people ask if I’m singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, I’m not, and that’s fine. But let’s face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I don’t feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.”

He’s worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant — his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show. 

Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereley’s striking rendition of Audrey’s “Suddenly Seymour,” and Young’s soulful “Feed Me (Git It).” Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater. 

When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like “Mashed Potato Time,” and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelle’s girl group anthem “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” As Audrey, Wereley eschews the character’s usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo. 

“It’s important for people to see themselves on stage,” she says. “Seeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. It’s important.”

In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in “Dream Girls” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and he’s been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didn’t see a lot of himself – Black and queer – on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says

An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, “theater is a safe space for queer people. That’s the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.”

He adds, “What’s great about Ford’s is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. It’s meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.”

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Nightlife

D.C.’s gay DJ collective CTRL returns

Electropop group resurfaces at Trade on March 30

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CTRL is back after a six-year absence.

Finger lasers, confetti cannons, drag shows, photo booths, throwback tunes, and a touch nerdy: after a long break, D.C.’s gay DJ collective CTRL is throwing its first party in six years.

Born in an Eritrean restaurant more than a decade ago, this longstanding gay nightlife electropop group is resurfacing with a comeback event at Trade on March 30.

Gay DJs Adam Koussari-Amin, Jeff Prior, Devon Trotter, and Brett Andreisen hosted the first CTRL party at now-closed restaurant Dahlak, on the corner of 18th and U Streets. After a year of hosting pop-ups in that restaurant’s dining room, they upgraded down 18th Street to now-closed gay club Cobalt. There, the parties grew: drag shows, a pop-up photo booth from David Claypool, and quirky activations like throwing hot dogs into print-outs of Putin’s mouth. Their productions grew as well, like producing the now-defunct Brightest Young Gays (BYG) Pride events at Wonderbread Factory and Union Market and the ‘Get Wet’ pool party with David Brown’s Otter Crossing at the Capitol Skyline Hotel.

CTRL wasn’t done. The group received its biggest stage yet after a call from Ed Bailey, the owner of now-closed gay club Town, as well as current gay bars Number 9 and Trade. At Town, the opportunity “allowed our creativity to flourish with even bigger performances, bigger photo experiences, crazier hand-outs, and the same electropop dance vibes our fans had come to know us for,” says Koussari-Amin.

CTRL pressed pause when Town shut down, which “was a huge loss to the LGBTQIA+ community and D.C. nightlife in general,” says Koussari-Amin. After that, it hosted an occasional spinoff called QWERTY. Post-pandemic, Koussari-Amin has spent a few nights solo as DJ at Trade and other venues.

After connecting with Jesse Jackson, the Trade general manager, as well as with Bailey, who agreed to host the inaugural event, Koussari-Amin was determined to shift CTRL back to life.

However, getting the old band back together proved to be a challenge. While the rest of the group have either left Washington, D.C., or are pursuing other projects, Koussari-Amin received their blessing to stay on and find new members. 

“When it came to finding new partners, both DJ Dez [Desmond Jordan] and DJ Lemz [Steve Lemmerman] were obvious choices,” he says, noting that “they also have distinct styles and interests.” Dez has a residency at Pitchers and Kiki as well as pop-ups, and Lemz throws events like Sleaze and BENT.

 “It seemed important to come back to the nightlife table with an experience that could complement all the amazing experiences that have even built up since CTRL threw its last event at Town. Bringing back both the DJ collective and the CTRL event with Dez and Lemz means new voices, perspectives, sounds, and excitement.”

“CTRL is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy music, drinks, and good vibes,” adds Jordan, noting that for him, it’s an event that celebrates queer identity.

And after months of planning, CTRL will kick off its monthly party series at Trade on March 30 for the first gig after its glow-up.

The trio says that its core inspiration “is driven by the indie and electropop favorites of new and old, like Goldfrapp, Ava Max, Charli XCX, … We’re also all huge fans of slut and trash pop music like Kim Petras, Slayyyter, Cupcakke,” as well as pop diva remixes, new bops, and songs that reside inside and far beyond the expanse of Top 40.

CTRL is also bringing back its activations that complement the tunes. Summer Camp is set for drag performances, David Claypool is back with his photo booth, and Koussari-Amin promises “to have all sorts of weird and wacky handouts like we used to.”

After the March premiere, April’s party is “CTRLella”, a Coachella send-up. Future events will feature various different themes, and they plan to throw a party during Capital Pride; they’re also looking to be a central part of Trade’s expansion into the adjacent space.

 Koussari-Amin says that “the event’s signature experience [is] a lynchpin in connecting D.C.’s expanding generations of queer folks, giving everyone a safe space to let loose and feel a rush no matter who they are.” 

For his part, Bailey continues to support CTRL and its collective intention, expressing its essential nature as a party for partiers by partiers. “CTRL is the kind of party that represents what people want. It’s just a real party by real people that just want to hear good music and dance with their friends.”

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Celebrity News

HRC releases ‘Queer Renaissance Syllabus’

Beyoncé’s hit album inspired curriculum

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Beyoncé performs at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., on Aug. 6, 2023. The Human Rights Campaign has released a curriculum that her "Renaissance" album inspired. (Washington Blade photo by Isabelle Kravis)

In a move aimed at celebrating the beauty, brilliance and resilience of the LGBTQ community, the Human Rights Campaign unveiled the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” that Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album inspired. 

Curated by Justin Calhoun, Leslie Hall and Chauna Lawson of the HRC’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, the syllabus includes a variety of academic articles, essays, films and other media rooted in Black queer and feminist studies. Each piece is directly inspired by the tracks on Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping dance album, “Renaissance.”

Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” stands as a cultural milestone, celebrating the Black queer roots of dance music while shedding light on overlooked Black queer artists. Inspired by her late-Uncle Johnny, the album not only garnered critical acclaim but also shed light on the often marginalized contributions of Black queer artists. Winning four Grammys and yielding chart-topping hits like “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It,” the album sparked discussions about economic impact and cultural representation.

Amid its success, legislative challenges arose, with Florida and Texas enacting bans on DEI initiatives in public colleges. Recognizing the album’s transformative potential, HRC developed the “Queer Renaissance Syllabus” to leverage its impact for education and activism.

Tailored for educators, youth-serving professionals, DEI practitioners, higher education leaders and admirers of Beyoncé’s artistry, the syllabus aims to encourage meaningful discussions, enrich lesson plans, and explore innovative ways to honor the vibrancy and significance of LGBTQ individuals and their culture.

With six themes anchoring the syllabus, ranging from “intersectionality and inclusivity” to “social justice and activism,” it provides a comprehensive exploration of various facets of LGBTQ experiences and expressions. Fan-favorite tracks from the album are paired with scholarly readings, offering insights into empowerment, self-acceptance and the transformative power of artistic expression. The syllabus also reinforces HRC’s efforts to highlight, amplify and re-center Black and queer voices.

By providing links to articles, books, podcasts and interviews, each associated with a song from the album, it celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of the Black queer community.

The concluding section of the syllabus includes Beyoncé’s tribute to O’Shea Sibley, a young Black queer person who was murdered in Brooklyn, N.Y., last July while voguing to “Renaissance” songs at a gas station. HRC also includes a statement that condemns hate crimes.

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