Arts & Entertainment

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ world tour stops in D.C. on Aug. 6

‘WERQ the World’ returns live drag performance to country’s largest stages

Published

4 years ago

August 1, 2022

Some of the most popular queens from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will perform live at National Harbor outside D.C. on Aug. 6 as part of the official “WERQ THE WORLD”tour.

In recent months, drag queens have received significant media attention, much of it from right-wing figures criticizing events like Drag Queen story hours and brunches. However, the colorful, creative performances continue to be wildly popular, and this year’s “WERQ THE WORLD” tour marks the return of RuPaul’s live U.S. tour after a COVID-enforced hiatus.

“In this year’s live production, an experiment gone wrong sends audiences spiraling through time with no way of returning to 2022,” publicity representative Jeff Dorta said in an email to the Blade. “The queens will whisk fans on a magical journey through iconic periods of history in hopes of returning them safely home.”

The Blade spoke with Daya Betty, a Season 14 finalist on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and one of the queens who will be performing in D.C., who talked about getting started in drag, her “WERQ THE WORLD” experience so far and how drag performance unites audiences.

“I’m a Type One diabetic — that’s actually where my name comes from — and I started out in a small town called Springfield, Missouri,” Betty said. “There’s not a lot going on there, except for a college and lots of little dive bars, which is actually where I got my start. I didn’t get my start in a gay bar like a lot of other drag queens do. I got started in a biker bar, which is pretty fun and very telling of the Midwest.”

“Being in the Midwest and growing up queer, you kind of have to create your own family with your own friends and build your own community,” Betty continued. “That’s really where my passion for drag stemmed from and what caused me to audition for the show.”

BLADE: Drag has gotten a lot of media attention lately — some of it negative. In your experience, what is the best part of being a drag queen?

DAYA BETTY: Being from a small town, I didn’t really see a lot of queer people on TV or in magazines, I felt like I was kind of sheltered away from that. So, the fact that drag queens are literally being showcased on TV shows, on billboards, in fashion spreads, they’re walking in fashion week — I think it’s cool to see not only drag in the regular sense but drag in the mainstream and in common things.

It’s so true what people say — as long as we are putting ourselves out there and we’re letting our faces be shown, there’s always going to be critics and people that that don’t want to look at us. But I think that in a sense this makes us work harder, and when we do get to be featured in mainstream things, it makes it that much sweeter.

BLADE: What is it like to be part of “WERQ THE WORLD 2022,” and what features make this year’s tour special?

BETTY: It’s not just queens from one particular season of “Drag Race” — you can see queens from as early as season 6. We each have our own personalities, and that is very much reflected in the numbers that we create. That’s something I really like about WERQ THE WORLD — we have a huge say in what we perform, what we do and what we get to showcase — and ultimately just get the best representation of who we are and what we stand for individually.

We did Radio City last night, and I think we almost sold out Radio City Music Hall, so just the fact that that’s a thing right now is insane and super, super cool. It shows the level of professionality that not only the queens have, but everyone — the tech, the crew. We like to say it’s as if drag and a Broadway musical were somehow mashed together. It’s a production, it’s more than just your local bar gig.”

BLADE: Have you had a favorite part of the tour so far?

BETTY: I think just being able to be around people again — being able to see people and being able to connect with people one-on-one. During the pandemic we did a lot of digital drag, but it’s not the same as having a face-to-face performance or a face-to-face conversation. Not to sound too cliché, but really we live off of that live energy that the crowd likes to give us.

Although WERQ THE WORLD did a European tour during summer 2021, this summer is the first time the live tour has performed across the United States since 2019. Daya Betty said that stopping at cities throughout the country has made the world feel much smaller, as she notices what their audiences have in common.

“You think the world is such a big place, but the more you travel around and meet people, you realize that everybody just likes to smile and have a good time,” Betty reflected.

BLADE: How does drag performance bring people together, and what makes it such a beloved space for the LGBTQ community?

BETTY: I think it’s just watching people be authentic and be true to themselves — people putting themselves out there and then being recognized for it and being able to create a career and support themselves financially off it — that’s such a cool thing that we’ve created as a community,” Betty said. “Just like when you watch a television show, you connect with certain characters because you see little parts of yourself in them — I think that’s why.

It is so fabulous to be on a huge stage and have this big platform, but I think at the end of the day, we’re all drag queens; we come from the same place, we all started in bars or local clubs. I think we need to put just as much respect on people that have been on TV or drag queens that are in mainstream media and on local performers as well, because that’s where we all start and that’s where we all learn.

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Photos

PHOTOS: ‘Studio 69’

Glitterati Productions hold party at Bunker

Published

6 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Michael Key

'Studio 69' was held at Bunker on Friday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Arts & Entertainment

Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week

Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.

Published

12 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Staff reports

The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.

Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.

“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”

Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.

Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.

Event Details:

📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026

⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP

Theater

National tour of ‘Gatsby’ comes to National Theatre

Out actor Edward Staudenmayer talks playing the show’s gangster

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2026

Patrick Folliard

Edward Staudenmayer plays Meyer Wolfsheim in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ (Photo courtesy National Theatre)

‘The Great Gatsby’
May 12-24
The National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
$59-$196
Thenationaldc.com

Often dubbed “The Great American Novel” for its depiction of ambition and self-invention alongside the reversals of success, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” says it all in a fast read.

Set against the excesses and energy of the Roaring Twenties, “The Great Gatsby,” novel and now the same-titled hit Broadway musical with a jazz/pop original score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, tells the story of Nick Carraway and his friendship with Jay Gatsby, an enigmatic millionaire intent on reuniting with ex-lover, Daisy Buchanan.

It was during a four-month 2025 run in Seoul, South Korea, that out actor Edward Staudenmayer first played the show’s heavy, Meyer Wolfsheim, a gangster who helped Gatsby make his murkily acquired fortune. As Meyer, Staudenmayer opens the second act with, appropriately enough, “Shady.”

Now three months into a year-long North American tour, the show is poised to enjoy a brief run at Washington’s National Theatre (5/12-5/24).

While putting on his eyeliner prior to a recent Wednesday matinee at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, the upstate New York-based actor shared about Gatsby and a life in theater.

WASHINGTON BLADE: Despite your good looks and terrific voice, you’re rarely the leading the man. How is that?

EDWARD STAUDENMAYER: I’m definitely a character man. I’ve been painting lines on my face to play old men since I was in high school. I was the youngest freshman in college playing old Uncle Sorin [in Chekhov’s “The Seagull”].

There have been many villains. Some darker than others. Meyer Wolfsheim is a very bad guy, but he doesn’t haunt me once I’m offstage. I play a lot of pickleball.

BLADE: Is it true that like so many of Fitzgerald’s characters, Wolfsheim is famously based on someone the writer encountered in life.

STAUDENMEYER: That’s true, Wolfsheim is pretty much a direct portrayal of real-life mobster and 1919 World Series fixer [Arnold Rothstein].

BLADE: When did the 1925 novel first surface on your radar?

STAUDENMAYER: Like many of us, I was assigned “The Great Gatsby” in high school. It was short, and filled with sex and illicit activities. I thought it was great. Definitely wasn’t a Judy Blume novel.

Interestingly, the book wasn’t originally a huge a success for Fitzgerald, but because it was about war and having the girl at home, they gave it to GIs leaving for WWII. After returning, a lot of those guys went on the GI Bill and became English teachers. They assigned the book to their students.

BLADE The idea that the book’s first-person narrator, Nick Carraway, is gay and enamored with Jay Gatsby is long discussed among readers and scholars. Does the musical touch on that?

STAUDENMAYER: Yes, there’s conjecture about Jay and Nick, and it’s implied in our show. It’s also implied about Jordan Baker, Jay’s fleeting romantic interest. Ultimately, she’s a confirmed bachelor, and a professional golfer who only wears pants.

Our performers are really good. Josh Grasso who plays Nick is fantastic. I’ve had to stop watching him in his last scene; it’s not good for Meyer Wolfsheim to take his curtain call crying. Our Gatsby, Jake David Smith, is good too. He’s gorgeous like Superman and sings like an angel.

BLADE: Do you ever imagine backstory for your characters whose sexuality is undefined?

STAUDENMAYER: I do, but not with Wolfsheim. I don’t see it. I’m trying to be as butch as possible with this ruthless killer.

BLADE: Have you had to do that in your career?

STAUDENMAYER: For a long time, I wore a mask to hide my gayness. I worked hard on being believable, that I was into the girl or that I was a tough guy.

It’s a different world now, and it’s so refreshing to be around the younger actors today; they’re remarkably open and comfortable.

BLADE: What was your coming of age like?

STAUDENMAYER: I played high school football in Palm Springs [he chuckles, alluding to the arid gay mecca], and I was pretty good too. But much to the chagrin of my parents and coaches, I quit the team to act in our senior year play. My super butch dad played semi-pro football and he was an ex-cop. I’m named after him. While I didn’t become my dad, I’ve played him often on stage. He was a true Gaston [the bumptious rival in “Beauty and the Beast”]. And like Gaston, he used antlers in all his interior decorating.

BLADE: Did he live to see your success in theater?

STAUDENMAYER: He did. Life was challenging growing up but the last 10 years of his life we couldn’t get off the phone with each other [his voice catches with emotion]. He accepted me entirely, and we became very close.

BLADE: Looking ahead, is there a part you’d especially like to play?

STAUDENMAYER: Like all baritones I’d love to play Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd.” I’ve come close but it hasn’t happened yet. There’s still time.