As I was dashing through the rain in Brooklyn on Friday night, headed for the appropriately majestic Kings Theatre—a venue fit for two queens—to catch this year’s Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, I had no doubt that I would have a (snow) ball in their company, but questioned whether I would have anything new to write about the experience. This is the sixth year that the Drag Race favourites have put on a major holiday show (including a fantastic film in 2020 when live venues were shuttered) and having reviewed their last two shows, wouldn’t I just be repeating myself? Wouldn’t this year’s show be more of the same winning formula with the pair joyfully and triumphantly going through the motions? After all, isn’t that what holiday traditions are all about; eating the same food; being with the same people; listening to the same music; and rewatching the same movies and specials?
It turns out that Jinkx and DeLa were having similar thoughts themselves, questioning whether they might have run out of ideas and if the tried and tested set up of the two clashing over their different views about the holiday season, before coming back together to learn a valuable lesson—while belting out a mix of fun festive themed parody numbers along with some of their own outstandly good original songs co-written with and composed by Major Scales—might have become a little too familiar. In reality, these two could do an identical show every year and still draw in crowds of adoring fans, sending them home satisfied, but let’s face it, Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme (co-creators and once again co-writers, with DeLa directing and producing for her company BenDeLaCreme Presents) are both far too inventive, smart, and dedicated to their craft for that. Endlessly imaginative, they never limit themselves about what drag can encompass, or a holiday show for that matter. I need not have worried for a moment, they gave me plenty of new things to write about.
Following the opening number, “That Kind Of Holiday Show”—in which the queens quip “thank you Jesus for giving us shows each Christmas that pretty much write themselves”—the duo struggles to come up with a new plot, before the Terminally Delightful™ DeLa, typically the most enthusiastic about the show and the season, suggests giving up, sitting this one out and going on vacation instead. The show itself, however, has other ideas and refuses to let its besequined creators escape from its clutches.
Always adept at tapping into the zeitgeist, Jinkx and DeLa have concocted a captivating and suitably zany premise that channels the world’s current Terminator-esque judgment day fears around AI taking over. Essentially, the good ship Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show (imagine if Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Mother from Alien had conceived a drag baby one drunken Christmas Eve) refuses to let its superstars disembark.
What if instead of spending the show butting heads, the iconic drag duo were to put their perfectly coiffed hairdos together in frenzied harmony to get themselves out of the deliciously meta mess that they are in? That proves to be an inspired choice that thrillingly reinvigorates and refreshes the queens’ enduringly appealing dynamic. Without sacrificing an ounce of the biting wit that’s on display when the two are at odds with each other, Jinkx and DeLa have created a thoroughly transporting piece of madcap escapism that’s as uplifting as it is utterly entertaining. It’s a festive riot that once again proves the strength of these characters which can be placed in any situation and thrive, revealing different sides of themselves.
Part of Jinkx’s shtick over the years has been needing to drink her way through the holidays, while the permanently perky DeLa embraces the festivities, attempting to paper over the cracks with Christmas wrapping. This year, Jinkx reckons with the fact that she’s now sober from alcohol, a topic that’s approached with typical nuance and wit. It turns out that her character didn’t need a stiff drink as a comedy crutch after all. And, of course, there’s always drugs and sex to turn to!
While act one deftly sets up the engaging premise, the second act lets rip with it. The variety of musical styles really impresses, including the smoking hot jazzy vibe of “Smart Spender”, a parody of Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ Sweet Charity number “Big Spender”. The Fosse flourishes of the crackerjack dance troupe (Mr. Babygirl, Jace Gonzalez, Jim Kent, Ruby Mimosa, and Scottie, led by Chloe Albin) on that number give Jinkx a welcome excuse to self-indulge and remind us about her glorious Broadway debut in Chicago earlier this year. Then there’s a perky 80s tune with frothily festive lyrics in the first part of the show, while after intermission there’s a genius holiday parody of the biggest gay pop anthem of year, with its hypnotic beat pumping loud, brilliantly performed by BenDeLaCreme that brought down the house, as “Padam Padam” becomes “Purum Pumpum”. While Jinkx’s standout solo number is a so-wrong-it’s-right, delectably filthy innuendo-filled ode to her favourite horned European folklore figure, Krampus. Set to the melody of “Santa Baby”, a horny Jinkx delights as she delivers the erotic new refrain of, “Krampus daddy, hurry and get in me tonight”. Lyrics I hadn’t realised that I’d needed to hear to bring me some yuletide cheer.
Jinkx’ stint on Broadway, as well as her solo tour this summer, have seen her already considerable vocal abilities enhanced. She’s a true powerhouse singer, and when you add in her flair for humour and her storytelling abilities, it’s a killer combination. As both queens continue to challenge themselves they more than rise to the occasion, going from performing their holiday show in bars to a few hundred people back in 2018 to its current form as an international tour draggernaut. Having enjoyed their shows at New York’s Town Hall, I was a little concerned that some of the magic might be lost in the vastness of the three thousand capacity Kings Theatre, but their undeniable stage presence saw them make the transition to the larger venue with ease.
Moreover, every element of this production feels elevated. David L. Arsenault’s effectively simple vintage bauble set design really sparkles as it helps to fill the height of space, and proves to be versatile when combined with Mike Faba’s striking lighting design. The stunning costumes, designed by BenDeLaCreme and Mr. Gorgeous—who also created the pieces along with The Lady Hyde, Jamie Von Stratton, and Paris Original—deliver just the right blend of style, high camp, and humour, and make it impossible to pick a favourite look. The music, produced by Markaholic and Keith Harrison, is rich and full, while the excellent sound design by Kevin Heard is often uproariously funny (the “hivemind” voice and the queens’ reaction to it had me in stitches). Binding it all together is DeLa’s impeccably tight direction and movement work, leading to an exquisitely choreographed and executed chase. As ever, the scene-stealing tattooed hearthrob that is Hunky the Elf (Gus Lanza) has some memorable moments whenever he steps his green pointy-booted feet on stage.
The laughs keep on coming when the on-screen segments (beautifully shot by Kain O’Keefe and Trojan Original, and produced by Gus Lanza and BenDeLaCreme) start to play, building upon what’s been happening on stage. Rather than merely filling time for costume changes, these attractive mini-films become one of the many highlights of the show. With the queens looking ravishing in leopard print, including headscarves, there’s a touch of Thelma and Louise in the air as they attempt to escape the show. Even the hilarious pre-intermission merch commercial continues the narrative, as the queens use every element at their disposal to entertain.
One of Jinkx and DeLa’s gifts as performers is to make the whole thing look effortless and spontaneous. There’s an appealingly loose, improvised feel to the show, even though every line and beat has been considered and intricately planned. There’s a playfulness and sense of possibility that made Pee-wee’s Playhouse so entrancing, along with that rare blend of sharp wit and a bold, fearless commitment to silliness that saw Monty Python create classic comedy. These are two queens at the top of their game who continue to expand the boundaries of the art of drag. Drag Race gave them exposure, but of course it is what you go on to do with that platform that really counts and their talent and commitment continues to see them dare to dream big and deliver.
Despite the campness of Christmas, the imagery of the holidays continues to be pervasively heteronormative, with many of us feeling unwelcome, othered, or actively excluded from our own family celebrations. Unlike most of the movies that we watch at this time of year, this show isn’t a piece of entertainment that we have to imagine ourselves in (like Love Actually for instance, where the lesbian storyline was cut from the final film), but one where we are unapologetically centred. This is a queer holiday tradition that I cherish. The ultimate in queer holiday cheer, with a welcome dose of cynicism, The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show defiantly brings some much needed light into the world. I’m glad the show took control and didn’t let the queens escape this year, because the holidays wouldn’t be the same without them.
By James Kleinmann
The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show continues across cities in the USA and Canada until December 30th, 2023. For more details and to purchase tickets head to JinkxAndDeLa.com.
December 4 – Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Symphony Hall)
December 6 – Pittsburgh, PA (Heinz Hall)
December 7 – Tysons, VA / DC Metro (Capitol One Hall)
December 8 – Philadelphia, PA (Kimmel Cultural Campus – Miller Theater)
December 10 – Chicago, IL (Auditorium Theatre)
December 11 – Minneapolis, MN (Northrop Theatre)
December 12 – Kansas City, MO (The Midland Theatre)
December 13 – Grand Prairie, TX / Dallas Metro (Texas Trust CU Theatre)
December 14 – Austin, TX (Bass Concert Hall)
December 16 – Los Angeles, CA (Dolby Theatre)
December 17 – San Jose, CA (San Jose Civic)
December 18 – San Francisco, CA (The Warfield)
December 19 – San Francisco, CA (The Warfield)
December 21 – Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 22 – Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 23 – Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre)
December 24 – Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre) Matinee Performance
December 27 – Portland, OR (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
December 29 – Edmonton, AB (Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium)
December 30 – Vancouver, BC (The Orpheum)
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