As Miranda taught us in Sex and the City 2, “It’s the law of physics, whenever there’s this much gay energy in one room, Liza manifests”. And just like that…as the gays of New York City descend upon Off-Broadway’s New World Stages, sure enough, the legendary Liza Minnelli manifests—vocally at least—to narrate the prologue to DRAG: The Musical. Ms Minnelli happens to be one of the show’s producers, and hearing her distinctive tones sent shivers of delight down my spine (yes, I am that gay) and proved the perfect prelude for a delectable evening of rollicking, bighearted musical theatre comedy.
Setting the scene in rhyme, Liza tells us that there were once two drag queens, “a match like peanut butter and jelly”, who dreamed of opening a drag club together, only to fall out of love and end up launching their own rival nightlife spots on opposite sides of the same street. Cut to the present day and we see the names of each venue in neon lights on either side of the vibrant set, designed by Jason Sherwood, that’s giving 80s Greenwich Village vibes. It is a feast for the eyes, filled with queer pop culture references and is a work of art in its own right, dynamically lit by Adam Honoré with projections by Aaron Rhyne.
House left you’ll find the Fish Tank, run by the ravishing Alexis Gillmore (Broadway hunk Nick Adams) supported by her vivacious drag sisters, Tuna Turner (Lagoona Bloo), Popcorn (Luxx Noir London), and Dixie Coxworth (an excellent Liisi LaFontaine delivering powerhouse vocals). Situated stage right is the Cathouse, ruled over by the majestic Kitty Galloway (Drag Race All Stars Hall of Famer Alaska Thunderfuck) with assistance from her high-spirited drag daughters, The Tigress (Jujubee), Savannah St. James (Jan Sport), and the bearded Southern belle newcomer Puss Puss DuBois (a terrific Nick Laughlin). These gals don’t just pop in for their gigs and then leave, they live and breathe drag, and these clubs are more like their drag houses.
Before long, the Fish Tank receives a visit from a gleefully sadistic IRS inspector, Gloria Schmidt, played by a scene-stealing, showstopping J. Elaine Marcos who takes on multiple roles and gets funnier, and more ridiculous, every time she appears on stage. As Schmidt delights in announcing, the Fish Tank is in financial dire straights and in danger of closing down for good. The only books that Alexis keeps are Danielle Steele novels, so she reluctantly turns to her straight, accountant brother Tom (a brilliant turn by New Kids on the Block’s Joey McIntyre) for urgent assistance. The siblings have been estranged for several years and haven’t seen each other since Tom’s wife passed away. As a single dad, Tom is forced to bring his 10-year-old son Brendan (Yair Keydar/Remi Tuckman) along for the ride, although he does not believe that a drag club is a fitting place for a kid. Meanwhile, across the street, the Cathouse runs into problems of its own when the building is taken over by a ruthless property developer, Rita LaRitz (Marcos again), who is hellbent on driving up the rent and gentrifying the neighbourhood.
It is a plot that feels like To Wong Foo had a one-night stand with Burlesque at The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And, yes, that is a good thing. With book, music, and lyrics by Justin Andrew Honard aka Alaska Thunderfuck, along with Tomas Costanza, and Ashley Gordon, DRAG: The Musical, which world premiered at The Bourbon Room in Los Angeles in 2022, is an ideal vehicle for this cast—including several Drag Race alum—to show off their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. There’s no lip-syching numbers here, these are live show queens working the stage with sprightly choreography and on point direction by Spencer Liff. That so many of the cast are professional drag queens brings a relaxed authenticity to the way that they inhabit their characters and punch up the jokes in the effervescent dialogue and lyrics.
Constanza is also part of the band on bass alongside musical director and conductor Andrew Orbison on the keyboards, Ariel Bellvalaire and Tyler Connaghan on guitar, and Jasmine Guevara on drums. Visible throughout at the side of the stage, the band interacts with the cast at times, adding a live concert buzz to the proceedings. There is an overall appealing pop rock quality to show that gives the catchy songs a cohesive sound, but there are also some nice twists and turns along the way, like the steamy Chicago jazziness of “Cat House Fever”. The central runway, along with the “fab-aret” table and bar stool seating arrangement at the front of the auditorium, also help to create an intimate, drag club-like atmosphere.
Like comfort-watching your favourite rom-com, one of the pleasures of this musical is being able to sit back, relax, and sip on a cocktail or mocktail, knowing that nothing bad is going to happen for 110 minutes, and that you’ll feel a lot better afterwards than when you came in. Let’s face it, we all need some queer joy escapism right now and that’s something drag queens know how to deliver. I had expected this show to be playful, camp, and entertaining, which it is, but I was taken by surprise by how just how much heart there is in it too.
To his father’s disapproval, young Brendan loves to wear his late mother’s stylish sunglasses, and is immediately drawn to the glitz and glamour of the Fish Tank queens’ costumes and in awe of his aunt Alexis. The poignant uptempo ballad, “I’m Just Brendan”, which sees the kid open up about how he yearns for his father’s acceptance of him just as he is (beautifully sung by Yair Keydar at the performance I attended) had me wiping away the tears. Another irresistible standout is “It’s So Pretty”, with its “ooh-la-la-la, ooh-la-la” refrain, that sees Brendan and Alexis bond over their love of all things glittery in the Fish Tank costume closet.
Touchingly, Tom’s attitude about how boys should behave begins to evolve as he spends more time at the Fish Tank, while trying to save the day and heal the rift with his brother as they address the past. After all, Tom can’t help being straight, he was “born this way” as he sings in one of the show’s unexpected comedy highlights, “Straight Man”, with McIntyre in a Misfits band t-shirt, khakis, and converse, air-guitaring and busting out his straight man dance moves while delivering some killer lines like, “I always know the directions so I never ask”. As romance brews between Tom and the Fish Tank’s AFAB queen, Dixie, there’s an insightful exploration of the sense of female empowerment that doing drag gives her as a cis woman in the solo number “One of the Boys”.
For a musical that is essentially about family, both the one we are born into and the one we choose, it is fitting that this show has appeal for all ages and it was nice to see some kids in the audience on the night I caught it. At a time of alarmingly regressive politics targeting LGBTQ+ folks, including direct attacks on drag under the cover of “protecting children”, it feels gently radical for this show to be as family-friendly as it is and for one of the lead roles to be a kid. Many audience members will relate to the moving way that the show touches on the challenges of growing up queer and the difference that having an accepting parent or family member in your corner can make and the damage that can be done when you don’t.
Along with the broad comedy that inevitably comes with a character named Drunk Jerry (Eddie Korbich), a barfly who frequents both drag clubs, there are some affecting notes in there too as he slurs his way through a nostalgic shanty, “Gay As Hell”. Korbich, who is hilarious in the role, genuinely looks like he has stumbled up onto the stage out the audience and brings a touch of the late beloved Leslie Jordan’s old-school gay charm to his reminiscences, which include lots of name-dropping and a fun rhyme with “LGBTs”. The role ends up being an irreverent tribute to our queer elders, those who were there living out loud, even before Stonewall.
Topping things off are the two duelling queens. With his powerful vocals and commanding stage presence, Nick Adams is fantastic as Alexis, bringing an endearing layer of vulnerability to the character’s fierce queen house mother persona. Adams beguilingly embodies the “boots down diva that never cracked, the cheerleader and the quarterback” whom Alexis describes in the gorgeously infectious pop confection of self-empowerment “She’s All That” that serves as the character’s drag origin story. Besides his triple threat skills, Adams has that ineffable star quality that makes him a joy to watch, and that bicep-bulging body oddy oddy and his dreamboat good looks don’t hurt either. No stranger to heels, wigs, and lashes, he originated the role of Adam/Felicia in the Broadway production of the Tony-winning Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, while more recently he memorably played the snooty Pines gay Cooper in Andrew Ahn’s Fire Island. Oh, and he was also in that gay wedding scene with Liza in Sex and the City 2!
Proving herself to be the queen of Off-Broadway, Alaska delivers a thrilling star turn as Kitty, owning every second that she’s on stage. When Kitty boldly announces “Cleopatra ain’t got nothing on me” in her boppy 1970s-Queen-meets-Rocky Horror-infused introductory number, “Queen Kitty”, we believe her. Utterly captivating, I was transfixed by her every movement. She really knows how to work—sorry, werk—the stage and she had me hanging on every deliciously flowery word that she eloquently she utters. Her vocals have real bite to them and the stripped back and sultry solo number, “It’s a Drag”, is a divine showcase for her impeccable characterization and stagecraft as she holds court with a martini and cigarette in hand.
There is a running gag whenever the breakup is mentioned, with the action coming to a sudden halt to make way for the intriguing, dramatically drawn out words: “nobody knows what happened between Kitty and Alexis and no one ever will!” When the two do inevitably come to wig-to-wig again, there is a Dynasty catfight energy to their exchanges culminating in the duet, “Two Bitches Are Better Than One”, before Kitty utters one of my favourire lines, “what’s show business if not working with sleazy, manipulative, two-faced bitches that you hate?”
The lewks do not disappoint either. “Drag is expensive” as one of the catchiest numbers in the show asserts, and Emmy-winning costume designer Marco Marco spares no expense in delivering some striking creations, continually outdoing himself throughout, including Kitty and Alexis’ dazzling ruffled gowns, and the brilliant visual gag of a giant crying emoji adored funeral dress. Beautifully detailed, but never too over-the-top or stealing focus, they all look like outfits that queens on a decent budget would actually wear rather than theatrical fantasy. Then of course there is that drag essential, the wigs—there’s even an entire song dedicated to them, aptly entitled “Wigs”—which are immaculately styled. While the cast’s mugs are flawless, with makeup and wig mastery by Aurora Sexton.
Bursting with references to drag culture touchstones, from Mommie Dearest to the Golden Girls and The Women to Britney Spears and beyond, and fizzing with, but never overlying on the familiar drag lexicon, DRAG: The Musical is a rhinestone encrusted delight. With some great characters and catchy tunes, it’s one helluva fun night out with a touching and timely message of queer acceptance and freedom of self-expression.
By James Kleinmann
DRAG: The Musical officially opened Off-Broadway at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street) on Monday, October 21st, 2024 and is now booking through Sunday, March 30th, 2025. Head to dragthemusical.com for more details including cast updates and to purchase tickets.