DRAG RACE's Jinkx Monsoon Will Play Matron 'Mama' Morton in CHICAGO Next Year

The Broadway company of Chicago will welcome actress, vocalist, and two-time "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner Jinkx Monsoon in the role of "Matron 'Mama' Morton", beginning Monday, January 16, 2023. She will make her Broadway debut in an 8-week limited engagement at the Ambassador Theatre through Sunday, March 12, 2023, becoming the first drag queen to play the role on Broadway.

"I cannot stress enough that this has been a lifelong dream of mine," said Jinkx Monsoon. "To be making my Broadway debut, as my favorite role, in one of my favorite shows- that lifelong dream is coming true and then some. The first number I performed in drag was "All That Jazz," so this feels almost too serendipitous. But I never question my blessings, I just thank Hecate for them."

The announcement follows a whirlwind year for Monsoon. With "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7", she became the first drag queen in Drag Race "herstory" to win the crown twice, earning the coveted title "Queen of All Queens." Her hilarious and studied impression of Judy Garland on the season's "Snatch Game" episode became a viral sensation, and one of the most talked about TV moments of 2022. She then toured across Australia, New Zealand, and South America, headlined at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and debuted her stand-up comedy show in cities across the U.S. She executive produced, co-wrote, co-created and starred in her own sketch comedy series on WOW Presents Plus called "Sketchy Queens" with comedy partner Liam Krug. The series debuted this fall and has been renewed for a second season. She's currently on tour with the critically-acclaimed theatrical spectacular, "The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show" (Produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents) co-starring with her best friend and fellow drag superstar, BenDeLaCreme. Her podcast, "Hi, Jinkx" garnered more streams this year since its inception in 2020, featuring notable guests Paula Pell, Kathy Najimy, Russell T Davies and more. Jinkx also released her latest studio EP, "The Virgo Odyssey: Prologue" (PEG Records) this summer, spawning cult hits like "Know-It-All" and her dazzling cover of "Strange Magic" by Electric Light Orchestra.

About Jinkx Monsoon

"RuPaul's Drag Race" winner Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) is the "internationally tolerated" drag icon who's taken over the entertainment industry as an award-winning stage actress, acclaimed vocalist, and theatre sensation. Jinkx is the winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5", and most recently was crowned the winner of the franchise's first ever all-winners season "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7".

Since gaining a massive international fan base, Jinkx has toured the world performing her original cabaret shows with music partner Major Scales, including highly-acclaimed shows like The Ginger Snapped, The Vaudevillians (which became a hit off-Broadway sensation) and their most recent production, Together Again, Again (2022). She is an award-winning stage actress, having won the Gregory Award for her portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently, The MAC Award for her show The Ginger Snapped, co-written with Major Scales.

In 2018, she partnered with best friend and fellow RuPaul's Drag Race star, BenDeLaCreme for their first major holiday tour To Jesus, Thanks for Everything! - Jinkx and DeLa. Jinkx and DeLa's co-written holiday productions have grown into a worldwide phenomenon, spawning the 2019 tour, All I Want for Christmas is Attention, a Hulu holiday hit, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special (2020), and The Return of the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! (2021) which performed for sold-out audiences across the U.S., U.K. and Canada. This year, she and DeLa have had their highest grossing international tour to date with The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show running from November - December 2022.

No stranger to film and TV, Jinkx has appeared on the CBS cop drama "Blue Bloods", the Netflix original "AJ and the Queen", and has voiced characters for such animated shows as "Steven Universe", "Mighty Magiswords", "Bravest Warriors", as well as a few surprises that are yet to come! Jinkx has been the subject of two documentaries: Drag Becomes Him, and The Queens.

As a recording artist, Jinkx has released three critically-hailed albums of original music written by Major Scales including her most recent The Virgo Odyssey (2022), The Inevitable Album and The Ginger Snapped.

Photo Credit: José Alberto Guzmán Colón