Stephanie J. Block, Lea Salonga, Shoshana Bean & More Will Unite for Divas For Democracy: United We Slay

Drag Out The Vote, a national, nonpartisan voter engagement nonprofit, announced a streaming Drag and Broadway diva extravaganza to promote voter participation and increase voter awareness of key issues concerning the LGBTQIA+ community and the 2020 election.

Hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Keltie Knight and RuPaul's Drag Race's Nina West, Divas For Democracy: United We Slay is a variety show where the divas of Broadway join forces with the divas of the drag world to encourage participation in our democracy. Broadway divas will sing some of the most iconic musical theatre songs while their drag counterparts match their vocal prowess with lip sync passion and style. Special segments will feature LGBTQIA+ activists in a nonpartisan fashion to promote the importance of the LGBTQIA+ community engagement and voter participation.

Divas for Democracy streams exclusively on StageIt, October 18th, 2020 at 8 PM EST. Tickets are "donate what you can" with a minimum $5 donation, with optional "tipping" for additional donations. All proceeds benefit Drag Out The Vote's get-out-the-vote efforts in 2020 and beyond. Tickets go on sale on October 1, 2020 at 10am EST at divasfordemocracy.com.

Broadway Divas include Tony Award winners Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show), Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon), Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone), and Annaleigh Ashford (You Can't Take It With You, Kinky Boots), along with Broadway favorites Shoshana Bean (Waitress), Eden Espinosa (Wicked), Tony nominee Jenn Collela (Come From Away), Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman, Waitress), Tamika Lawrence (Come From Away, If/Then), L Morgan Lee (A Strange Loop), Our Lady J, and the legendary three-time Tony recipient Chita Rivera.

Drag Divas include stars of RuPaul's Drag Race such as Alaska (All Stars Season 2 winner), Jinkx Monsoon (Season 5 winner), Jujubee (All Stars 5 finalist), Valentina, Peppermint, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Shuga Cain, Honey Davenport, Drag Out The Vote National Co-chairs Brita Filter and Marti Gould Cummings, and Pixie Aventura.

Celebrities slated to appear include Grammy and Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper, RuPaul's Drag Race's Michelle Visage, multiple Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Hairspray), Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Hamilton), Bianca Del Rio (RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 winner), Shangela (HBO's We're Here), Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu, All Shook Up), Mila Jam, and Academy Award winner and two-time Tony Award nominee Allison Janney (9 to 5, Six Degrees of Separation).

LGBTQ elected officials slated to appear include Georgia State House Representative Sam Park, and New York City Councilman and Candidate for the New York 15th Congressional District Ritchie Torres.

"One in five LGBTQIA+ people is not registered to vote, and 100 million people did not vote in the 2016 election. We must fix this. We are excited to bring together the worlds of Broadway and Drag to inspire voters to sashay their way to the polls or their mailboxes," said Jackie Huba, Founder and Executive Director of Drag Out The Vote.

Divas For Democracy: United We Slay will be co-directed by Josh Rhodes and Lee Wilkins, who served as choreographer and associate choreographer, respectively, on Broadway for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, First Date, It Shoulda Been You, and Bright Star. Two-time Tony winner Stephen Oremus (The Book Of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Wicked) will serve as music supervisor.

"Sometimes two is just better than one," said Rhodes and Wilkins. "It's a thrill to watch these super talents from two very different conventions of theatre collaborate at a time when actually being together is impossible. And they're all such fans of each other! For the Broadway divas, it is the highest honor to be worthy of a Drag performance; and the queens know just how high the bar is. This show is a passionate reminder for the LGBTQIA+ community and our theatre-loving allies that voting matters. Our aim is to entertain and laugh the audience straight to the polls."

Learn more about the lineup, performances, and how to purchase a ticket at www.divasfordemocracy.com.

To learn more about Drag Out The Vote, visit www.dragoutthevote2020.org.

Drag Out The Vote™ is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works with drag performers to promote participation in democracy. We educate and register voters at drag events online and offline, by organizing local and national voter activations. Led by fierce drag kings and queens across the nation, we advocate for increased voter access and engagement in 2020 and beyond.

Josh Rhodes is a New York City based director and choreographer whose work has been on Broadway, the West End, and all around the United States. In New York City Rhodes recently directed and choreographed Mack & Mabel and Grand Hotel at City Center Encores! At the Kennedy Center he staged the critically acclaimed production of The Who's Tommy. On Broadway Rhodes choreographed the production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, It Shoulda Been You, First Date and Bright Star. Other choreography credits include the filmed production of Company, and Sondheim: The Birthday Concert for PBS. Rhodes is also a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.

Lee Wilkins is a stage director and creative director based in New York City who has worked for over 25 years in both television and live theater. He was the director of the NBC Universal upfront at Radio City Music Hall in 2018-2020. His work has also been seen on The Late Show with Steven Colbert, The Hatfields and McCoys, and Alpha House, Sondheim! The Birthday Concert, and Company. His theatrical work in New York has included Bright Star, It Shoulda Been You, First Date, Cinderella on Broadway as well as Grand Hotel, Mack & Mabel, and Big River at New York City Center Encores.

Stephen Oremus is a New York City based music supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger. Stephen won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations, the 2013 Grammy Award for Kinky Boots, the 2011 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Orchestrations, and the 2012 Grammy Award for The Book of Mormon. He was the music supervisor, arranger and/or orchestrator of Broadway productions of Wicked, Frozen, Avenue Q, All Shook Up and 9 to 5. Stephen also was the director of the 87th Academy Awards, The Wiz Live! on NBC, RENT Live on FOX, and was the conductor/vocal arranger for the films Frozen and Frozen 2.