In DRAG: The Musical, two Drag Houses, both alike in indignity, vie for supremacy in a wig-snatching journey of fashion, family, and forgiveness. After a bitter split, two estranged queens bring their already simmering tensions to a boiling point when they open competing clubs. In this queen-eat-queen tale of spite and survival, there’s only one rule: No Lip Synching Allowed. Entertainment Weekly calls it, “drag at its best” and BroadwayWorld raves, “They hit the ball out of the park. Rowdy fun with the glamor of a Broadway musical.”
The “epic cast of drag, theater, and LGBTQ+ icons” (Entertainment Tonight) features Alaska Thunderf*ck (through 1/11/25), Jujubee, Jan Sport, Lagoona Bloo, J. Elaine Marcos and features New Kids on the Block’s, Joey McIntyre (through 11/24/24).
While DRAG: The Musical is a campy, fun time, it also has educational value. Several of the songs teach important lessons, both for long-term fans of drag and for those new to it: drag is expensive, wigs are a key part of drag (the song “Wigs” features an extremely impressive slew of rapid wig changes), drag can be for anyone and can be a way to harness a gender expression you want to play with, explore, embrace, or embody (even if only temporarily onstage), and yet, sometimes we love drag just because, as Alexis and Brendan agree on, “it’s so pretty.”
"Drag: The Musical” opened Monday at New World Stages, and for much of the show, it joins the illustrious company of those aforementioned titles. It’s only big problem: It’s too Broadway even though it’s playing Off Broadway. Clearly, the show has big-stage ambitions. Jason Sherwood’s set and especially Marco Marco’s many glitzy costumes are very Broadway quality. They dazzle! Actually, they dazzle too much. Part of the appeal of drag is its inherent tackiness, and sometimes the display of money can kill a laugh. “Titanique,” especially, knows how to use cheapness to induce guffaws.
2024 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
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