‘Drag: The Musical’ ready for NYC after slaying audiences in LA

If a philharmonic astir resistance queens — written by a “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner, with costumes by Emmy-winning resistance decorator Marco Marco — doesn’t dependable cheery capable for you, possibly this volition seal the deal: Broadway fable Liza Minnelli is 1 of its producers.

“Drag: The Musical,” a fabulously queer fantasy, marks the archetypal clip the EGOT goddess has produced a full-length musical. It’s present acceptable to marque its authoritative New York City debut aft slaying audiences successful L.A.

Written by drag powerhouse Alaska Thunderf*ck, alongside platinum grounds shaper Tomas Costanza and chart-topping singer-songwriter Ashley Gordon, “Drag: The Musical” opens Monday astatine New World Stages successful Hell’s Kitchen.

Nick Adams, Eddie Korbich and Alaska Thunderf*ck successful “Drag: The Musical.” (Matthew Murphy)

Featuring an all-star formed implicit with resistance royalty (Jan Sport, Jujubee, Luxx Noir London), Broadway stars (Nick Adams, Eddie Korbich, J. Elaine Marcos) and adjacent the eventual ‘90s heartthrob (Joey McIntyre of New Kids connected the Block), the philharmonic tells the communicative of 2 resistance houses warring for supremacy “in a wig-snatching, diva-licious philharmonic travel of fashion, household and forgiveness.”

The amusement marks a back-to-her-roots infinitesimal for Justin Andrew Honard, the off-stage sanction of Alaska Thunderf*ck, who studied theatre astatine the University of Pittsburgh but traded the thespian play for the conscionable the drama, mama.

After moving to Los Angeles successful the precocious aughts to prosecute an acting career, the Eerie, Pa. autochthonal realized her existent calling was to go 1 of the world’s best-known resistance stars.

“Being an histrion is truly hard, requires subject and hard work,” the 39-year-old told the Daily News portion embodying her afloat resistance persona. “And I conscionable wanted to party,” she joked.

But portion Alaska, the character, is often seen arsenic a prom-queen-gone-wrong, her creator is simply a hard-working, multi-talented artist. She became celebrated arsenic a fan-favorite connected “RuPaul’s Drag Race” whose “Hieeee” greeting went from reality TV catchphrase to popular civilization gold — and who’s present headed for theatre glory.

The thought for “Drag: The Musical” evolved from kiki sessions Alaska had with co-writers Costanza and Gordon immoderate 7 years ago.

The 2 Long Island-born prodigies, with whom Alaska had been “making euphony for a while,” suggested a signifier accumulation could beryllium their adjacent project.

“Sure, that’d beryllium easy,” Alaska joked, recalling her archetypal reaction. “Well, it was not easy, but I’m gladsome we did that.”

Apparently, truthful were audiences who packed Hollywood’s famed Bourbon Room during the show’s premiere staging successful the autumn of 2022.

Praised by critics arsenic the cleanable blend of “the rowdy amusive of a resistance performance with the glamor and polished veneer of a Broadway musical,” the groundbreaking show took location a BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award for Best New Play oregon Musical and a Queertie Award for Best Live Theater.

Jujubee, Jan Sport, Alaska Thunderf*ck and Nick Laughlin successful “Drag: The Musical.” (Matthew Murphy)

“Drag: The Musical” returned to the Bourbon Room earlier this twelvemonth for an encore tally arsenic the formed premiered for their much-awaited off-Broadway debut.

A somewhat modified 3rd iteration of the amusement volition diagnostic respective of its archetypal formed members, including McIntyre, Adams and “Drag Race” philharmonic theatre diva Jan Sport.

Jan, a New Jersey-born, New York-based queen who besides recovered her resistance calling done acting, said she’s thrilled to beryllium backmost successful the Big Apple doing “a operation of each of the things I love: philharmonic theatre and drag.”

It’s “ceremonious and fun,” the 31-year-old said, noting that adjacent erstwhile thing goes awry onstage — whether owed to a mishap implicit a “box afloat of wigs” oregon erstwhile chap prima Jujubee starts laughing and has “to look upstage” — the cast’s singular quality to improv tin “absolutely” salvage the situation.

“That’s what it’s each about,” Jan said. “And that’s besides the chill happening astir the show.”

A astonishing crook of events was however Minnelli became progressive arsenic a shaper for the off-Broadway run.

With lines astir the “Cabaret” prima already woven into the philharmonic — “because you can’t constitute a amusement astir resistance and not notation her” — producers were hoping to get Minnelli to supply a voiceover for the show.

But erstwhile they reached retired to the 78-year-old star, she had different idea.

“She was, like, ‘Well, I don’t privation to conscionable bash that… I privation to travel connected arsenic a producing spouse arsenic well,'” Alaska said. “And truthful we were like, yeah, okay, yeah, you should bash that.”

“Drag: The Musical,” present successful previews, opens Monday astatine New World Stages and runs done the extremity of March. Tickets are disposable connected Telecharge.