‘Drag: The Musical’ to premiere off Broadway this fall

The new show about a fierce rivalry between two struggling drag bars began as a 2022 album featuring numerous former contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Drag us to the theatre! Following two smash hit runs in Los Angeles, the new show Drag: The Musical will come to New York this fall. Off-Broadway performances begin at New World Stages on September 30, with opening night scheduled for October 21.

Drag: The Musical is about two rival drag bars that battle for survival amid financial struggles. The show began as a cast album in 2022, and the fully staged production premiered at The Bourbon Room in Los Angeles, California later that year. It returned for an encore run from March 15-30 of this year, winning the BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award for Best New Play or Musical and the Queerties Award for Live Theater.

The L.A. production featured multiple famous RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants including Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, Manila Luzon, Jujubee, and Jan Sport. Other cast members included Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block, Broadway performers Nick Adams and J. Elaine Marcos, and Lagoona Bloo, Jamie Torcellini, Kayden Koshelev, and Nick Laughlin.

Thunderfuck, Jujubee, Jan Sport, Lagoona Bloo, Marcos, and McIntyre will return for the 2024 New York production. McIntyre will perform through November 24, and Thunderfuck through January 11, 2025.

"When I first moved to Los Angeles, I dreamt of being an actor. Then I realized being an actor is hard, so I became a drag queen," Thunderfuck said in a statement. "Now, after almost 20 years of drag, I've written myself into a musical.

"I think New York audiences are going to love this sweet and simple tale of drag queens being cunty to one another. What I’m trying to say is: dreams really do come true."

Drag: The Musical is co-written by Alaska, Tomas Costanza, and Ashley Gordon. The 2024 production, like the L.A. runs, is directed and choreographed by Emmy nominee Spencer Liff. Additionally, the Off-Broadway production features lighting design by Adam Honoré, costume design by Marco Marco, scenic design by Jason Sherwood, sound design by Drew Levy, and projection design by Aaron Rhyne.

Check back for information on Drag: The Musical tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: Thunderfuck, Joey McIntyre, J. Elaine Marcos, Jan Sport, Jujubee, and Lagoona Bloo. (Photos courtesy of production)