WERQIN’ IT: THE AGE OF
by tim parks Armed with a mantra of “You’ve gotta roll with the punches,” and
a drag name taken from her Zodiac sign, Aquaria hit the stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race for Season 10 and snatched the crown, making it known that we are living in the Age of Aquaria. It’s a safe bet to say that same attitude will be prevalent duringRuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World Tour. The Rage Monthly chatted with Aquaria about age just being a number,
Mama Ru and, of course, werqin’ it. She is the youngest queen to be crowned onDrag Race, a fact that seemed to get people’s panties in a bunch. “I’ve had many years of training prior toDrag Race and working clubs in New York prior to being 21,” she said. “And I’ve also heard from other people as well that it’s very inspiring to see someone so young and determined and well-practiced.” Anytime someone deals with a beloved icon, you have to wonder if
they live up to expectations or if their stage persona differs from what we see on the small screen. Aquaria reported that Mama Ru was a mix of “business” and “fun” on set, as she explained. “She would mess around with us sometimes in between takes,” Aquaria stated. “So, it’s nice to see that side of her. This person is so intimidating to us, but also so inspiring.” As far as Aquaria’s proudest moment—aside from winning the whole
damn thing—drum roll please... “I was very proud winning The Snatch Game,” she said. “It’s such a benchmark challenge. I guess not very many other people thought I could be quick and on my feet about comedy like that. So, it’s nice to surprise people like that.” Audiences can also expect sickening surprises during the tour. “It’s a full-scale, through the roof, fabulous drag production,” Aquaria detailed. “It’s the highest level of drag that you can find traveling the country and it doesn’t get better than this, with fabulous hosts and fierce production numbers!”
MICHELLE VISAGE: CONFESSIONS OF A DRAG HAG
Michelle Visage and RuPaul have
been like peanut butter and jelly since the ‘80s. A friendship that blossomed into working together during the ’90s on the VH1 talk show The RuPaul Show and as cohost for RuPaul’s WTKU radio show from 1996 through 2002. She came on board as a judge for
RuPaul’s Drag Race during its third season and prior to her time spent working with her bestie, Visage was a singer in the group Seduction, circa 1990, who had a hit with “Two to Make It Right.” Now she is back on stage as the host
ofRuPaul’s Werq the World Tour and she corresponded withThe Rage Monthly to talk all things “drag hag.”
The most common misconception that people have about her: That I’m some villain. Me a villain?
Never! Am I tough, absolutely. My job is to make the queens go deeper and tap into things they never knew existed within them. I never want them to settle with what they have and always know to push themselves harder to get what they want out of life. The best and worst parts of being RuPaul’s “drag hag?” Drag Race has been so special to
me for a few reasons. For one, it is so rewarding for me to see the queens
grow from their days on the show to where they are today. The first and most important reason, though, is having the opportunity to work so closely with one of my favorite people on this planet, who just happens to be one of my best friends. We hit it off from day one, minute one. We were kindred spirits from “Hey, girl!” I love being a part of Ru’s epic work and legacy. The worst part is maybe finding
things to critique! Some of these queens are so amazing that it is literally finding a needle in a haystack. How she thinksRuPaul’s Drag Race has opened up the world of drag not only within the LGBTQ community, but for “regular folks,” as well: The show is huge in the LGBTQ
community, but to the outside world it’s still not on their radar. It’s getting bigger, I see a lot more college-age ladies in the audiences atWerq the World, that’s for sure, but we have a long way to go before we can say we’ve hit the masses.
Werq the World has two stops in SoCal: OnSaturday, October 6 it werqs it inside Downtown Los Angeles’Orpheum Theatre and onSunday, October 7 they drag the show toSan Diego’s Balboa Theatredowntown. For tickets and more information, go to
vossevents.com/events/werq-the-world .
AQUARIA
stage
SEPTEMBER 2018 | RAGE monthly 47
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