Drag Race royalty Jinkx Monsoon makes Broadway history with Chicago role: ‘We did it kids!’
Jinkx Monsoon becomes first drag artist to star in iconic Chicago role on Broadway (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for VH1/Paramount +)
Drag Race icon Jinkx Monsoon is making history by joining the Broadway cast of Chicago.
The two-time winner will be performing as Matron “Mama” Morton for an eight-week run in 2023, becoming the first drag artist to ever take on the role, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Jinkx Monsoon, who won series five of Drag Race and series seven of All Stars, will join Chicago from 16 January, 2023, as it extends its run as the longest-running musical revival in Broadway history.
Celebrating on Twitter, Jinkx Monsoon wrote: “I cannot stress enough that this has been a lifelong dream of mine.
“I’m making my Broadway debut… We did it kids!”
She added to Entertainment Weekly: “To be making my Broadway debut, as my favorite role, in one of my favorite shows – that lifelong dream is coming true and then some.
“The first number I performed in drag was ‘All That Jazz’, so this feels almost too serendipitous. But, I never question my blessings, I just thank Hecate for them.”
Pose star Angelica Ross recently wrapped up a stint in Chicago. She became the first trans woman to play Roxie Hart on Broadway.
I cannot stress enough that this has been a lifelong dream of mine. I'm making my Broadway debut…we did it kids! 😭🖤 @ChicagoMusical pic.twitter.com/qaxNDS2oTQ
— Jinkx Monsoon (@JinkxMonsoon) November 22, 2022
Ahead of her Chicago role, Jinkx Monsoon will be starring alongside fellow Drag Race contestant BenDeLaCreme in their fourth international holiday tour, titled The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show.
Speaking about how important drag is for the queer community, Jinkx Monsoon said: “It’s for the queer community, by queer artists.
“So the art is better because of the mission statement, and the mission statement gets fulfilled because we follow it while we’re creating the art. That’s the work I’ve always wanted to do.
“When something is niche, like the queer community, we get conditioned by mainstream culture to think of it in more limited terms.
“What our show does, is build upon [shows like Drag Race] and say, not only are there many different types of drag queens out there, there’s many different ways to perform drag and to receive drag.”
Limited tickets for The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show are still available.
