RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! just celebrated its 1,000th show at the Flamingo Las Vegas — and shantay, they’re here to stay.
The gag-worthy milestone is a testament to the resilience and popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! as it continues to break barriers and celebrate inclusivity.
“I think it’s so f—ing cool,” Jaida Essence Hall, one of the show’s stars, exclusively told Us Weekly on Saturday, March 15. “So many different types of people come through Vegas, and us being here is so important. Here’s to another 1,000 shows!”
Since the show debuted in early 2020, RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! has not only dazzled audiences with extravagant performances, glamorous costumes and showstopping talent but has also created a space for diverse voices and stories to shine.
According to the show’s current hostess, Ginger Minj (who was honored during the 1,000th performance by receiving a fake slap from RuPaul), there is an art to being inclusive of the audience. “You just have to talk to people,” she told Us. “My favorite thing in the world is getting to know people and find out how we can have the best shared experience.”
Current cast member Asia O’Hara echoed that sentiment. “I have a desire to help usher people into new places,” the RuPaul’s Drag Race season 10 alum said. “We have a lot of people who come here who don’t know us, and I want them to go back to where they came from with a positive outlook on drag.”
Britney Spears impersonator Derrick Barry has been a part of 900 of the 1,000 shows and has had a long career in Vegas, but even she’s impressed by the longevity of RPDR Live!
They put the bass in their walk! RuPaul’s Drag Race introduced drag to a mainstream audience in 2009, but the art form has thrived in the LGBTQ community for decades. RuPaul — whose drag persona skyrocketed him to fame in the ’90s — told Us Weekly in 2012 that his idea for the unconventional series was […]
“The visibility is on another level,” Barry explained. “I see myself on billboards in Vegas and I feel like I’m the queen of the Strip! I feel so seen and happy that other people can maybe see themselves in me.”
The monumental celebration on Saturday also brought out RuPaul himself as well as the top six queens from the current season: Sam Star, Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love, Onya Nurve, Suzie Toot and Lana Ja’Rae, who might be gracing the stage themselves one day soon.
Lexi Love told Us that it’s been “nerve-racking” representing the trans community on TV — but also rewarding. “It means my people still have a chance and still have space somewhere in this country,” she added.
For those Drag Race fans who haven’t made it to Vegas yet, the Live! format is as follows: The queens perform a live version of a RPDR episode, including a mini challenge, maxi challenge, runway and, of course, a lip sync for their lives!
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“The show is so extravagant,” season 17 contestant Sam Star told Us. “And that’s what I’m all about: sequins, feathers, high heels and glamour, glamour and more glamour.”
It’s clear that the show is not about to sashay away anytime soon.
The 1,000th edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! is available to stream on WOW Presents Plus. Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race airs on MTV Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.
