The 16th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered on Jan. 5 on MTV and two Brooklyn representatives are among the contestants.
The latest season features 14 queens competing for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a cash prize of $200,000. Dawn and Megami, two experienced performers based in Brooklyn, have already made great impressions.
Drag performers from across the U.S. have come together to compete in the biggest drag art contest that takes in account costumes, makeup, lip singing, dancing, some gymnastics and stage presence. RuPaul, arguably the biggest drag icon worldwide, and her panel of judges —including producers, fashion designers, actors, stylists, electropop musicians and choreographers— will pick the winner. Brooklyn Paper first got a hold of Dawn to get some insights about her experience working with the giants of the industry. The publication will be talking to Megami in coming days.
“All the flowers to RuPaul,” she said. “We all start into drag after learning from RuPaul. She teaches a lot about finding yourself. We all have doubts, and she pushes us to live our lives regardless of them. Also, she is hilarious.”
This season marks the 15th Anniversary of the Drag Race franchise, which first premiered Feb. 2, 2009. The season 15 premiere was the number 1 cable entertainment telecast of the day, according to reporting from Deadline.
The popularity of the original series led to the creation of a media franchise including spin-offs and international adaptations. Now, different versions are produced in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Chile, Canada, Sweden, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Mexico.
Dawn, who was raised in North Carolina and currently lives in Bushwick, is a completely self-taught drag queen. She had an “ambiguous” start into drag in 2017, right after she finished college, only five months after she came out as gay, when she found an eyeliner in her mom’s purse. By 2020,…
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