“RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 18 contestant Myki Meeks. (Photo courtesy World of Wonder)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” didn’t just sashay onto MTV for its 18th season this month. It proved the global competition is here to slay.
Deadline reported Jan. 7 that this year’s premiere was a franchise best, delivering double-digit growth over last year’s debut. That’s thanks in no small part to Florida, which over a third of this year’s contestants call home.
“This season, 14 sickening new queens enter the Werk Room to compete for the title of ‘America’s Next Drag Superstar,’ an official makeup collaboration … and a cash prize of $200,000,” World of Wonder announced in December. The competition for the crown officially started Jan. 2.
Three of this season’s queens are from South Florida, including the first mother-daughter duo to compete against one another, Miami’s Athena and Juicy Love Dion. Also in their drag family is Mia Starr of West Palm Beach.
Two entertainers from Central Florida and Tampa Bay join them, locales which are no stranger to the “Drag Race” spotlight.
Franchise favorites Roxxxy Andrews, Alexis Mateo, Coco Montrese, Trinity Taylor and more have called the regions home, including season 17 finalist Jewels Sparkles and reigning “All Stars” winner Ginger Minj.
Joining their sisterhood from St. Petersburg is Discord Addams.
“Who’s ready for a little chaos?” World of Wonder teased her debut, calling her “a high-fashion punk rock maximalist, serving looks packed with safety pins, studs and unapologetic attitude.”
“Known for playing guitar in a punk rock band, Discord brings a dark, raw energy to the stage,” they continued. “Her ultimate goal: to trade the mosh pit for the runway and become a bona fide drag rock star.”
Myki Meeks rounds out Florida’s fantastic five. World of Wonder called her “Orlando’s dynamic theatrical powerhouse.
“A self-described ‘recovering theater kid,’ Myki blends glamour with camp, lights up the room as a host, and is known back home for her quick wit and ease with a microphone,” they noted. “A talented actress and consummate performer, Myki brings a stage presence that will keep the competition on its toes.”
Both queens advanced after the season premiere, which they celebrated with fans in their hometowns.
Addams welcomed St. Petersburg supporters to Cocktail, her home bar where she’ll appear at watch parties. Among other surprises, the night featured an engagement when she asked her partner Gidget Von Addams to marry her. She said yes.
Meeks simultaneously hosted a watch party at the temporary home of Renaissance Theatre Company, long her homebase. The entertainer was joined by Sparkles to provide commentary, which she’ll do throughout the season.
Watermark Out News caught up with each queen afterwards to discuss life before, during and after “Drag Race.” Read our interview with Addams here and Meeks below:
WATERMARK OUT NEWS: What drew you to drag?
Myki Meeks: I grew up performing in theater and I learned I had a little bit more queerness to me than I thought. I came up at a time when “Drag Race” was playing on LOGO and I was watching the first few seasons in my bedroom as a closeted kid. It opened up this whole other world of performance art and once I was old enough, I was able to go out to the clubs to see it in person.
I was very much in the horse blinders of a theater career and once that started to burn me out a little bit … I was really diving head first into this queer nightlife, realizing, “I can have more than one love here” and if I wanted to do drag, I had to start. So I did, and I looked really bad — and those pictures are archived so no one can find them. It’s been seven years since then.
How did you conceptualize Myki Meeks?
When I first started, I was way more comedy based, so I would do more concepts for performance. I would do “Ratatouille” as a number, or Darth Vader as a number. But the Orlando scene is really based in pageantry and glamor, and I started to learn more techniques from the queens around me about how to make myself look way prettier. (Laughs.)
So that was really influencing that side as well — I was bringing this camp style mixed with the glamor aspect of the city. I like to say I’m very well rounded and I hope it shows on the show.
How else do you describe Orlando drag?
I would say glamor and production. With Orlando drag, the bar was set high because of Parliament House, which would bring in and/or have the top drag performers of their time on cast. A lot of them were trans women, so the dolls were really setting the precedent of what it took to be a working drag entertainer in the city.
It’s still relevant today, even though Parliament House is not around anymore, but with queens like Roxxxy Andrew, Sassy Devine, Tashae Royale Sherrington, the bar is there, so it’s a little competitive here because there aren’t as many opportunities as other cities. But if you are committed to it, and you look good and you know how to perform, it’s great.
Also, I say that Orlando’s drag scene, we are the entertainers for the entertainers, those theme park performers. They come to see our show once they’re done with theirs, if they’re not already in the show. We have a lot of people in this city who love to entertain and the drag scene is for all those queer people in the scene.
How did it prepare you for “Drag Race?”
Well, I’m very thankful for a place like the Renaissance Theater Company, my main venue where they allow me to act out my wildest ideas. People go to the Ren to see the drag, they’re not necessarily there to party. Other places, that’s their vibe and that’s totally valid as well — but the Ren has established that the drag here is a show. It is an art form and we’re not just doing Top 40 stuff here.
So I’ve been able to do every type of number you can imagine with my show “Off the Record,” where we change the theme every week. I’ve had to learn different types of music and types of performance and I host, too. So I’m not only on the mic but I’m changing my type of music every single time. Getting a feel for different types of audiences meant that going into “Drag Race,” I felt pretty comfortable with what was coming my way.
Was “Drag Race” always a goal for you?
Well, what other art form has a reality TV competition that’s the pinnacle of what you’re doing? You don’t really go to a professional singer and go, “you need to be on ‘The Voice,’” but for some reason for drag it’s, “you need to be on ‘Drag Race.’” Was it a goal? Yeah, definitely. Not necessarily when I first started, but I felt like I had checked off my list here in Orlando, and I was ready for the next level, which I knew would be “Drag Race.”
This was my fourth time auditioning and the first two times, I had no intention or idea that I’d be cast. I just wanted to get the practice … but this last tape I did, I said “if this doesn’t get me there, I don’t know what else I could do.” I felt so good about it. I felt like I showed off everything I could, and when I got that first call to say I was considered for the show, I burst out in tears. It felt so validating.
What is it about Florida drag that lends itself to “Drag Race?”
Latrice Royale, Ginger, Trinity, Roxxy, Alexis Mateo… I can’t speak of why there is a strong pool of talent here in Florida, but I do think that every city in this state has its own type of the way they do drag, and it’s all really exciting. Like I said, Orlando is entertainment based, because of the theme parks and because of the history with Parliament House. Miami, that’s the brunch scene. That’s where you want to go to see high caliber flips and tricks and all that stuff. And then Tampa, they wear a lot of body suits. No, I’m just kidding. That’s a joke. (Laughs.)
Discord’s from there, so I think they have a good alternative scene as well. It’s all great. Florida is such a red state, so you could argue that because of the restrictions around us, we found these pockets and bubbles of queerness that people really want to celebrate in a state that doesn’t want us to exist.
Do you have a good rapport with this year’s Florida girls?
It’s Florida versus the world. I do, I love them all. I had not met any of them before going into the show, but leaving the show I love all of them. I especially got very close with Athena Dion. She’s like my new stage mother now.
What was it like watching the premiere?
Obviously it was beautiful. I think I might have crashed my dopamine system… everything has just been a lot. This is my first time experiencing this type of event. I don’t know how to describe it — watching myself on TV felt very out of body. Being at the party, I was just like, “what’s going on? What’s happening?” But it was just so cool.
With the first episode I knew I was very safe and it wasn’t a big story moment for me, so it took a little bit of pressure off, knowing that people wouldn’t really be talking about me, critique-wise online. But people got my essence right off the bat, and the online response has been really cool. The main thing I’ve been getting after the episode is how much I look like Arya Stark, which I love. I’ve known that since I’ve watched “Game of Thrones,” and she’s a badass. So it could be worse.
What else has surprised you?
The international part of it. I’m getting messages from all over the world, which I never imagined. I mean, I’ve always said I’m ready to take my drag to the world stage … but I didn’t realize how real that is. I’ve gotten messages from South America, Australia, the UK, I got a message from Portugal. I’m like, “well, if you know someone who wants me there, come and book me, because I will gladly go.”
You’ll be bringing your season 18 sisters to Orlando for “Off the Record.” What can you share about that?
We started bringing in “Drag Race” girls last year and they’ve been a big hit at the Ren … then I got cast. The most exciting thing about “Drag Race,” I think, is the watch parties. Being able to comment and watch with your friends and agree, disagree and all that — and the cool thing about “Drag Race” is that, yes, these are people you see on TV, but it’s so achievable to see them in real life too.
So to be able to bring them to my venue so all the new fans of the show can meet an entire cast of queens they fell in love with is so special. It was also really easy. I told all the girls, “hey, I want you all at my venue” and they’ve seen what we’ve done. They all said “yes” right off the bat.
What do you want to tease?
Well, I’m still figuring a lot out for myself — but as for the season, I can’t give away any spoilers, but I do love these queens so much. I think that there is a queen for everybody to root for. We looked around that first day and went, “Oh, damn, everyone here is so talented.” It is a more seasoned cast, so get ready for some drama … there are also some incredible looks coming up, incredible looks.
As for my journey, I’ll be at the Renaissance Theater Company for the first two months for the viewing parties on Fridays, and then I’ll be hosting “Off the Record” every Wednesday. There hasn’t been an Orlando queen on the show for a regular season since season nine, so for it to be season 18 now and to represent for a whole new generation is just so cool.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on MTV. For more information about each queen and local watch parties, visit DiscordAddams.com and MykiMeeks.com.
