A roaring sea of jeweled fishnets and pleather catsuits came crashing through the historic Paramount Theater Aug. 8 as Seattle drag fans zealously awaited the start of “Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Season Nine Live.
As the theater’s fluorescents dimmed overhead, dancing attendees abruptly assumed their seats—eager murmurs echoing throughout the crowd. Shannel, famously the first queen to have ever entered the werkroom, was also the first queen to enter the stage, bringing with her an eruption of applause.
Shannel would act as the host of the show, serving a plethora of glamorous looks and hilariously shady remarks to the “bottoms” sitting in the front row. Who, given the price of their seating, must not be the “bottoms” of the tax bracket.
The first night of their national tour, Shannel prefaced that “If you see any mistakes, no you didn’t. If you didn’t see any mistakes, you weren’t looking hard enough.”
The all-star cast of the evening was composed of Shannel, Plastique Tiara, Roxxxy Andrews, Angeria Paris VanMicheals, Jorgeous, and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo. Each strutted across the stage in masterfully fitted outfits as their names projected above them, fans screaming and jumping with each click of their heels and toss of their hair.
Following the introduction, Shannel explained that each queen had chosen a favorite episode from the season to help inspire their dance numbers. The queen’s choices ranged from the Smokin’ Hot Firefighter Makeover episode, the Snatch Game of Love, the National Drag Convention Roast, and other iconic season nine episodes.
Jorgeous chose episode 6: The National Drag Convention Roast, as inspiration for her dance, citing the adventurous decision to attend the roast while playing up a macho character as a defining moment of the season. With a slicked back hairstyle and explosive music, Jorgeous gave an electric performance characteristic of her acclaimed dancing prowess.
Jorgeous was followed by Plastique Tiara, whose glamorous performance consisted of multiple different outfit reveals (because what else is there to expect from fashion queen Plastique?) and beautiful homages to her Vietnamese culture. Plastique’s polish and magnetism could be felt throughout the Paramount Theater, gold encrusted bodysuits and meticulous body movements painting an image of pure perfection.
Following killer performances by both Jorgeous and Plastique Tiara, Shannel announced that three audience members would be partaking in a drag competition of their own. After three volunteers made their way to the stage, Shannel had each introduce themselves: a current bedroom drag performer, a drag-curious superfan, and an electrician.
Each contestant had two minutes to get in quick-drag before performing a lip-sync in hopes of progressing to the next round. The two progressing drag queens would be determined by the audience with Shannel gauging the volume of applause and hollering.
After stomping around the stage to “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga, the electrician’s performance was not considered as “electric” as the others. When it was revealed that Angeria Paris VanMicheals, the reigning champion of season nine, would judge the final round, both remaining contestants poured their hearts out to “Proud Mary” by Ike and Tina Turner, with the drag-curious superfan coming out on top.
While these performances were admittedly incomparable to the lip-syncs turned out by the season nine queens, this mini-competition undoubtedly captured the joyous, accepting and communal essence of the event. Unencumbered queer artistry made more beautiful in its ability to inspire and welcome.
After this heart-warming win, the audience was treated to more lip-sync pageantry courtesy of the all star queens. Roxxxy Andrews delivered a vibrantly sexy performance full of theatrical wig flips and energetic interactions with her nearly-nude backup dancers. It became ever-apparent that her lip sync winning streak has been well deserved.
Angeria Paris VanMicheals exemplified old Hollywood glamor as she performed to Marilyn Monroe’s epochal “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” surrounded by dancers fanning her with red feathers. Angeria’s season-winning charisma was evident in her performance, with Broadway-worthy expressions weaving their way throughout her set.
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo took the stage with exclamations of “My pussy is on fire!” And while there was no clear evidence of her vaginal region being set aflame, her performance was most definitely ablaze. With ample pelvic thrusts, explosive kicks and twerking action, Vanjie’s steaming number left the audience feeling red-hot.
Shannel paid tribute to her Liberace impersonation on the Snatch Game of Love as she plucked at a bedazzled piano set on stage left, her iconic hyperbolic facial expressions emphasizing the acceleration of every note and rhythm. And it wouldn’t have been a true Shannel performance without showcasing her exquisite juggling skills. Clad in silver sequins, Shannel spun juggling clubs high above her while spinning below and catching them without a second-passing of the eyes, creating a dynamic and thrilling experience for the audience.
Folowing a mini-runway marked by Plastique’s futuristic golden wings and a recreation of the fan-favorite LaLaPaRuza Smackdown, the show ended in a whirlwind of personality and production.
“Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars Live” had as much passion and showmanship as the season nine queens, creating a night of delightfully sexy dance numbers, hilariously petty commentary, over-the-top style, charming interludes and genuine human connection.
