By Jason Fontelieu
Groundbreaking, world-traveling drag artist Sasha Velour is bringing her newest production, The Big Reveal Live Show!, to Strathmore’s Music Center this January. Based on her book The Big Reveal, An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag, Velour describes the show, a coproduction with Washington Performing Arts, as “the history of drag, as told by a drag artist,” blending theatrical surprises with deeply personal truths.
Q: Can you expand on the concept of the “reveal” and what it means to you?
A: There are two sides to the “reveal.” One is that surprise is a huge aspect of the art of drag, subverting people’s expectations and twisting meanings. Drag is where genuinely surprising things happen—people show talents you didn’t expect, and the boundaries of gender and beauty are subverted in ways that give you a sense of the possibility in life. That’s why there’s a joyous aspect to drag. So much more is possible in a drag show, with fewer needs than in most places. The other side of the reveal is that beyond the spectacle, costumes, and heavy makeup, we share personal things about ourselves on stage. I try to put both of those in every three-to-seven-minute drag number—a bit of surprise and a bit of truth.
Q: What is your favorite part of the show?
A: Oh my gosh, it changes. The show opens with an iconic performance. I wait inside a prop on stage, watching the audience come in, and then I pop out to start the show. I’ve never heard such a loud reaction in any theater I’ve ever performed in.
Q: What do you want people to get out of this show?
A: I want people to see the artistic merit of drag, particularly the silly parts. That’s one of the places where the artistry really shines. Sometimes people think art has to be deathly serious, and while I have a lot of that in the show, there’s also a lot of camp. I talk about my grandma’s experience with drag in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s and how that influenced me as a kid. To some people, that’s a reminder that drag, queerness, and trans expression on stage have been a part of culture for a while and shouldn’t be so shocking.
Q: Why is it so important to remind people about the history of drag?
A: It’s the ultimate statement that we belong in every part of culture and every corner of the world. The fact that drag has found a way to exist despite centuries of backlash is the ultimate testament that we will keep existing no matter what.
Strathmore and Washington Performing Arts Present
Sasha Velour’s The Big Reveal Live Show!
Sat, Jan 25, 8pm
Photo credit: Greg Endries