Watch CHICAGO Star Jinkx Monsoon Cast Her Drag Sisters in Broadway Musicals
It’s the laugh heard from miles away. Last week in the Civilian Hotel, drag queen extraordinaire Jinkx Monsoon was holding court with the press ahead of her Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago. Delighting all who came across her path, she sat down with Theatrely to play a little theatre game called Dream Casting.
The two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner (Season 5 and All Stars 7) was tasked with envisioning what Broadway roles her sisters would be best suited for. Shea Couleé was an easy one while Monét X Change was a surprise at first and then made complete sense. And, of course, Mame was mentioned. Check out the video below.
Monsoon made her debut on January 16, with Broadway alum James T. Lane also joining the cast as Billy Flynn the same day. The current cast also features Charlotte d’Amboise as Roxie Hart, Lana Gordon as Velma Kelly, Evan Harrington as Amos Hart and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.
The drag queen is continuing a long tradition of the show’s casting of stars outside the Broadway realm. Recently, TV stars Pamela Anderson and Angelica Ross played Roxie, while talk show host Wendy Williams as Mama and R&B superstar Usher as Billy Flynn is the stuff of legend.
Chicago is now the longest-running American musical in Broadway history and celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway last year. Produced by Barry and Fran Weissler, the production is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.
Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, the production features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Scott Lehrer, and casting by Stewart/Whitley. Chicago features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.
Video production by Brandon Schwartz
