Sasha Velour Opens World-Premiere Drag Spectacular at the La Jolla Playhouse

In a Co-Production with Tectonic Theater Project

A Blog View by Alejandra Enciso-Dardashti

Sasha Velour in VELOUR: A DRAG SPECTACULAR. Photo by Rich Soublet II.

I have always been a Drag Queen fan, a RuPaul and her Drag Race fan, and of course, when Sasha and her petal falling self, came to the reality show in season 9, I became a fan too. It was exciting that a world premiere involving Sasha would happen in San Diego.

La Jolla Playhouse opened Velour: A Drag Spectacular, on August 18th. The piece is by Sasha Velour and Moisés Kaufman, in a co-production with Tectonic Theater Project, and directed by Moisés Kaufman.

The one-act show takes audiences through Sasha's life since she was little and played dress-up with her grandmother who embraced her talent at that tender age. Showing the artistic references Sasha had, her mother, questioning the creative choices, how and why a little boy wanted to wear women's clothes, and worries about acceptance and safety. The moving storytelling is tear-inducing, and David Rockwell's scenic design takes it to the next level by capturing analogies and metaphors using miniature/scaled houses that serve as screens to host Sasha's childhood movies (A House of Velour video creation) performing, concluding, and being with her grandmother and mother. The performance starts out very pink with an aerial stunt designed by Angela Phillips while having each visual pop thanks to Amanda Zieve's lighting design that is bright and contouring giving also dimensions that move along the stage. Sasha refers to a French Drag Queen of 1930 including some projections of the movies she starred in as well as a couple of interviews. She also lipsyncs, dances, and does a fantastic sketch that includes iconic songs like Beyonce and Lady Gaga's Telephone accessorized by the audio of famous movie scenes and happenings thoughtfully designed by Palmer Hefferan that make for great live entertainment showing care and rounded out by Stephen Oremus music supervision.

Sasha Velour in VELOUR: A DRAG SPECTACULAR. Photo by Rich Soublet II.

In an all-green colored scene, Sasha is looking in the mirror, in an amazing effect where we see both her back and her face through the magic of projection, courtesy of  Ettie Pin's projection design and, this analogy might reflect Sasha's life but, truthfully, it can be a reflection of anybody's. What that can mean, along with the different personas or fronts we put up to face society with and in all its layers. Sensitivity specialist Ann C. James's work shines through as the content is truly moving and can reach different fibers. Going hand in hand with Moisés Kaufman who threaded everything together moving Sasha through all the phases so she can take the audience. Complementing the artistry, the costumes by Diego Montoya Studio are beautiful, feathery, glittery, everything "ery", and abstract.

This show feels like a combination of various references, Sasha's run on DragRace -which is where many people know her from-, her book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag, and the next phases in her career as a performer. Everything is obviously printed with Velour's tender, creative essence. The end of the performance involves a big reveal that is the perfect cherry on top. 

As beautiful and glamorous as the show is, I could also see a stripped-down version as all the heartfelt elements are there and because Velour is a star that shines on her own, brightening whatever stage she steps foot on. -Lo demás, es lo de menos-.

Velour: A Drag Spectacular is currently playing until September 15 and it is selling fast! For more information on ticket prices click HERE.