Hedda Lettuce is the stage name of Steven Polito, an American drag queen, comedian and singer who lives and works in New York City. Polito debuted his character Hedda Lettuce in 1991 on the Manhattan Cable TV show The Brenda and Glennda Show. Lettuce's appearances include MTV, Comedy Central, The People's Court and a cameo on Sex and the City as Samantha's ex-beau turned Bingo Drag impersonator. Lettuce's film appearances include To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Cruise Control, The Look, Red Lipstick, and Musical Chairs.
Joey Arias, also known as Joseph Arias and Joe Arias, is an American artist based in New York City, best known for work as a performance artist, cabaret singer, and drag artist, but also as a published author, comedian, stage persona and film actor.
David Cerda is an American performer and playwright based in Chicago. He is currently the artistic director for Hell in a Handbag Productions, which he co-founded in 2002. His campy, highly theatrical plays have made him a notable presence within the Chicago theater scene. He has written and appeared in many of his works, including a transgressive adaptation of Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer, How ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ Happened and POSEIDON! An Upside-Down Musical which won the New York International Fringe Festival Best Ensemble Award and was the most attended show of the festival that year.
Michael R. Steck, better known by the stage name Pandora Boxx, is an American drag queen, comedian, and reality television personality from Rochester, New York. Boxx competed in the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing fifth and winning Miss Congeniality, and subsequently returned for the first and sixth seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Boxx also appeared in all three seasons of the Drag Race spin-off series RuPaul's Drag U. Outside of reality television, Pandora Boxx has toured internationally, released several musical singles, and performed in film, television, and theatre.
Mimi Imfurst, the stage name of Braden Stewart Chapman, is an American drag performer. She appeared on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars and was a founding member of the girl group Xelle. In 2017, he became the first U.S. drag queen to perform in Cuba, lip-syncing to Madonna's "Express Yourself" with a group of local dancers.
Matthew Dail Sanderson, better known by the stage name Detox Icunt or simply Detox, is an American drag performer and recording artist. Detox was a fixture of the Southern California drag scene before coming to international attention on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
Roy R. Haylock, better known by the stage name Bianca Del Rio, is an American drag queen, comedian, actor, and costume designer. She is known for winning the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Since her time on Drag Race, Del Rio has written and toured several stand-up shows, including It's Jester Joke (2019), which also made her the first drag queen to headline at Wembley Arena. She has also performed as a host for various international tours, most notably Werq the World. In 2018, she published her first book, Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert On Nothing With An Opinion On Everything.
Daniel Logan, better known by his stage name Dallas DuBois, is an American actor and drag queen.
Peppermint, or Miss Peppermint, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, television personality, drag queen, and activist. She is best known from the nightlife scene and, in 2017, as the runner-up on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. In 2018, Peppermint made her debut in The Go-Go's-inspired musical Head Over Heels as Pythio, becoming Broadway's first out trans woman to originate a lead role.
Alexander J. Michaels, stage name Alexis Michelle, is an American drag queen and singer who came to international attention on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. As of 2019, she stars in the TLC transformational makeover television series Dragnificent as the makeup and body image expert. She released her debut album, Lovefool, in 2018.
Ivy Winters is the stage name of Dustin Winters, an American drag performer, singer and actor. She is best known for competing on the fifth season of the reality-show RuPaul's Drag Race, later winning the Miss Congeniality title.
James Heath-Clark, known professionally as Honey Davenport, is an American drag performer, singer, songwriter, actor and activist. Davenport was a longtime fixture of the New York City nightlife scene and came to international attention as a contestant on season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Born in West Philadelphia, Heath-Clark attended college for musical theatre in New York, where he began his career as a backup dancer for Peppermint. He later established his own dance group, The Hunties. After taking up drag, Davenport became active in the pageant circuit of that community, winning 18 titles between 2013 and 2018. In 2013, she and her band, Electrohoney, released an eponymous album and starred in a live rock opera called The Electric Highway. She also performed in two off-Broadway shows, The Orion Experience (2013) and Trinkets (2017–2018). In the latter, she played the leading role.
Brita Filter, the stage name of Jesse Carl Havea, is an American drag queen who has appeared on Shade: Queens of NYC and the twelfth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, ultimately placing 9th.
The New York City Drag March, or NYC Drag March, is an annual drag protest and visibility march taking place in June, the traditional LGBTQ pride month in New York City. Organized to coincide ahead of the NYC Pride March, both demonstrations commemorate the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn, widely considered the pivotal event sparking the gay liberation movement, and the modern fight for LGBTQ rights.
Industry Bar, or simply Industry, is a gay bar and nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Owned by Bob Pontarelli, it is a sister establishment to Barracuda, a gay bar, and Elmo, a restaurant. Industry opened in 2010 and caters primarily to a crowd of young gay men and tourists. Its musical selection is mostly pop, and its live entertainment consists of a number of weekly drag shows, many of which are hosted by internationally recognized drag queens. New York City nightlife journalists frequently note Industry as one of the top gay venues in Manhattan.
Digital Drag Fest was a digital drag concert series hosted by Producer Entertainment Group. Beginning on March 27, 2020, it was originally supposed to be a limited engagement until April 12 but, due to overwhelming demand, the series was extended to May 30. The aim of the series is to allow drag and LGBTQ performers who have had shows cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic a chance to perform for their fans. 50 percent of the proceeds from the event's merchandise would be donated to GLAAD, and several performers from the event also pledged a portion of their ticket sales to the organization.
Barracuda Lounge, or simply Barracuda, is a gay bar in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1995, the bar is known for its nightly drag shows. It is a sister establishment to Industry, a nightclub, and Elmo, a restaurant. Barracuda is home to "Star Search", the longest-running bar show in New York City, which began in the early 1990s and may have served as an inspiration for RuPaul's Drag Race. In the 1990s and 2000s, Barracuda was a popular celebrity hangout, and it was frequently the site of promotional events for new music and Broadway plays. While closed for much of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the venue underwent a major renovation. It reopened in June 2021. Critics generally praise Barracuda for its intimate, relaxed and entertainment-focused atmosphere, which was unusual at the time of its creation, and some credit this with revolutionizing the concept of gay bars.
Kareemia Baines, known professionally as Lady Red Couture, was an American drag queen and singer best known as the co-host of Hey Qween! with Jonny McGovern. Born in Park City, Utah, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she became a fixture of the local drag scene. She released an album, #Stuntqueen, in 2018, and she was featured in a number of other drag queens' singles and music videos throughout the 2010s. She also starred in Judge Lady Red, another web series produced by McGovern. Baines died on July 25, 2020, after a flare-up of cyclic vomiting syndrome, a chronic condition that affected her throughout her life.
Ross Matthew McCorkell, better known by the stage name Rosé, is a Scottish-American drag queen and singer based in Manhattan in New York City. He is best known for competing on the thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing as third/fourth runner-up alongside Gottmik.
