On December 19, master showman Marc Huestis will usher in the season of holiday cheer and goodwill when he brings "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner Bianca Del Rio to the stage of the big, beautiful Castro Theatre. The show is called Rolodex of Hate, which may make for some entertaining if Scrooge-like comedy.
You may indeed call Del Rio a drag queen, but don't ever forget that she is actually a man in a dress.
"She's an extension of who I am," Del Rio told the B.A.R., speaking by phone from New York City. "I am not an identity, not a character. I'm a stand up comic who happens to be a drag queen."
Del Rio will be joined on the Castro stage by iconic drag superstar Peaches Christ, who, according to the show's PR, will "put the Peaches back in Christmas." Pippi Lovestocking and Sasha Soprano will also appear for a night of gloriously gay comedy and performance.
Bianca Del Rio spent the better part of two decades designing costumes for theatre and opera, while also appearing in New York City and New Orleans clubs. She went from being a minor player to a bona fide celebrity after taking home the top prize for the sixth season of "RuPaul's Drag Race." She has a great deal of admiration for RuPaul.
"RuPaul is amazing!" Del Rio said. "I've heard stories from other drag queens who may have seemed bitter that they lost. But we got to schmooze with him. He cares about the contestants and is very hands-on in every aspect of production." Sometimes, Del Rio reports, it's possible to get a little closer to "Drag Race"'s legendary host. "As we lost contestants, it gets more intimate," she said. "You get to know Ru."
But the "Drag Race" experience is not without its tensions. "It's a roller coaster," Del Rio said. "One show may not be good, but you can't tell people that it gets better next week. I learned to shut the fuck up, which is hard for a drag queen."
The Castro show, Del Rio says, will be a simple stand-up act, though probably not a show you'd want to bring the kids to. "It's just me on a bare stage," she said. "It's a chance to do what I want to do: no singing or dancing. We have enough drag queens doing that, you don't need me doing it, too."
And the topics? "It's my Rolodex of Hate. The world is too PC, everyone is offended by everything. This show is not for sissies! This show gives me a chance to put things out there: These are the things that helped shaped my hate!"
Sounds like fun!
"Bianca Del Rio Stand Up Comedy Special: Rolodex of Hate Tour," Fri., Dec. 19, 8 & 10 p.m., Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., SF. Tickets: $35-$100. Info: comedyinthecastro.com