California's La Jolla Playhouse is readying their world premiere run of Velour: A Drag Spectacular, a co-production with Tectonic Theatre Project. Written by RuPaul's Drag Race winner Sasha Velour and Moisés Kaufman and directed by Kaufman, the show is set to run August 13-September 8 in the company's Sheils and Hughes Potiker Theatre. Opening night will be August 18.
And now we know who will be joining Velour in the cast! Ezra Reaves, Moscato Sky, and Amber St. James will co-star, with understudy Shaun Tuazon rounding out the company. Casting is by tbd casting co's Stephanie Yankwitt and Jacole Kitchen.
The show intermixes a coming-of-age story with a history lesson on drag and queer expression, drawing inspiration from Velour's own upbringing as a small-town, genderfluid kid. Press notes share that audiences can expect "innovative projection mapping, video animation, awe-inspiring lip-sync performances, and bold personal storytelling."
The production will feature scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Diego Montoya Studio, lighting design by Amanda Zieve, sound design by Palmer Hefferan, projection design by Ettie Pin, video creation by House of Velour, aerial design by Angela Phillips, and music supervision by Stephen Oremus. Ann James will serve as sensitivity specialist, with Jacob Russell as stage manager and Topaz Cooks as assistant stage manager.
“Velour: A Drag Spectacular marks the continuation of our rich, decades-long relationship with one of the luminaries of American theatre, Moisés Kaufman, and his company, Tectonic Theater Project," says Artistic Director Christopher Ashley in a statement. "Moisés’s partnership with Sasha Velour—one of the most entertaining, visionary talents in the drag art form—promises a unique and jaw-dropping performance that charts Sasha’s origin story alongside the history of drag."
Perhaps best known for their 2000 play The Laramie Project, Kaufman and his Tectonic Theatre Project were most recently represented in NYC with Here There Are Blueberries at Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. The group's unique style features journalistic-style storytelling, often using direct quotes for the bulk of their works' scripts.
Tickets are available at LaJollaPlayhouse.org.
