Chicago got the first look at Season 18 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
On Dec. 11, ahead of the much-adored reality series’s January launch, this season’s 14 new queens headed for the immersive Drag Race: The Experience installation on Logan Boulevard. There they took over a real-life replica of RuPaul’s legendary Werkroom and answered questions about the season ahead.
For fans, this was a rare chance to meet the queens before the competition begins—and for the cast, it was their first victory lap as the newest racers in RuPaul’s drag empire.
While performing, the queens use she/her pronouns, but were all interviewed out of drag for an exclusive look at their individuality and their magic behind the makeup.
The first contender was a self-described “shape-shifting superstar” of Indianapolis, Ciara Myst. This “fusion of ‘80s fashion, comic book illustration, horror, fantasy and sci-fi” will be one to beat.
When asked if stage names have helped separate him from his out-of-drag private life, Myst replied, “Not for me. Ciara Myst is a megaphone for who I am outside of drag and it unlocks the impossible. In drag, I can do anything and be anything.”
Originally from Indiana, like Ciara, but now residing in Los Angeles, Darlene Mitchell is “a little country and a whole lot of camp.”
A southern competitor from Montgomery, Alabama, Vita VonTesse, meanwhile stated his personal theme is “high whore drag, which means I bring all the feathers, rhinestones and the glitter to my drag.”
Vita complimented the group by proudly saying, “This cast is very experienced and our niches are well developed. We are ready for the world to see it.”
Floridian Mia Starr joked, “My aesthetic is banjee, hood, hip hop, R&B with some big ol’ titties. … Everybody is a star and in their own lane. It is hard to zoom past the competition because everyone is phenomenal.”
Vita recalled auditioning for Drag Race multiple times, adding, “I auditioned for season 15, but it didn’t work out. I feel I am on Season 18 for a reason and I can’t imagine being with any other girls on a different season.
The third time was a charm for Mia after being an alternate for season 17. He revealed, “With season 18, I had a choice to go on a world tour with Shakira or find my destiny on Drag Race.”
Outside of drag, VonTesse enjoys interior design and furniture carpentry, while Starr surrounds himself with music by working a day job as a casting producer on The Voice.
Another spicy racer, DD Fuego, was born in Monterrey, Mexico, but currently lives in New York. DD mentioned how the world of drag allowed him to be truly himself. He said, “I wasn’t trying to be a woman, but I was bringing my insides out and it changed my life.”
Daniel Dabdoub drew his own illustrations for a coloring storybook titled Find Your Fuego sold on his website ddfuego.com.
Participant Discord Addams moved from Chicago to St. Petersburg, Florida and described his character as “a high fashion punk rock maximalist.” He confessed that he left Chicago after living in the Windy City for four years because of the cold weather. Discord stated that he misses his best friends after leaving the city, still loves the taste of deep dish pizza and enjoyed performing rock music in various venues in Illinois.
He began as a drag artist approximately 13 years ago and has long been inspired by RuPaul’s motto, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?” Discord said, “That phrase really does mean something. Try things out and see what feels good. There is an audience for everyone, along with haters, but they don’t matter, so don’t pay attention to them.”
Addams continued, “People should do drag because they love it, not to be on Drag Race. The producers want someone who is their authentic self and not just trying to be on TV.”
Another competitor from Florida, Orlando native Myki Meeks, explained his drag persona, “is old Hollywood glamor mixed with a party girl. My aesthetic points between Ava Gardner and Charli XCX.”
Meeks explained drag as “the realization of the unachievable. When I walk into a club and see a grand queen on the stage, it transports me into a music video. I have always carried that concept into my performance.”
While growing up in South Carolina, Kenya Pleaser discovered the annual Miss Continental drag pageant on YouTube, which was founded in Chicago by Jim Flint. Pleaser gushed, “That’s where my inspiration came from. I saw the girls be dynamic entertainers who commanded the stage. I want to use this major platform in ways I have never done before and explore more acting in theater.”
Sasha Colby won the Miss Continental competition in 2012 and was crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 in 2023. Myki took inspiration from Colby and another Sasha, Velour, who was the winner of the Race in season nine.
Jane Don’t joined the cast from Seattle, Washington and is known to his fans as “beautiful, fly, hot and sexy.” Miami, Florida’s Juicy Love Dion followed that up by being known as a “princess.”
The two were equally impressed by Drag Race: The Experience’s reproduction of their workspace in the Werqroom. Juicy exclaimed, “It feels like we are right back where we started and the RuPaul painting is staring at us like the Mona Lisa.” Jane continued, “It is very triggering. I saw these hot pink fake bricks on the wall and flinched.”
Denver, Colorado’s Nini Coco chatted about his character, stating, “Nini is a little bit weird, kooky and conceptual, but always sharp and polished.”
Hailing from Miami, Athena Dion is the self-titled “Greek glam goddess of Season 18.”
Coco said the reason he enjoys drag because it allows him to repeatedly surprise himself. He remarked, “To be a drag queen is to constantly figure things out. I learned that I can still do the splits or I can be onstage in front of a thousand people while not being phased a bit.”
Dion agreed by saying, “I love how drag tells a story of who a person is, especially this season. Our drag is true to our identity and it’s very personal.”
Nini felt overwhelmed in the process of only having a matter of weeks to prepare and castmate Athena confided that he had “crippling anxiety.” Dion emphasized, “There’s hair, accessories, makeup and an outfit to worry about. Many queens think RuPaul’s Drag Race will make them a star, but people need to be a star before they start, and once they get an opportunity such as this, they can shine brighter.”
“The Swedish fruit from Philadelphia,” Mandy Mango talked about the past: “Before I started drag, I would hold back on being feminine and then I eventually let it all go. I became confident and unapologetically queer after that.”
Mandy spoke on his approach to the show, “It felt like a job with 14 people who were all on the same playing field. I had to reinforce my brand and think about carrying on RuPaul’s legacy into the mainstream.”
Boston’s “Pinup Princess” Briar Blush gave sage advice to future drag queens hoping to be cast on RuPaul’s Drag Race: “We need to see more people with unique styles and perspectives. To be pretty is fab, but not what people remember in the long run. There may be someone more beautiful or more talented in the room, so show the judges what is unique to you.”
One of the challengers showcased in this article is a winner, baby. Tune in to Paramount+ on Friday, Jan. 2 and see who sashays away.
Step into Drag Race: The Experience, 2367 W. Logan Blvd., with tickets currently on sale through Feb. 21 at signup.wowpresentsplus.com/experience.