Drag Out The Vote has been working tirelessly to get as many people to the voting booth as possible for this election, and their latest event is an all out call to action in the most fabulous way possible. For one night, Drag Out The Vote is bringing together a legion of dynamic drag queens along with some of our favorite legendary Broadway performers. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Keltie Knight and RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Nina West, Divas For Democracy: United We Slay is a variety show format, with the intent of encouraging participation in our democracy. Broadway divas are going to be belting out some of their signature songs, while their drag counterparts are going note for note with their own legendary lip sync talents. Special segments will be showcasing LGBTQIA+ activists in a nonpartisan fashion to promote how crucial both LGBTQIA+ community engagement and voter participation.
“One in five LGBTQIA+ people is not registered to vote, and 100 million people did not vote in the 2016 election. We must fix this. We are excited to bring together the worlds of Broadway and Drag to inspire voters to sashay their way to the polls or their mailboxes” said Jackie Huba, Founder and Executive Director of Drag Out The Vote.
The roster of talent on board for Divas For Democracy is nothing short of astounding. Celebrities such as LGBT icon Cyndi Lauper, RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, & Broadway dynamos Harvey Fierstein, Andrew Rannells, and Cheyenne Jackson are on board. Drag performers from RuPaul’s Drag Race are slated to appear with everyone from Peppermint to Alyssa Edwards to Bob The Drag Queen performing, along with Drag Out The Vote National Co-chairs Brita Filter and Marti Gould Cummings, and Pixie Aventura. The Broadway divas on board include three time Tony Winner Chita Rivera, Keala Settle, Shoshana Bean, and Stephanie J. Block all slated to appear.
Divas For Democracy: United We Slay is co-directed by Josh Rhodes and Lee Wilkins, who served as choreographer and associate choreographer, respectively, on Broadway for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, First Date, It Shoulda Been You, and Bright Star. Two-time Tony winner Stephen Oremus (The Book Of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Wicked) is onboard as music supervisor. “Sometimes two is just better than one,” said Rhodes and Wilkins. “It’s a thrill to watch these super talents from two very different conventions of theatre collaborate at a time when actually being together is impossible. And they’re all such fans of each other! For the Broadway divas, it is the highest honor to be worthy of a Drag performance; and the queens know just how high the bar is. This show is a passionate reminder for the LGBTQIA+ community and our theatre-loving allies that voting matters. Our aim is to entertain and laugh the audience straight to the polls.”
“Divas for Democracy” streams exclusively on StageIt, October 18th, 2020 at 8 PM EST. Tickets are “donate what you can” with a minimum $5 donation, with optional “tipping” for additional donations. All proceeds benefit Drag Out The Vote’s get-out-the-vote efforts in 2020 and beyond.
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