By Mikkel Hyldebrandt
Photos: Chad and Steven @thegingerb3ardmen, RuPaul’s Drag Race IG @rupaulsdragrace
Plasma – the self-proclaimed Broadway queen from season 16 of RuPaul‘s Race and a semiprofessional Barbra Streisand impersonator– is touring the land with her signature old-school glamor and incredible stage presence. And you can experience the dazzling drag queen right here in Atlanta. David caught up with Plasma to talk drag race, future (Broadway?) plans, and the show at City Winery in Atlanta.
First, for all the theater kids out there, let’s get these out of the way: Favorite Musical? Favorite musical song? And what would be the role of your dreams?
People love to ask me this question, and I have so many options, but it’s always a difficult choice. That said, I would have to say that my favorite musical of all time is either Sunset Boulevard or Dreamgirls. My favorite song is either The Music That Makes Me Dance from Funny Girl or A Boy Like That from West Side Story, and my dream role of all time – I have to think about this – either the witch in Into the Woods or Louise in Gypsy (until I’m old enough to play Mama Rose).
You have been very open about being a theater kid and getting a BFA, and you even got shaded a little for it on the season. It seems like theater has always been a part of your life. Can you tell us a little bit about that? When did you start doing theater?
My first production role was playing a giant cardboard strawberry when I was four, and that really set the tone for my career trajectory. I did one-act plays in high school, and then, of course, got my BFA from the University of Oklahoma, but I was always watching movie musicals with my family growing up, including the original Broadway Company of Into the Woods filmed on stage with Bernadette Peters. I think that’s really where the dream started.
When did you make the switch from theater to focus more on drag?
When I was getting my undergrad during the COVID shut down in Oklahoma, I had sort of fallen out of love with musical theater, performing behind a mask and a face shield, so I really started doing bedroom Drag more consistently. Then, when I moved to New York in the summer of 2021, I sort of fell head over heels into the drag scene and never looked back. But I was always performing musical theater stuff in Drag in New York. I can’t really escape it.
How has your time on RuPaul’s Drag Race helped propel your (musical) career?
I mean, the exposure of being on TV is wild because before I was on television, I was auditioning like everyone else in New York. Now that I have a platform and I’m known for what I do and how passionate I am about performing, especially in musical theater contexts, it’s really given me the freedom and access to meet the kind of people in the industry that I always dreamed of working with and collaborating with. It’s really been a dream come true.
Would you consider returning to RuPaul’s Drag Race for an All-Star season?
I consider myself a smart businesswoman, so I would never say no to an awesome opportunity as a performer!
You are now traveling the country performing as Plasma, but have you been involved in other theater productions or shows?
Not recently, just because being Plasma has been my primary focus over the last year of my life. That said, Broadway is still my first dream ever, and I would be honored and humbled to be included in the New York theater scene as a queer artist with a profound respect for the Broadway community and industry.
Now, regarding the show in Atlanta, what can people expect from a Plasma performance? Will there be Broadway songs?
I hate to say it, and by that I mean I love to say it, but there will always be an element of Broadway foolishness in my performances in drag, out of Drag, or otherwise. So, absolutely, y’all should prepare for a Broadway diva takeover!
What are you most looking forward to in Atlanta?
I was born and raised in the South, so I know that the food in Atlanta is not to be compared with anything else on this earth. So, I’m going to try to look for some barbecue first and foremost. I also can’t wait to meet the legend, icon, and star Drew Friday because I hear that she is similar to the food—not to be compared.
Considering the notoriety you have gained from being on one of the world’s most-watched TV shows, what are your performing and theater aspirations?
Like I said, I’m not in the habit of saying no to good opportunities. Of course, I would love nothing more than to be in a Broadway show and hustle my ass as a New York theater icon. I also have a solo cabaret show called All That Plazz, which has now become my passion project, and another dream would be to take it on the road around the country and possibly the world. It has really inspired me to get back to the root of what I love doing and why I fell in love with performing, which is mid-century music and inimitable glamour, with a couple of good laughs along the way.
Can you disclose any exciting projects you are working on? Is Broadway on the horizon?
If I’m being candid, this year has been awesome, and the calendar is full through the new year, which I’m incredibly grateful for and excited about. I’m doing DragCon in LA as we speak, and then after Atlanta, I’m in Provincetown debuting my solo cabaret, which is a huge honor. I’m also still reeling from the excitement around my music video to Anything Goes, which you can find on YouTube and Instagram. I have a couple of cool things in October. Then I hit the road traveling with a Drag Queen Christmas on tour with some of the biggest stars in the Drag industry, and that has me busy through the new year. Then we’re off to 2025, which I’m manifesting might include the Broadway debut of one Miss Plasma. Who knows – the future is totally wild and exciting!
In closing, please tell us where we can follow you on social media and on the road.
You can follow me on Instagram, mostly @PlasmaNYC, and, of course, on TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook. On my YouTube channel, you can find my Don’t Rain on My Parade and Bloody Mary music videos, as well as @Plasma_NYC. I’m always acting a fool on my Instagram story though, so that’s where you can find most of me.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m honestly just grateful to be back in Atlanta after such a long time away. It’s gonna be such an incredible night, and I’m looking forward to it with every fiber of my being bitch! Y’all ready for a transfusion?
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You can catch Plasma at My Sisters Room on July 27 at 8 p.m. (M&G at 9 p.m.) and at Broadway Brunch with Plasma presented by WUSSY at City Winery on July 28 at 12:30 p.m.
