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Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Philly drag king gets the national spotlight in ‘King of Drag'
PHILADELPHIA -- Painter Joy Taney knows how to awe and unsettle viewers. With dynamic makeup and body painting skills, she has transformed actors into ghouls at Eastern State Penitentiary for Halloween and designed stunning looks for contestants on "RuPaul's Drag Race." Taney first met RuPaul in 2016 when she competed in "Skin Wars: Fresh Paint," which the celebrity drag queen hosted, and won the $10,000 grand prize. With the winnings, the West Philly native relocated back home to work as a professional makeup artist and quickly became a regular behind the scenes of drag shows - and on the three latest seasons of "Drag Race" - where her talent was sorely sought after. But Taney had "more outrageous ideas." She wanted more horror and gore with prosthetics and latex; she wanted something monstrous and extraordinary. Her clients found that too extreme. "I realized I was having those ideas for myself," said Taney. "The only person who was really going to be embodying the thing that I was looking for in the drag scene, but wasn't quite seeing, was me." Enter Henlo Bullfrog. Around 2017, Taney created the stage persona where she could embrace a fantastical mess of a character: "Henlo Bullfrog is Joy Taney's changeling twin brother who was stolen by the fairies at birth and dropped in a frog pond for 30 years," she explained. "He is very fae, but he's also very monstrous, because he's a shape-shifter." Bullfrog has brought Taney out of dressing rooms of other performers and thrown her into the spotlight with her own brand of dazzling weirdness. Now, Bullfrog has earned a spot representing Philadelphia on the nation's first-ever drag king reality competition show, "King of Drag," now airing on the free LGBTQ+ streaming service Revry. Philly's drag kingdom Philly's drag and burlesque workshops taught Taney the art of being a drag king - typically a female performer who dresses in masculine clothing and emphasizes gendered stereotypes. (However, as a queer art form that gleefully blurs gender divides, drag isn't prescriptive; not all kings are women, not all queens are men, and not all drag looks the same.) Drag kings constitute a smaller subgenre of mainstream drag, often booking fewer gigs and earning less stage time than the more popular drag queens. That discrepancy has played out on national television, too, as "RuPaul's Drag Race" has run for a whopping 17 seasons, expanding with franchise spinoffs like "All Stars," before the arrival of "King of Drag." For Taney, becoming a drag king meant experimenting with monster drag, embodying horror characters like the Babadook at Philly Pride Parades, and learning the best ways to showcase her artistic talent onstage at venues like Frankie Bradley's and Tattooed Mom. Airbrush makeup is Taney's speciality, a practice she learned from Philly artist Bryon Wackwitz, who, for years, ran South Street's Mutt Airbrush and Art Supply. Unlike performers who rely on dance, Taney lives with a disability called reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome that limits her movements. Instead, she focuses on stagecraft, costume transformations, and illusions, like layering makeup to "tear off" her face and reveal gore underneath. On King of Drag, Henlo Bullfrog delivers a unique amphibious aesthetic that helps him stand out from the other nine contestants. Nearly a decade into performing drag in Philadelphia, Taney, 38, says the queer nightlife scene has become more welcoming of drag kings. "Philadelphia is gaining a reputation as one of the better cities in the U.S. for drag kings," she said. "We have the biggest drag king scene I've ever seen in Philadelphia right now, in terms of variety of styles of king performance, visuals, and gender expression." Philadelphia drag gained more recognition on last year's season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which saw the first drag queen to represent the city: the charismatic opera singer Sapphira Cristál. Taney was part of Cristál's creative team, airbrushing a bodysuit with fig leaves to evoke Eve in the Garden of Eden and helping design winning looks like the massive flower outfit and the spooky Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater character. Cristál was a finalist for the crown and won Miss Congeniality. In classic Philly underdog fashion, some fans believe she was robbed of the title. "People were like 'RuPaul better not come to Philadelphia. We're going to fight,'" Taney recalled, laughing. Taney and Cristál first met when the latter took Taney's airbrush makeup classes and today they're close friends; Henlo Bullfrog is part of Cristál's drag house, which includes about a dozen other local drag performers. Becoming Bullfrog Raised by folk musicians in West Philly, Taney has developed her own musical talent for the stage. As Henlo Bullfrog, she pushes her performances to be more unhinged; Part of the "King of Drag" audition included a video of Bullfrog playing trombone with his feet. Beyond the folk influence, Taney's dad, Peter, has been a guiding light for the creation of Bullfrog. "My dad is so present in Henlo. I contour based on my father's bone structure," said Taney. "He's even done some monster drag with me, and wrote a song called 'The Ballad of Henlo Bullfrog,' and we play it together." At 75, Peter Taney regularly travels from his home in the Poconos to see drag at Philly nightclubs, and to occasionally participate in local activism. In recent years, the Taneys worked to successfully petition the city to rename Taney Street, which recognized their notorious ancestor Roger B. Taney, the U.S. Supreme Court Justice behind the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which denied humanity to enslaved African Americans and claimed they could never become citizens. That street is now named LeCount, after local civil rights activist Caroline LeCount. For Joy Taney, performing as a drag king represents another activist practice in the face of the Trump administration's calls to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth and attacks on drag performers. "One of the most fun things about the drag king medium is that you punch up at the people at the very top - the men holding power over all of these systems that are making it worse for all of us," said Taney. "Drag kings are so perfectly and uniquely posed to make fun of them … It is so punk to queer masculinity right now." ____ "King of Drag" airs weekly on Sundays on Revry. On Monday nights, Henlo Bullfrog hosts a watch party for the show at Strangelove's. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
A look inside the new groundbreaking reality show ‘King of Drag'
Drag queen Sasha Velour sits down with Gio Benitez to talk about the groundbreaking new show 'King of Drag,' a first-of-its-kind competition series focusing on the artistry of drag kings. June 21, 2025
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'King of Drag's Dr. Wang Newton says the kings' moment is now: 'we're no longer chasing approval'
While Dr. Wang Newton is already one of the most successful and well known drag kings in the biz, he's about to strut his stuff for a brand new audience on a new, massive stage as one of the permanent judges on the upcoming — and highly anticipated — competition series King of Drag. It's a moment that's been a long time coming for the drag community and one that has Wang asking the same question we are: 'Why did it take this long for kings to take center stage?' he poses to PRIDE. 'After 16 years of RuPaul's Drag Race, 20+ global spinoffs, and nine years of Dragula, the real question is: why not yesterday?' It's a hypothetical question but one that's worthy of being answered — even if doing so requires taking a hard look at the queer community and who we choose to uplift. Thankfully, King of Drag looks to be equal parts entertaining and restorative representation. When Wang says it's been a long time coming, he means a long time. 'I joke that kings go way back — from the Tang Dynasty to the Wang Dynasty — because theatrical male impersonation has existed for over 1,300 years. We've always been here. Literally, facts.' While the inequity between representation of kings and queens is unquestionable, Wang sees this moment as a change for the kings to be seen on their own terms. 'No 'pick me,' no victim energy — we're no longer chasing approval from spaces that were never interested in including us,' he says. 'The truth is, [The Boulet Brother's] Dragula led the way with real inclusivity, and now King of Drag follows suit. And man oh man, do we have some snazzy suits!' TeAra DeBerry In the same way that queens generally explore heightened versions of femininity, kings play with the ideas and tropes of masculinity. Politically and culturally, this has the potential to become a hot-button topic, particularly in a time when discussions around masculinity have become so fraught, specifically in right-wing spaces that also tend to look for excuses to turn drag into a wedge issue. Wang, however, hopes audiences see kinging generally and King of Drag specifically as an exploration of masculinity that makes much more space for its expression and celebration. 'Masculinity isn't a monolith — it's a mood board,' he explains. 'Drag kings came with the remix and the beat drop. If traditional masculinity boxed us in, an all-king show is the jailbreak. Flipping the script to liberated masculinity is kinda hot.' Wang has high hopes for the series, and the impact it will have on kings moving forward. 'I hope it cuts the velvet rope and leaves the door swinging open,' he says. 'After 20 years in the game, I want to see something new. No more comparing apples to oranges with drag queens. I want a surge of facial hair absurdity, feral kings, and quiet masterful kings emerging from the woodwork.' We couldn't agree more. But that's not all: like his fellow King of Drag judge Tenderoni, Wang wants to see a positive economic impact for kings as well. 'Just for fun, maybe some actual social impact — like closing the gender wage gap, while performing gender with our gap,' he says with a wink. 'I've been blessed on this journey — but I can't keep all this Wang Privilege to myself!' View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝗗𝗿. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘁𝗼𝗻 (王扭臀) (@drwangnewton) Speaking of Wang himself, he shares that despite his decades in the biz, this experience caused his personal drag to evolve, too. 'This was my Wang 3.0 glow-up — the Outer Wang got some new polished lewks, but the Inner Wang glow turned up a notch, too.' But most of all, Wang is thrilled the world is going to get to see kings on the kind of platform they deserve. As for what to expect this season, he says to hold on to your mustache! 'Fans may think they've seen it all: Death drops, reveals, rinse, repeat. But kings do their own thing. Expect bold choices, big charm, and a whole new spectrum of sexy!' King of Drag premieres June 22 on Revry. Stay tuned for more updates about the series on PRIDE as they roll out, and watch the teaser trailer below. - YouTube
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: World's first drag king competition series unveils cast in fierce new teaser
The world's first drag king competition series, King of Drag, has unveiled the cast taking part in the inaugural season. In a brand new teaser shared on Thursday, May 29, viewers are introduced to the 10 contestants who will be battling it out for the coveted crown. 'Bring in the kings!' host Murray Hill announces at the start of the clip. From there, we meet Perka Sexx, who knows how to be 'wildly inappropriate'; Dick Von Dyke, who is 'desperately looking to stand out'; Charles Galin King who is just happy to be seen; Tuna Melt, who is 'going to give it to you raw'; the king himself King Molasses; the oldest person in the competition Big D; Henlo Bulfrog, who 'desperately' wants this; Alexander The Great, who finds 'ultimate freedom' in drag; the energetic Pressure K; and Buck Wylde, who wants 'every bit of it'. Joining the cast of drag acts will be a star-studded panel of judges, also known as the King's Court. Among the names are Bridget Everett, Jeff Hiller, Tenderon, Sasha Velour, Paul Feig, Gottmik and many more. The show is set to be a celebration of masculinity in all its forms, serving bold, brilliant and unapologetic talent like never before. Get ready for swagger to meet sequins as the 10 kings take centre stage for this groundbreaking competition. According to Christopher J. Rodriguez, Co-Founder of Revry, King of Drag is one of the streaming platform's most ambitious programmes to date. He promised that the show will follow a new and exciting format, explaining, 'In each episode, we will learn more about the individual king's backstory, what motivates them, and their goals.' Rodriguez added: 'We're going to give the drag competition format a run for its money and give audiences something fresh and original.' In a press release, Revry also stated that the show will incorporate challenges that emphasise comedy, unconventional performances and 'timely commentary on masculinity, which has been part of the drag king subculture for decades.' Don't miss King of Drag, streaming June 22, only on Revry. The post Watch: World's first drag king competition series unveils cast in fierce new teaser appeared first on GCN.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cole Escola, Lisa Rinna, Paul Feig and More Revealed as ‘King of Drag' Guest Judges in First Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Newly-minted Tony nominee Cole Escola, Lisa Rinna and 'Another Simple Favor' director Paul Feig are among the guest judges for 'King of Drag.' The bold-faced names were revealed in the show's first trailer, released exclusively to Variety Thursday morning (watch above). More from Variety 'King of Drag,' premiering June 22 on LGBTQ+ streaming platform Revry and presented by e.l.f. cosmetics, is the first-ever drag king reality competition show. Hosted by 'Somebody Somewhere' star Murray Hill, the series follows eight drag kings as the compete for the title King of Drag. The line-up of guest judges also includes Bridget Everett, Layshia Clarendon, Jeff Hiller, Landon Cider, Vico Ortiz, Liv Hewson, Mo B. Dick, Brian Michael Smith, Carmen Carrera, Jackie Beat, Aubrey Shea, Kathleen Hanna, Cameron Esposito and Kylie Sonique Love. ''King of Drag' is one of the most ambitious original programs we've ever developed,' Revry co-founder and chief content officer Christopher J. Rodriguez said Thursday. 'We're going to give the drag competition format a run for its money and give audiences something fresh and original.' The regular judging panel consists of Sasha Velour, Gottmik and Revry co-founder and CEO Damian Pelliccione. 'The groundbreaking new series, exclusively featuring drag king performers, will expansively represent drag while promoting inclusion, authentic self-expression, and diverse gender identities including trans masc, cisgender women, non-binary and more,' reads a press release about the show. Hill previously told Variety, 'I'm so excited to be working with Revry as the host of 'King of Drag.' I started performing in 1995, so it's long overdue for the kings to take center stage. This vibrant community deserves to be in the spotlight, and I'll be their biggest hype man. I can't wait to work with the kings and introduce them to the biggest audience possible, thanks to Revry. That's showbiz.' Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
