Willam and Alaska–given names Willam Belli and Justin Andrew Honard–began a podcast analyzing each episode of Drag Race starting back at Season 1, Episode 1.
The duo delves into behind-the-scenes drama, debate runway performances, and of course dish hilarious gossip without concern for the consequences of offending anyone, including RuPaul herself, if the mood strikes.
Tonight the duo bring Race Chaser to the ACE Hotel theater in DTLA, along with special guests, for their first live presentation of the show.
The freewheeling format of the podcast–which of course is actually quite calculated by both hosts, even if they rely heavily on their considerable improv skills–should work well live on stage. It feels like a casual conversation between good friends who love getting together and obsessively dissecting a TV show.
That both hosts were also on the show (Alaska was a contestant on Season 5, and then went back to win All-Stars 2) gives them an insider’s perspective, with snippets about the camera crew and production schedules and the like. Now with this live on-stage taping, Willam and Alaska are inviting several hundred new friends over to their little party and all hang out together.
“The response to the podcast has been so huge and so enthusiastic so I’m really excited to see and hear our listeners in real time,” Alaska told us the day before the live show. “It’ll be exciting to put on an event just for Race Chasers who will understand our obscure references to [transgender model] Shauna Brooks and exposed corsets and the like.”
And of course, like the self-respecting drag queens they are, the duo focus plenty of time in the show simply celebrating themselves. In the end, the show is just for fun.
