BenDeLaCreme, Jinkx Monsoon drag up Christmas in new holiday film
Matt Baume
Drag legends BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are primed to roast your chestnuts over an open fire with their new, red-hot holiday movie.
EW can exclusively reveal that the performing artists and RuPaul's Drag Race stars have filmed an hour-long, festive special (directed and produced by DeLa in quarantine through her company, BenDeLaCreme Presents) set to premiere this globally this winter on VOD platforms.
Matt Baume
The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special reunites the actors following two years of critically acclaimed, sold-out holiday tours (including To Jesus, Thanks for Everything and All I Want for Christmas is Attention) for a story about two queens who set out to film a classic Christmas TV variety show, but can't agree on how.
The quirky, campy production — filmed safely on a Seattle soundstage throughout September under strict CDC safety guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic — follows DeLa's attempt to preserve the cheery Christmas traditions of her childhood (with help from the spirit of her deceased grandmother, who lives on in a glass of eggnog) while Jinkx favors a holiday bash filled with booze and bawdy jokes instead.
Matt Baume
Together, the duo sings and dances their way through an array of seasonal tunes as their ideologies clash, culminating in a fiery clash for creative control of the show. Along the way, various ghosts of Christmases past (and a mysterious naked man with a holiday secret) put things into perspective, and the two come to a mutual understanding of tradition and togetherness.
"If there’s anybody who knows how to adapt with the times and create art while facing adversity, it’s drag queens," DeLa excusively tells EW in an exclusive statement about the production, which co-stars a surrealist roster of Seattle theater icons from the dance, burlesque, and puppetry worlds. "I have been producing and directing theater for myself and other queer artists for years, and getting to make my first foray into producing and directing film for The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special has been an experience I will never forget."
Matt Baume
Adapting to COVID-19 restrictions, DeLa stresses that the feature film was made in collaboration with a COVID supervisor, who "made sure we all kept each other safe by wearing masks, maintaining distance, and getting tested regularly while they all quarantined together for three weeks during filming.
"I moved to L.A. at the start of the pandemic with my partner Gus — who’s also a key producer on the project — so getting to come back to Seattle and reunite with my queer creative family was so needed," DeLa adds. "I couldn’t have accomplished this without having the love and passion for drag as our foundation."
See EW's exclusive preview stills from The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special — slated to premiere this Christmas season — above, and visit the pair's website for more information.
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