Bianca And Beyond
BIANCA DEL RIO, BEST KNOWN for winning last season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is coming to Denver for her comedy show Rolodex of Hate on May 28. Out Front spoke with Bianca about her life since Drag Race and what it’s like being a queen of mean.
Chris Arneson
Tell me a bit about your show!
Basically, it’s called my Rolodex of Hate, and it’s an inside to my life and how I became this tight, symbolistic bitch through my nasty sense of humor and hateful ways. It’s like a true bio (but, you know, not that serious) filled with stories and tales that got me to this point.
You’ve got history in stand-up comedy.
I’ve done stand-up before, but it’s one of those things that kind of blends together. I decided to do a show and I’ve been traveling with it since November of last year. I’m hoping by the fall to be doing something different.
Is Rolodex of Hate something you came up with on Drag Race, or has that been in your arsenal for a while?
It’s something that’s always been in my brain. I’d always thought of it, and Ru asked me on the show where my sense of humor comes from. I explained to her my Rolodex of Hate. We toyed with other names, but I thought that would be the most fitting because it was a nice umbrella where I could do whatever I wanted without being too specific or calling it The Bianca Del Rio Story. It was just easier to be able to incorporate anything, and that’s what usually happens in the show.
The first 5-10 minutes is just me doing whatever is in front of me. Then I get into my life, a Q&A with the audience, and then a recap of the queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race at the very end. It’s a nice little journey we go on.
So what’s the most offensive joke you’ve ever gotten away with?
Oh god, I don’t know! Everyone is always pissed off at something. I can’t think of anything specific off the top of my head, but it’s fascinating: When people have something to say, they typically never say it to your face — but it’s always something in print or social media, they’re very brave. But no matter what I say, someone is always pissed off by it. Like, you’re watching a f*cking drag queen for Christ’s sake … calm down.
Where do you get the most hate on social media?
I don’t really read any of that sh*t. I do have a friend who sends me the nasty stuff people say on Reddit, but I don’t get into it. I get too aggravated and pissed off, and when I stop responding, it comes across really hateful. I always say it doesn’t affect my pay, it doesn’t affect my work. And luckily, I’m almost 40 … I ain’t worried about that. It doesn’t change my life.
You’re hitting 40 in a month, right? Anything special planned for it?
I’m going to Puerto Vallarta! My first vacation ever. So me and a gaggle of gays are heading there for the week to hang out. I’m quite excited. I’ve been traveling so much, and the traveling’s not bad … but taking all this drag everywhere. I told all my friends I’m just packing a speedo and a sun visor and saying, “F*ck it … if I need anything else, I’ll just buy it there.”
Have you been to Denver often?
I have not. I think I’ve only been there twice before, or maybe once at clubs, so I’m excited to get to do my show. It’s really nice because on social media, everyone is like, “Come to Denver! Come to Brazil!” I don’t pick where I go, but I’m excited.
You’ve also got a movie, Hurricane Bianca, in the works. How’s that going?
We started funding for that right before I did Drag Race. Then I did the show, and I couldn’t tell anyone. And then I came back, we did another round of crowdfunding, and we are actually finally ready to go into production in July! We’re filming for three weeks. It’s a project that’s been in the mix for a couple years now. My schedule this past year has luckily been very tight, but we reserved a block to make it happen.
Describe Bianca in three words.
Oooh … Nasty. Hateful. C*nt. (But that’s just the exterior, you know?)
You’ve got a bit of a theatrical history, right?
Well that’s how it all started: Theatre and costumes and wigs and makeup. I had all the makings to be a drag queen, and then it just evolved into my life. I didn’t plan it. It’s just amazing. I didn’t expect all this great stuff to happen later in life, but since it did, it helps me mentally. I think if I were 20, I would have lost my mind.
What’s your favorite role you got to tackle?
The Emcee in Cabaret. I’ve done it three times. He’s an evil man in makeup, so it’s kind of fitting. Definitely one of my favorites.
Have you ever played him in drag?
No, always as a male, but he’s basically in drag. At this point, I just want to be Sally. *laughs*
What’s the best costume you’ve ever crafted?
There’s tons of stuff I’ve made (I used to work for a big Broadway costume company in New York.) It’s always fascinating because you’re in the shop and you’re making all this stuff, so when you have to see the show, there’s a ball gown that’s kind of fabulous, and everyone is ooh-ing and ahh-ing … and you realize you’ve made it. It’s that moment of wow. Just being in New York is really amazing. Having stuff on Broadway or a Victoria’s Secret runway show is overwhelming.
What’s your costume like for the show?
I’ve been wearing it since I started the show, and I wear it the entire time. It’s a red sequin dress — I like to keep it simple. It’s not necessarily a drag show … so I didn’t want [too many] costume changes. I’m just doing stand-up and I happen to be in drag. The drag is definitely secondary as opposed to being the reason.
So if Roy weren’t doing Bianca, would he just be working on costume stuff?
I don’t know. I’ve done both for so long, it’s just been a part of my life. Definitely costume work is my passion. I do miss it terribly with the schedule. But it’s something I can always come back to. I’m not going to be doing drag for the rest of my life … so, we shall see. I didn’t plan this far.
Looking back, you appeared on MTV Mardi Gras 2002. Was that Bianca’s first big TV appearance?
You know, it kinda was. Those years are blurry for me in timelines. That was something cool. They actually filmed it the week before the real Mardi Gras with Britney Spears and Carson Daly and Molly Sims. We did a drag makeover thing. That was the first national thing I was able to do. It was exciting, it was very early in the morning … and freezing. That’s what I remember.
So you’re just stopping in for Denver for a day and you’re out?
That’s how it is. Always. In and out, like a cheap hooker.
For deets on Bianca’s show, visit AltitudeTickets.com.
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