ComingSoon Senior Editor Spencer Legacy spoke with drag superstars Ginger Minj and Manila Luzon about their work on Huluween Dragstravaganza and what Halloween means to the drag community. Huluween Dragstravaganza is now streaming on Hulu to kick off Huluween.
“Two world-famous drag superstars, Ginger Minj and Monét X Change, are trapped in the TV — and the only way out is to host a hilarious Huluween TV Special,” reads the special’s synopsis.
Spencer Legacy: Ginger, you and Monet have incredible chemistry in the special, and you’ve known each other for a while. How easy was it to rift together?
Ginger Minj: It’s super easy! My first introduction to Monet was I got booked to do the show that she was hosting in New York way before she was even on Drag Race, and we just hit it off. I think if you’ve ever been in that kind of situation where you’re just with somebody that you really appreciate and enjoy and you trust on stage in front of a big audience, you just allow yourself to just have fun. That’s what I’ve always been able to do with Monet.
Manila, which of the sketches are your personal favorite? There are so many different types and different performances. Which one stood out to you?
Manila Luzon: Ooh … you know, I love sketch comedy and so to get to do it in drag was a lot of fun. I got to participate in a lot of fun sketches, but I think my favorite ones are the sketch with Lady Bunny and Jackie Beat, the legend, up in mummy drag because, honey, they look really good when they’re playing someone that’s younger than they are, actually.
What does Halloween mean to the drag community, to get to do a special like this?
Ginger Minj: Halloween is the gay High Holy Day. It’s, it’s the day where all new drag queens are born. It’s one of those times where it’s okay to dress up and express yourself however you want to and go out there in the world as that and see how everybody reacts. So we’ve always really loved and appreciated Halloween, and I think that now it’s so fitting that we get to show that to the rest of the world, who doesn’t maybe know how special it is to all of us.
Manila Luzon: Yeah, I agree with that for sure. One of the first times I went out in drag was on Halloween because it is a safe space. So if you can dress up like a zombie or a mummy, you can also dress up in drag and no judgment anywhere. So it’s an open space. To have a special like this help people discover that part of their expression is fantastic and great and a good time!
Which of your Halloween costumes has been your favorite?
Manila Luzon: You know, I’m a simple gal. I really am. After doing years and years of Halloween shows, I realized that I like to be more tame, like put on some cat ears and call it a day. For a working drag queen, every day is Halloween. So on Halloween, I like to take a nice break and just put on little whiskers and call it an easy day, for sure.
Ginger Minj: She said, “I’m a mouse, duh.”
Manila Luzon: Exactly! Exactly!
Ginger Minj: I’ve always been obsessed with The Wizard of Oz and when I was probably about nine or 10 years old, my mom actually allowed me to dress up like the Wicked Witch with the striped tights and the ruby slippers and the little witch dress. I guess it’s really the first time I was ever in drag. It’s something that was such a pivotal moment in my life and it made me feel like no matter what I did or who I became, my mother would always be on my side. So that’s the one that really sticks out to me as my favorite.
