So, it’s Sunday night and you’ve just spent all weekend celebrating Brooklyn Pride. Maybe you’re at home getting cozy with your drag family, wishing the merriment could continue. Or perhaps you’re simply curious to go behind the scenes with those amazing queens you undoubtedly saw perform at the club. Look no further: the aptly-titled, much-anticipated web series “Queens of Kings” goes live this Sunday evening, and it’s sure to enter heretofore unexplored territory.
Director Nicolas Heller makes that much clear. “It’s real. It’s gritty. This is not RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he says, no tea/no shade intended. Self-identified as a straight male, Nic drew his initial inspiration from executive producer Evan Zampella’s passion for Brooklyn’s drag community. Before long, Nic too was fascinated by the queens he saw perform, by the humor and freedom they embodied and the sense of transformation they so expertly displayed.
The results? Gag-worthy originality. Each 5-minute episode follows a queen (or two coupled queens, in one case) from makeup-less morning to that night’s sickening performance, at venues in Williamsburg and Bushwick you’re sure to recognize. In between, the queens drop pearls of wisdom à la Dorian Corey in Paris Is Burning. Check out the teaser trailer below:
Queens profiled include Merrie Cherry, Charlene, Hamm Samwich, Lucy Balls, Untitled Queen, Misty Meaner and Mocha Lite. Also, don’t tune out the gorgeous score by Ridgewood-composer Falside.
In conclusion: Yaaassssssssssssss!
Queens of Kings, Season One will be released at 5 PM this Sunday, by Refinery29. A screening party of all 6 episodes is said to go down at Bizarre Bar in Bushwick on Monday, June 29th. Confirmation and details to come!
