As long-postponed theatre shows return from pandemic-induced stasis, a certain beloved Seattle drag queen is ready to bring her 2020 show to wider audiences throughout the summer.
BenDeLaCreme's Ready to Be Committed is beginning its US tour this April, promising narrative-cabaret shenanigans in a large production, with DeLa in full charge as the star and lead producer.
"After two long years of postponements, I'm OVER-FREAKING-JOYED to be bringing my new solo show back on the road! And I gotta tell you all: this one's a doozy," said DeLa in a press release.
The SGN previously reported on DeLa and local drag favorite Jinkx Monsoon's holiday show, which was sadly canceled in Seattle due to the surge in Omicron cases.
For those who were looking forward to seeing DeLa in December of 2021, you'll just have to wait until Ready to Be Committed's six-day run in Seattle, July 5-10. Excitement has been brewing for the show since its sold-out debut performances in New York City and Provincetown in 2019.
Since her two-season run on RuPaul's Drag Race, DeLa has secured more than a fair share of accolades and career advances. She has toured the world, premiering four solo shows to high critical praise off-Broadway. The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special, also produced by DeLa's company, BenDeLeCreme Presents, is available to stream on Hulu, alongside her cameo with Jinkx in The Happiest Season.
On this tour, DeLa is shifting from holiday focus to love and marriage, in this "limited engagement about the limitations of engagement," according to the press release.
This show is "the story of one queen who searches for love and finds a whole lot she never bargained for: bitchy brides, pervy Grindr guys, corpse-eating cats, song, dance, and more puppets than you ever thought you'd see at a wedding," DeLa explained.
The range of the content and themes demonstrates her unique ability to approach high-brow theatre and emotional stakes with camp sensibility, winning over audiences with charm and humor in equal parts.
With the uncertainty of theatre and live performance succeeding in the midst of public health challenges these past few years, it is exciting to see the perseverance of local artists in the face of the crisis. It seems only fitting that, after the slew of wedding postponements, DeLa's wedding-centered tour is finally getting its chance to shine.
In a heavily Drag Race—inspired shift of focus on drag from local entertainment to ubiquitous art form, shows like this are now possible, given Queer art's recognition in the mainstream. Drag queens now have the platform to share multifaceted performances about the Queer experience, while running production companies and still managing to return to their locales for more intimate performances.
DeLa has always used this platform to stay true to her standards and carve her own path. She famously eliminated herself in her All Stars season of Drag Race, explaining in a Billboard interview from 2019 that "it was really powerful and it was cool to feel this experience, because you never feel like you're in control, because someone else is running the show. It was amazing to feel fully in control of my own path."
And she is definitely running her own show now. By going with her gut and leaving when the time was right, she paved the way for a career of ambitious and confident decisions regarding her autonomy as a performer and her artistic merit. DeLa has been ready to commit for years, and it is thrilling to see her success in the face of adversity, all due to an ethos of care and a heathy dose of self-confidence.
Tickets for Ready to Be Committed are available at https://www.bendelacreme.com/