Jinkx Monsoon is going to Broadway! The two-time winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is set to join “Chicago” in the role of Mama Morton, Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed on Nov. 22. The queen’s Broadway debut also marks a moment in history: they’ll become the first drag performer to ever play the part in the Tony award-winning musical.
“I cannot stress enough that this has been a lifelong dream of mine.”
Monsoon shared the news on Instagram shortly after the announcement, writing, “I cannot stress enough that this has been a lifelong dream of mine. I’m making my Broadway debut . . . we did it kids! đđ€” She then tweeted a hilarious impression of them re-creating Kamala Harris’s viral “We did it, Joe” clip in response to their casting news. Monsoon also made history as the first “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant to win twice on the series, first on season five back in 2013 and again in July 2022 on “All Stars” season seven.
“Chicago” centers around Roxie Hart, an aspiring vaudevillian star who murders her lover and is sent to Cook County Jail, where she meets the matron of the jail, Mama Morton. Monsoon will portray the character starting Jan. 16, 2023, for eight weeks. Queen Latifah famously played the role in the movie adaptation of “Chicago,” securing her an Oscar nomination.