8 Questions for ‘Drag Race’ Star Blair St. Clair
Blair St. Clair talks about her new cabaret show, her dreams of performing on Broadway, and which roles she feels would be right for her.
Since competing on season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Blair St. Clair has forged her own unique career path in the notoriously difficult drag industry.
Instead of only performing at gay bars, selling merch, and wrestling for a spot at DragCon, Clair has proved her talent not only when it comes to fashion, styling, and makeup, but also music.
Just after her run on the show concluded in 2018, she released her debut Call My Life, which ended up topping one of Billboard‘s dance/electronic charts, proving that she was not just another drag queen. Since that success, Clair has continued to write, record, and release music, and now she’s taking her love of singing to crowds in a new direction.
As of February 2 and 3, Clair will officially become a cabaret star, as she is launching her very own show, Legally Blair, at New York City’s famed Green Room 42. We caught up with the multi-talented queen ahead of her show’s premiere to learn what fans can expect and what made her decide to go this route as she furthers her entertainment career.
How did this cabaret show come about?
Samantha Diane, my manager, and Camden Scifres, my agent, and I were talking about my career and what was next for Blair. We were discussing which shows to pitch me for in the 2023 calendar year since I’ve wanted to get back on stage in theater for years. After thinking about it more, we thought the best type of pitch would be to do my own show to tell the world who I am as an artist and an entertainer!
How long have you been working on this show?
I’ve been in the writing process with director Ben Rimalower since early November.
Tell me about the process of finalizing and rehearsing this show? How has your director Ben Rimalower helped you?
I’ve never worked on a new show in a workshop stage where pieces are being written, rewritten, scrapped, moved around, and arranged. This has been a new process for me in terms of being able to be flexible and adapt to the creative process. Ben has been such an incredible asset to this show from its conception. He’s helped bring some of my ideas to paper. I love working with someone who truly understands what I do and who I am as an artist.
What can fans expect from your first cabaret show?
Fans can expect to see me in all forms: goofy, fun, charismatic, and vulnerable. This show is completely live and is meant to entertain but also bring up points that are important to today. Sondheim said that the best theater tells true, current stories. I hope that people can relate to me and my story.
You have made a name for yourself as both a musician and drag artist, but cabaret is a bit different. How will this show hold on to what people know you for, but also change things up?
I found drag through musical theater. I was originally cast in La Cage Aux Folles when I was 19. That lent itself to developing who Blair is today. I’ve wanted to use my love of music, theater, and gender expression to get back to a place of storytelling. Cabaret is exactly that!
Do you ever perform out of drag, or is that part of your life reserved for your Blair St. Clair character?
I do perform out of drag. I’m a nonbinary actor. I see myself as both male and female presenting characters. I feel my most comfortable getting to play with femininity and connect most to the stories of your traditional “leading ladies,” but I also connect to characters that are male. I’m not playing Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, but I can see myself connected to roles like Evan Hansen, Pippin, and Seymour.
Now that you’ll be entering the cabaret/Broadway arena, what other ambitions do you have in this space?
Since I was little, my dream has been to perform on Broadway, and I know that will happen someday. When? I’m not sure, but life is about dreaming and manifesting those possibilities. I feel the most creative and alive when I step into the shoes of a character and get to live their life for a few hours each night.
What does the rest of 2023 bring for Blair St. Clair?
2022 was a year of taking risks. 2023 is off to the start of applying the lessons learned from those risks and making my dreams a reality. I’m excited to see what happens this year, but I hope that it’s filled with many productions and memories.
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