Dubbed "The Weirdest Show on Earth," the touring spectacle Jimbo's Drag Circus springs from the imagination of the internationally recognized drag performer of its title.
Jimbo is best known for competing on the first season of Canada's Drag Race in 2020 and the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race: U.K. vs. the World in 2022. Last year, she won the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.
Jimbo's Drag Circus is now on a North American tour that will include a Thursday, March 21, stop at San Antonio's Aztec Theatre.
During a recent interview with the Current, Jimbo talked about her personal journey to become a drag performer and why she chose a circus as the theme for her show. She also shared why she believes the conservative crusade against drag shows has expanded in recent years.
What can people anticipate if they buy a ticket to Jimbo's Drag Circus?
I'm a clown, so I love live performance, and I love entertaining a crowd. Jimbo's Drag Circus is a combination of my life's work. So, it's set within the framework of a classic circus. Then, I kind of twist it through my drag lens. People are going to have an immersive Jimbo experience. They're going to laugh and see some really funny drag and leave going, "What the hell did I just watch?"
Were you a kid when you started dressing up or did that come later in life?
I started dressing up and trying on my mom's clothes when I was a kid. When you're a kid, you love to play with what's around. My mom put makeup on me when I was little, and I remember just looking in the mirror and thinking, "Oh, wow, Mommy, I'm beautiful!"
You knew right away it was something you enjoyed.
Yeah, and that was a time where, you know, boys like blue, and they play with G.I. Joe, and they play sports. But I had a curiosity about feminine things. My feminine side was certainly not encouraged. My dad was really worried about having a gay son. It wasn't until much later that I became a performer and a clown and started to explore my interest in drag.
Before you discovered drag professionally, what was your plan?
I got a degree in science. I had a really awesome science-focused education. My dad was a scientist, so he was really pushing me towards it. But what really interested me was writing and performance and those kinds of things my dad really didn't see a lot of value in. So, I graduated, and I did what my dad wanted. And then when I moved out west, I focused on art, performance and design.
Did you design the costumes for the show, too?
Yeah, my favorite part of the process is putting together the whole package; coming up with the concepts and collaborating with other artists and designers and sourcing materials to make the looks happen. Jimbo's Drag Circus is drawing on all my strengths as a designer, costume builder and improv performer. I have a little bit of me in every aspect of the show.
What do you like about the circus?
To me, the circus is a kind of magical place. It's also nostalgic. I love the aesthetic. I love that sort of beautiful creepiness. I like playing with those ideas and making myself into a freak show.
What is a misconception about drag?
A misconception is that there is some sort of agenda beyond joy, expression and fun. Drag is about claiming your own identity. That's exciting. When people share that, that's a gift. When someone feels the courage to show their true self and to share that through artistry, that should be celebrated and not made to be something it's not.
Why do you think the anti-drag crusade has expanded in recent years?
I think people fear empowerment. That's what drag is about. It's about going against social norms. It's about embracing who we are as individuals. There's a lot of self-power in that. When you're talking about politicians who operate through fear, they see that as a threat. They see people being individuals and going against those institutions and structures that have been in place in order to keep certain people in power and certain other people from being visible or heard.
So, drag and the trans movement and movements for POC and gay rights, all these movements are valuable. People are fighting for their right to live full, free, happy, healthy lives. That will never go away. There will always be people to fight for.
$38-$78, 8 p.m., Thursday, March 21, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary's St., (210) 812-4355, livenation.com.
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