Bob the Drag Queen has mastered the art of the entrance: Hold your purse front and center and let it make the introduction.
But Bob won’t be carrying a bag when he makes his Broadway debut in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” on Jan. 27 — the culmination of a 17-year dream that took root after the first time he moved to New York and discovered he was out of his league.
“To be fair, I wasn’t auditioning for the right things,” said Bob, who will play the club owner Harold Zidler under his non-drag name, Caldwell Tidicue. “And the people on Broadway are the best singers and dancers in the world.”
So he set off down a different path, and Bob the Drag Queen revealed himself, winning Season 8 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2016 and coining the catchphrase “purse first.”
Two years later, Bob played the nurse Belize in Berkeley Rep’s production of “Angels in America” and started writing his novel, “Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert,” published last April.
He was also a co-host of the HBO series “We’re Here,” traveling to small-town America and recruiting locals to put on drag shows.
In a video call from his studios in Burbank, Calif., Bob chatted about his fixation with being informed, sugar-free Red Bull and a red-light hair-treatment helmet. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
League of Legends
I stayed up till 6 a.m. playing League of Legends on my tablet. My partners got me into it, and I must say: fully obsessed. It’s a computer game where you basically have to destroy all your opponents’ turrets. And you have magical powers — you’re a yordle, you’re a wizard, you’re a gunslinger. I see why nerd culture is so exciting and fun.
A Purse for Every Day
You will never catch me without a bag. Right now, I’m carrying this black cross-body Gucci shoulder bag. But I have a fake Birkin. I have a couple of Louis Vuittons and three custom Coach bags. I have a lot of bags that my fans have made for me. People in New York, they don’t have a backpack, they don’t have a purse, they don’t have a tote bag. You just left your house with your phone and your keys and your glasses? Only straight men and maybe a couple of lesbians put their keys in their pockets.
Muscle Milk Protein Shakes
I’m a big girl. I’m 6-foot-2, about 230 pounds. I have to fuel this beast of a body.
Purse First Studios
This is where I film all of my content — my YouTube videos, my podcast “Sibling Rivalry,” my makeup videos. I also have the studio across the way that I rent out to “Real Housewives” and “Blippi” and “Baby Shark.” I love having my friends over. Something happened in my late 30s where I don’t really want people at my house.
My Car’s Reverse Camera
I want to say out loud that I got a 98 on my driving test when I was 19 years old, so I am a great driver. These days, I prefer to back into a parking spot, especially if I’m at a grocery store. I’ve heard it’s a Black thing. I’m really weirded out by people who refuse to use the back camera.
NPR’s ‘Up First’ Podcast
Baby, every single morning I listen to “Up First” and then if I have time, I listen to “Consider This” and “Pod Save America.” I want to know everything. I want to be up-to-date all the time. It does not stress me out.
Google Maps
I’ve got to be honest — I’m not great with directions. If I’m not in Manhattan, I can’t tell you where I am or how to get where I’m going.
Sugar-Free Red Bull
I’m prediabetic so I had to switch to sugar-free Red Bull. No one has ever seen me perform in the past eight years without a minimum of 12 ounces in my system. Some people with riders have liquor and food. Mine has makeup wipes, protein shakes, black towels, Throat Coat Tea and sugar-free Red Bull.
Floss Picks
I’m not proud of this, but I didn’t floss for most of my 20s and I had pretty severe tooth decay. I had to have emergency tooth removal in North Carolina when I was on a gig there. I used to joke that I got my teeth removed to fit in with the local population. So my dentist recommended a Sonicare toothbrush and floss picks. Flossing is so much easier now than when I was a kid.
iRestore Red-Light Therapy Helmet for Hair Loss
I got a hair transplant this year — 3,500 hairs in a 12-hour surgery — and every night I put on my red-light therapy helmet for 12 minutes. I don’t judge anyone getting work done because at some point I’ll probably get something done, too. What does Dolly Parton say? If it’s bagging, sagging or dragging, I’m going to nip it, suck it or tuck it.
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