There is no mini-challenge this week because the main challenge takes up so much time. After hints that fly over many queens' heads, RuPaul announces that this week is the Rusical and the queens will drag up The Sound of Music with The Sound of Rusic. Plasma is quick to give a history lesson, while Dawn reveals she simply hates musicals. Remember, representation matters. There are some queer people who do not like musicals. Even so, it's a good episode of RuPaul's Drag Race this week.
The Sound of Rusic
The queens again need to assign roles — cue flashbacks to RDL. Plasma accurately predicts that this is a make-or-break for this challenge. Dawn, Mhi'ya, Nymphia, Plane Jane, and Xunami face no issues securing medium or small-sized roles. The first confrontation occurs over the antagonist role between Q and Megami, which they settle with a game of rock paper scissors. Megami voices her second choice, which is met with Morphine nominating Sapphira for that role. Suddenly, Megami settles for her third choice. She loses at picking roles, again foreshadowing what is to come. Morphine's nomination of Sapphira also has a little strategy to it because Morphine and Sapphira, along with Plasma, are each vying for the lead role. Despite her lack of musical theater training, Morphine wants the role as an opportunity to showcase herself to the judges. Her lack of a win seems to be propelling her choice. Other queens add their own commentary, but Plasma puts her foot down and secures the lead.The rehearsal process starts in the Werk Room. Plasma proves to be as much an expert on Julie Andrews as Barbra as she lectures her teammates. It's amusing when it dawns on Plasma that, as the lead role, she basically has a number with each group and has a lot more work than anyone else to get done. Xunami and Q, led by Plane Jane, decide to be method and play the bad girls by critiquing and shading the other groups. When the rehearsal moves to the stage, the queens get to work with Adam Shankman and are distracted by Melissa McCarthy. As they work through the choreography, Mhi'ya struggles slightly with the difference between her natural dance ability and deliberate steps. Q continues to struggle with movement in general. While Megami vocally enjoys seeing those who took her parts struggling, she has a hard time getting some of the steps as well. In classic Drag Race fashion, they set up who will falter and who will overcome.
The production itself, a lengthy 15 minutes, is wonderfully done. It is polished and professional; there is nothing to critique. Yet, that is exactly what needs to be critiqued. As the rusicals become increasingly larger and more manufactured, the queens have less room to interject their own ideas and personalities into the performances. It's become clearer each season that parts are written for certain queens, which results in often predetermined results. It gives a sense of an arbitrary competition and elimination process. Despite this, it is an entertaining production, and each queen is terrific. Hopefully, the show will continue to mine these classic musicals for material.
I Can Buy Myself Flowers Runway
The runway prompt is basically flowers. It is both vague and open. Each queen gets to interpret it in their own way. The result is showing off their unique drag aesthetic. For the most part, the queens drifted toward costumey with a few exceptions. Plasma has the benefit of matching the main challenge with an exquisite yellow costume with Broadway roots. Sapphira's is equally costumey but in a completely different way. She decides not to simply wear flowers but to be the flower. Nymphia goes costume in a campy and minimal way that is refreshing in contrast to the others. Finally, Q gives the opposite with a maximalist pink floral creation.Morphine, Megami, and Plane Jane give their looks character inspirations. Morphine's period flower child stands out from the rest of the group in mixed ways. Megami's bridal character is a strong look, but the stained wedding dress narrative is needlessly overdone and diminishes the overall presentation. Plane Jane presents a softer side of her drag persona in a princess-like floral creation. It's interesting to see her in a less severe light.
The final runway looks are more fashion-based. Mhi'ya steps up her runway presentation this week in a lush red floral gown that shows true pageant glamor. Dawn takes on an expected darker tone that separates her from the others in a red and blue demonic ensemble. In one of Xunami's best looks of the season so far, she goes conceptual as an upside-down bouquet. Her look is all the more exceptional in that she manages to evoke flora without a single flower.
