“Drag, whether we like it or not, is inherently political, and our presence alone, before we even open our mouths to sing, is a threat to some people. Thankfully, the unholy blend of music and outrageous antics while addressing injustice, ignorance, and bigotry almost always wins over an audience and has powered us through these last 30 years.”

Let it never be said that Chelsea Community News buries the lede. The above quote, attribued collectively to The Kinsey Sicks, speaks to the special ingredient embedded in the marrow of this well-traveled, “unapologetically biased” a capella drag quartet known for serving scalding-hot satire delivered in the form of finely calibrated  four-part harmony. In anticipation of their August 20 performance at West 42nd Street’s The Green Room 42, Chelsea Community News sat down with The Girls via an email chat that yielded the dish to be found directly below. So ready yourself to scroll down, dear reader, as you find out all you need to know about their upcoming gig…and more!

Scott Stiffler for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): The show you’re bringing to NYC: What can we expect, given it’s in conjunction with the group’s 30-year mark (material from way, way back? through the years? etc.?)?

Collectively, The Kinsey Sicks (The Girls): When we crafted Deep Inside Tonight—a process that started well over a year before we premiered it in anticipation of our 30th Anniversary—we wanted a very music-forward show and we delivered on that with over 20 songs that span the breadth of the group’s history and showcases the new generation of Dragapella that is our cast. It’s an engaging, ever-changing cabaret show that uses a news show-within-a-show format to make use of our unique music and comedic talents with new parodies and original songs while breathing new life into some of our classic Dragapella ditties! Newcomers and longtime fans alike will have something to sink their teeth into and a newfound appreciation for our one-of-a-kind drag, a cappella prowess, and social commentary.

CCNews: How has gigging within the LGBTQ+ community helped sustain the group?

The Girls: As an unapologetically queer ensemble, we are for sure sustained by our LGBTQ+ community and also see our Dragapella art and activism as a reflection of our community. Our material and shows have evolved over time as the rainbow of who is represented by various letters has also evolved and expanded. We continually listen to our community, stand up for those most vulnerable in our community, whether it is folks living with HIV, gay teachers, trans and nonbinary folks, immigrants, etc. and are intentional about how we “punch up” to those who come for us or use us as political fodder. As for the actual gigging, we love playing large cities where The Gays® like to flock—NYC, San Francisco, LA, Dallas, Toronto, & DC—as well as taking our show to the most ardent queer audiences who live outside of major metro areas. Of course, we continue to do Pride events all over, the occasional wedding, and are proud to continue to work with some of the largest and longest-running LGBTQ+ theater companies in the United States this year.

CCNews: What was the wider culture’s reaction to an all-drag singing group like in the first few years, and then over the years?

The Girls: At our start 30 years ago—and for a large part still today—lip syncing to music was the norm for drag queens, so to have not just one but four of us singing live and in harmony was both surprising and delightful. And in the a cappella space, we were—and still are!—the only full-time all-male quartet performing in drag. Over the years, we’ve honed our double craft of drag and a cappella to continue making a space for ourselves in the performing arts, and we’re thrilled that our unique brand has earned us a diverse and devoted (and possibly delusional) following.

CCNews: To what extent did mainstream culture’s over-the-decades growing familiarity with drag (especially via the advent of RuPaul’s Drag Race) impact the perception and reception of the group, including the venues it’s booked into?

The Girls: It’s clear that RPDR has an extraordinary influence in the acceptance of queerness, even expanding lucrative opportunities for queer artists into the mainstream. On the flip side, that well-deserved gigantic presence also creates an expectation of what makes good drag, and it’s our responsibility to keep showing the world that there are still other fabulous ways of doing it. We were lucky to do some of that on RPDR itself when we appeared as a musical guest on the season finale of RPDR Season 8!

CCNews: Speaking of reception; beyond how an all-drag group is received by mainstream or mixed audiences, you gals are unabashedly political, with an equally unabashed bent. To what extent has that been met with open arms, skepticism, or outright hostility? Is there such a thing as an “arc of acceptability” in terms of winning over an audience of skeptics?

The Girls: You’re right that we’ve been received with skepticism and outright hostility! We’ve been protested by right wing groups on college campuses, had a police presence escorting and protecting us at a music festival in the Midwest, and have seen threatening letters to local papers denouncing us. And this was before they even experienced the content of our shows! Drag, whether we like it or not, is inherently political, and our presence alone, before we even open our mouths to sing, is a threat to some people. Thankfully, the unholy blend of music and outrageous antics while addressing injustice, ignorance, and bigotry almost always wins over an audience and has powered us through these last 30 years. And even if there are minds we cannot change, which in our ever-polarizing political atmosphere is increasingly the case, we’re still proud to preach to the choir.

CCNews: The Presidential race has taken a 180-plus-degree turn in recent weeks. Does the new Dem candidate and/or reaction from the other “person” in the race get the Kinsey Sicks treatment in this NYC performance?

The Girls: Absolutely! And we’ll sing about it too! Tune in to get our take on the Democratic Dynamic Duo, their felonious, couch-pounding enemies—all in glorious four-part harmony!

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