'Drag Race' winner, Palm Desert resident Bianca Del Rio chats comedy, staying canceled

Before Bianca Del Rio became the drag superstar that she is today, she knew she wanted to perform in front of a live audience in some way. That dream came about in an unexpected way.

Nearly 30 years ago, Del Rio, the drag persona created by Roy Haylock, was working in theater when someone approached her to do a drag spot in a bar. In the beginning, she would do lip sync numbers "because that's what you did," she said, but Del Rio never had "that much fun with it," and admitted there were "so many people that were better at it than I was." One day, the host of the show was unavailable, and Del Rio was asked to step in.

"I was basically covering costume changes and filling time, but it ended up being my favorite thing," Del Rio said in a recent interview. "At the time, a lot of the queens I was working with were not interested in talking, or that was a thing that bothered them, so it was just something I excelled at. And at a bar, sometimes with 10 people, sometimes with 100 people, it was just, 'This is great.'"

That early training ended up serving her well in her career. Del Rio went on to become drag royalty by winning season six of the reality TV competition series "RuPaul's Drag Race," and has gone on several stand-up comedy tours around the world, even becoming the first drag queen to headline Wembley Arena in London. She's currently on her sixth comedy tour, "Dead Inside," which will be closing out its North American leg on May 6 at the McCallum Theatre, near her desert residence.

"After six attempts, this is finally the perfect ending. I started in San Diego, which was two hours away from home, and I'm ending literally within a mile of my house, so this is ideal for me," Del Rio said.

It's also her first time performing at the McCallum Theatre. She's tried to get into the venue with her previous tours, but scheduling was always a challenge. After seeing so many people in the space, from actress Patti LuPone to singer Barry Manilow, "I'm happy to finally be gracing the stage," Del Rio said.

Before she delivers her witty routine, Del Rio chatted with The Desert Sun about her whirlwind career post-"RuPaul's Drag Race," how her comedy routine changes constantly and how she can't be canceled.

Always hustling

After her crowning moment on "RuPaul's Drag Race," Del Rio knew the show would open doors for her, but she didn't expect the global trajectory she's been on. During her last comedy tour, she did 129 shows in 99 cities across 27 countries.

But to Del Rio, the strategy has always been to stay grateful for the work and keep the hustle alive.

"I always judge it by, what do I have in front of me? What possibilities can I do? And out of all of the different mediums there are ... if I had to choose one, I thoroughly enjoy a live audience best and most," Del Rio said. "I kind of knew 'Drag Race' was a huge platform, but it's what you do with the platform after, so I have been hustling, as you should, because there's no day without a hustle. I'm not sitting back eating bonbons living my life by my pool, although it is nice when I get to do that. But overall, it's just to be on the road and entertain the masses."

When she does perform in front of a live audience, she said she treats each room, whether there's 2,000 or 13,000 people inside, like she's back in the bar she got her start in with just 10 people in the audience.

"You can't get wrapped up in the crazy and think, 'Oh my God, now I've made it.' I often say, if you say you've made it, you've lost it," she said.

'Flying by the seat of your pants'

It's been a busy few months for Del Rio, having a show in a new city almost every day. But, as she put it in her recognizable crass sense of humor, the alternatives are "death or no work," so she's been grateful for the itinerary.

Coming out of the pandemic, many people thought the troubled days were past them and that they could live their best life. Del Rio, however, soon realized, "No, no, still dead inside, still bitter." What would be the best way to discuss all the chaos happening in the world and her personal life? By crafting up a global comedy show.

The tour started in February with a script, but with so many news events occurring so frequently, there's been plenty of changes and additions to the show. Del Rio has discussed the latest with Sean "Diddy" Combs, including the sexual assault allegations against him and his properties being raided by the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the media firestorm surrounding Princess Kate Middleton's whereabouts prior to her cancer diagnosis announcement.

"I'm never at a loss for topics, but we try to inch all of those into the show when it's worthy. Sometimes when it's an impactful news day, you can't dismiss it, you've got to be on the case," Del Rio said. "Sometimes the audience will take you from here to there. Sometimes when they're really laughing at a specific topic, you have to then, in your brain, self-edit and figure out, 'OK, do I keep going with this or do I not do this?' It's literally flying by the seat of your pants every night, which is something that I enjoy."

She also does meet-and-greets with fans, who always ask her to roast them. "All of that kind of gets worked into the show as well. I often say the first 10 rows are the splash zone, so you've got to be careful," she added.

A hot personal topic for Del Rio to discuss is being an elderly drag queen (she's 48, according to multiple websites). In her mind, when people think of old people, the first people who come to mind are Donald Trump, Joe Biden and her.

While some might have a crisis about aging, Del Rio seems to take it in strides. She also doesn't take herself, or what the internet says, too seriously.

"For every person that loves you, there's a hater. I always say the smart people get it. But I also have to remind people, I'm the biggest joke there is. I'm a man in a wig," Del Rio said. "I'm not taking myself seriously, and considering what the world is like nowadays, you have to find humor in everything. There's no way around it. We're doomed no matter what we do."

'I stay canceled'

In a day and age when anything and everything can be recorded, posted online, taken out of context and get someone "canceled," people, especially comedians, have been on high alert to keep themselves away from any drama.

But Del Rio simply doesn't care: "The thing is you can't cancel me because I stay canceled, so it doesn't matter."

She says what's on her mind about any given subject, and she's not afraid to say it either. The problem with social media, according to Del Rio, is that there's not much context provided. So if a punchline is filmed or recorded without the lead up, "someone can say, 'Well you can't stay that.' And it's like, 'Well, I can if you understand what we were discussing prior to it," she said.

"That's why it's great when you have an audience, you're in the theater, people have their phones turned off and we're going on this ridiculous journey for an hour and a half, two hours. I think that's kind of what you need," she continued. "I mean, that's what theater, comedy, used to be."

Her witty and sharp humor may not be for everyone, and that's OK for the comedian. She's reminded of how impactful her shows can be when she meets fans, who range in ages, and a simple photo op can change to a therapy session. But Del Rio lives for it.

"I love it, and the idea that that many people can actually laugh with me and laugh at themselves makes it all the best," she said.

When the "Dead Inside" tour resumes later this year and continues into 2025, Del Rio will make stops throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, South America, Asia and Australia.

If you go

What: Bianca Del Rio's "Dead Inside" comedy tour

When: 8 p.m. Monday, May 6

Where: McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert

Cost: $49.50

More info: www.thebiancadelrio.com/dead-inside-tour

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bianca Del Rio brings 'Dead Inside' comedy tour to Palm Desert