‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato on 2023 DragCon being ‘the United Nations of drag’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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Gold Derby caught up with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato backstage at the 2023 edition of RuPaul’s DragCon LA, a two-day extravaganza taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition to winning five Emmy Awards for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (2018-21) and “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked” (2021), they’ve also been producers of DragCon for World of Wonder since the very beginning. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
“It started in 2015 so we’re in year eight, but we had a pandemic and things like that,” Bailey tells us. “But we’ve done DragCon in New York and the UK, so we’re fully in our eighth year, but in the 12th DragCon.”
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What’s special about this year’s DragCon? Barbato declares, “This year we have over 150 ‘Drag Race’ queens from all over the world, so it’s like the United Nations of drag. There are so many queens.”
Speaking about their wild success on the Emmy front, Bailey reveals, “It’s amazing and wonderful. We’re incredibly grateful to be recognized in that way. I think it really is a testament to the power of drag. This is an art form and its core values are individual self-expression and inclusiveness. That’s what it’s all about, and I see those Emmys as very gratefully received but also as recognition of that incredible talent and creativity.”
The recently concluded 15th season of MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will be eligible at the 2023 Emmys. How did fans react to Sasha Colby winning the crown? “I think Sasha Colby is definitely one of the most popular fan favorites we’ve ever had,” confirms Barbato. “But then I said that last year about Willow Pill. And by the way, there are no losers in ‘Drag Race.’ Sasha really has captured people’s heart and soul and she delivers every time you see her.”
The eighth edition of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” is currently streaming on Paramount Plus, and there’s a special moment for Bailey and Barbato in the season premiere as their “former identities” as The Fabulous Pop Tarts are revealed to the contestants. Host RuPaul Charles tasks the queens with choreographing and performing the Pop Tarts’ hit single “Money, Success, Fame, Glamour” for the main challenge.
SEE ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ winners list
How did that twist come about? Barbato explains, “Tom Campbell, who is an executive producer of ‘Drag Race,’ that was his idea to get back at us. And you know, we’ve known Ru for a long time, we’ve known each other from our Pop Tart days. I will tell you a little secret. The Pop Tarts got back together to do a new version of ‘Money, Success, Fame, Glamour’ that’s coming out next week.”
Cue up your Spotify accounts now, Racers! Bailey adds, “I’ll give you another secret. The Pop Tats logo is a shield that is the same shield that is used in the collector pins and badges from different seasons.”
SEE ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Season 8 cast: Meet the 12 returning queens [PHOTOS]
When we ask Barbato if he can tease anything about “All Stars 8,” he exclaims, “Oh, my God, the ‘Untucked’ episodes are so good! It’s such a great season and such great queens and so many twists and turns. And I love that all of them are still in the game.”
Barbato also addresses online “conspiracy theories” that accuse the producers of being “behind the scenes figuring out what the narrative is” and who’s gonna win. “None of that,” he confirms. “We are on the ride just like people at home watching. Sometimes you have an inkling. There are people who you think, oh, she’s going there. But there are so many twists and turns for us. We can’t control it, and we’re often super surprised.”
Tickets are still available for the 2023 DragCon on May 12 and May 13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Season 8 streams every Friday on Paramount+.
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