'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Latrice Royale tells Iowans to vote during Wooly's Christmas show
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"RuPaul’s Drag Race" contestant and fan favorite drag queen Latrice Royale had a message for Iowa at Wooly’s Wednesday night.
Vote.
“I don’t want no s--- in 2024,” she called out as the crowd cheered.
Royale, who stunned in a floor length, glittering emerald gown for half the evening, was working her way through her rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” when she sang that on the 12th day of Christmas, her true love gave her voter registration.
She demanded that everyone and their friends get registered to vote.
“C’mon, Iowa caucus,” she and husband, Christopher Hamblin, said.
Timothy Wilcots, better known under the Royale drag name, was a contestant of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 4 and “Drag Race All Stars” Seasons 1 and 4.
Royale and Hamblin performed for an intimate crowd at the live entertainment venue in the East Village on Dec. 13 as part of their holiday show, “Why It Gotta Be WHITE Christmas?!”
The 12th day of Christmas wasn’t the only day Royale’s true love had a gift that’s far from the gifts in the original lyrics.
Her spin on the holiday classic included references to NYX cosmetics, the channel Logo TV that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” aired on and COVID-19 lockdowns.
Throughout the evening, Royale and her husband discussed their hatred of cold weather — and reveling in the fact that their Florida winter is spent on a boat or in a pool — and recounting a rather putrid dish of sweet potato casserole (something Royale loves).
Here are four other memorable moments from the night, from holiday songs sung with some atypical lyrics to reminding audiences to take care of themselves.
Latrice Royale does an outfit change on stage
The California native gave the crowd several lip-synching performances, including “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Whitney Houston. During, Royale yanked off her emerald gown to reveal a dazzling silver jumpsuit that matched her earrings shaped like snowflakes.
‘Winter Wonderland’ gets new lyrics
The popular holiday song from 1934 was updated by the drag queen Wednesday night. Though the night kicked off with the familiar tune, it was soon apparent the lyrics were different from the original.
“Walking around in women’s underwear,” Royale sang in place of “walking in a winter wonderland.”
But not all songs were revamped by Royale. The night ended on a more earnest note with a performance of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” as the audience joined in.
Latrice Royale leaves audiences with an important message
Royale emphasized the importance of self-care, discussing how often people will ignore their physical exhaustion or declining mental health due to wanting to please others or under the guise of being strong.
“You got to take care of you first. You have to make sure you put you at the top of the agenda, every single day,” she said.
“Choose you. I know we got kids, some of you. Choices—” Royale quipped as the crowd quickly burst into laughter during what had been a serious moment. “You did that in your white Christmas, I’m sure. It was cold outside, snuggling up and one thing led to another.”
Royale encouraged the crowd to take themselves on dates and become comfortable being alone.
"Make sure that you're the life of your own party," she said. "That you don't need other people to complete you or make you have a good time."
‘Get those chestnuts away from my face’
The RuPaul’s Miss Congeniality winner didn’t let the show go by without dropping her iconic line. It was also the perfect setup to her performance of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).”
“Get those chestnuts away from my face!” Royale told the crowd, clearly satisfied with hearing her say it.
Royale said that line — though it was nuts, not chestnuts — in an episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Specifically, an acting challenge in Season 4, according to Out Magazine.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her atPBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' contestant comes to Des Moines for Christmas show
