WERRRK.com has proudly partnered up the fabulous Hellen Heels to present the “Into The Draglands” on our YouTube channel starting Wednesday August 19th! (Subscribe to our channel here so you don’t miss a single episode!) We are so excited about being a part of this amazing event and we are thrilled to talk with these amazing up and coming drag artists that are going to be competing! Next up, Julianna Budgett!
Into the Draglands is an online drag competition put on by performers of California’s Central Valley. It is the brainchild of Hellen Heels, a popular drag queen know for hosting in Stockton and Sacramento, and performing throughout the Bay Area. The basis of the competition is to showcase these performers by assigning them different challenges every week that push them out of their comfort zones in order to challenge them to show off the full range of their talent. They were required to select their own music, do their own costuming and hair, and to perform as if the world were watching. Some performers consistently ride high, while others crack under the pressure. The performances have been judged post-production so there is the added twist of performers having no idea what the critiques are, if they win a challenge, or even when they are eliminated until they watch live!
Congratulations Julianna on being named a competitor for Into The Draglands! What does this opportunity mean to you?
This competition has given me the perfect opportunity to perform numbers I wouldn’t be comfortable performing at a bar or club. A lot of my numbers in this competition are passion projects that I’ve been thinking about for some time. I’m very hopeful that my dedication to my art shows on screen .
For those people who might not be familiar with Julianna Budgett, can you tell us a little bit about you and your drag? How did you get your start?
In high school I was cast as the Wicked Witch in Wizard of Oz stage play so it probably started then. Then I wanted to start doing drag as soon as I discovered Coco Peru and Willam Belli on YouTube. I fell in love with two big drag personalities and wanted to be all about it. I’m often credited as a Musical Theatre queen but I can’t sing for sh*t.
We can’t wait to see what you’re planning on bringing to the competition! Can you give the WERRRK .com universe a little tease of what’s to come for you on Into The Draglands?
The audience should expect to experience laughter, sadness, excitement, stomach pains, loss of eyesight, and a rash.