‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ Gets Its First Main Stage Makeover in 16 Seasons

Stepping into the world of Rupaul’s Drag Race Is Anything But Ordinary, SO Imagine Having to Design That World From The Ground Up.

Thought Production Designer Jen Chu Didn’s Draft The Look of Drag Race from it Dawn in 2009, she did have the tall order of giving the show’s set a much-youeded revamp post after 16 Seasons of the Same Iconic Main Stage. And, Yes, “Iconic” is the Word to Describe of the Famed Set of the Mtv Reality Competition, DEFINED by MAIN Stage WHERE HUNDRES OF QUEENS HAVE SASHAYED, SHANTAYED AND LIP The Show Won Four Consuited Emmys for Outstanding Reality Competition Program Between 2018 and 2021, with Rupaul Nabbing The Win for Outstanding Host for a Reality OIM. 2023.

With that history of acclaim, chu Tells Thr She Felt “A Good Amount of Pressure” to get the redesign just right.

“IT was a bit of a process getting everybody comfortable with the idea of ​​a new set,“ Says chu. “We haven’t had a complely New Main Stage Ever, Really. It Was A Big Deal for Us.… It Never Feels Like There’s A Great Time to Leave Behind -Something Works.”

While the Drag Race Stage Hadn’t Lost Its Looks, It Lacked Functionality. “We have to update Our Stage Out of Necessity,” Explans Chu. “Some of the Equipment Became Obsolete, and It Became Clear That It Was Time to Move Forward.”

As rupaul Charles would Say, “You Ain’T Gotta Reinvent The Wheel” – and that wasn’t what chu was look to do with Season 17’s Main Stage. Insthead, she “Pulled Inspiration from Within” of the Show to Pay Homage to Its Herstory. “That’s Actuly Allbody Does on Drag Race – Pay Homage to Something, ”Says Chu.“ I was Thinking About How to Create A Set That Can Feel Historic or Nostalgic, Because this Show Is Always Referencing The Past. They’re always referencing classic actors, Classic films, and i Wanted a stage that did not Necessarily Feel Flung Into the Future. I Moved in the Direction of Creating A Stage That Has A Feeling of Nostalgia. ”

Chu’s Initial Inspiration for the Redesign Was A Building, Rich in Art Deco Details, On Hollywood Boulevard Owned by Drag Race‘S Production Company, World of Wonder. Chu settled on mimicking the building’s structure, which mirrored Drag Race‘S Regal Yet Campy Ambien.

“I Started Thinking About How Art Deco Buildings RESEMBLE COSTMES – they have a Lot of ornate Detailing and Very symmetric, Interesting Metalwork,“ Chu Explains. “I Started Looking at [World of Wonder’s] Building as A Building that Wears A Crown, and I Began to Design A Stage That Was Wearing A Crown. ”

To execute the remodel, Drag Race Enlisted the Help of FTB Design, A Los Angeles-Based Scenery Shop That Chu Says Came to The Table With A Lot of “Interesting, Clever Solutions” to Issues that Drag Race Was Running Into with The Prior Set, Including Ease of Assembly (and Disassembly).

“One Thing i’ve Learned As A Designer Is Putting Up A Set that’s Shot Once Is Easy – Putting Up A Set that Needs to Come Apart and Go Together Again An Again Again Agalat Makes Makes Makes Makes Makes. She Says.

Plus, there Were the Financial Considerations. “I Think SomeTimes people are surprised, but Drag Race is not a super-harsh-high-budget show, ”chu admits.“ The level of success that they’ve acchieved is not equivalent to the budget that Types of Parameters. ”

One Standout Element of the New Set is the Inclusion of Screen Panels at the Back of the Stage. Chu Says That Screens “Orated Up A Lot of Possibilities” for Main Stage Creative Imagery for Herself and Gus Dominguez, Drag Race‘S Lighting Designer and Chu’s Key Collaborator in the Redesign.

“Once the Screens Came Into Play, IT Became A Much More Layred Conversation,“ She Explands. “Screen Content Can Be Purchased, Designed Custom, Static, It Can Move.… We’re Always Trying To Figure Out How To Create A Cohesive Look But Nota At

“For a show like this, is a lot of stage look changes and screen Activity,” She Continues, Noting That There Can Be 12 To 14 Contestants Onstage at A Time. “A BIG Part of My Responsibilities Last Year with Season 17 – The FIRST YEAR we had the screens looks. ”

Another Notable Differentnce Was A New, Shiny Black Floor That Proved To Be A Drawback for Contestants with An All-Black Wardrobe, Who Found Themselves Blending Into The Stage.

“OUR SET OF FTEn Looks Like A Housing for Lighting, SO WHAT YOU’RE YOU’RE REALLY SEEING IS A LOT OF LIGHTING, Screen Content and Color. You’re Not Actual Seeing The Scenery Tay,” Chuch Parameters and Lack of Prepared Lighting Created the Issue.

“This year [with season 18]The Lighting Department Has Added Lights, So If You’re Wearing Black Against The Black Background, The Lights Will Hit Your Shoulders From The Back, SO it’ll Create More Shape and Out.

To quote Rupaul Once More, “New Friends Silver, Old Friends Gold.” IT Appears Drag Race Has Found a Happy Silver-Gold Medium with Its New Main Stage, Boosted by The Team of Creatives That Have Always Backed The Cultural Phenomenon that is Rupaul’s Drag Race.

“IT WAS VERY Broadly Collaborative Because so Many people on the Show, Their Careers Have Been Rooted in this Show for Decades,” Says Chu. “I Just Wanted to Make Sure that Everybody Felt at Home Here.”

This Story First Appeared in a June Stand-Alane Issue of the Hollywood Reporter Magazine. To Receive The Magazine, Click Here to Subscribe.