Global drag icons and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are taking the stage once again in a post-apocalypse-mas extravaganza certain to make this yuletide gayer than ever! That’s right… After a year of doom, gloom, and zoom, the Queens of Christmas have risen from the rubble to unearth your favorite holiday tradition with a 26-city tour of The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! (Produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents) across the U.S., U.K. and Canada from November 13 - December 30, 2021. This run marks the biggest tour for Jinkx & DeLa’s holiday show since its wildly successful inception, as they return with their signature whip-smart comedy, brand new songs, and a few perennial favorites.
In exclusive statements to Entertainment Weekly, BenDeLaCreme said, “After a year in captivity Jinkx and I are bustin’ at the seams and rarin’ to go! Waiting for Santa is NOTHING compared to the excitement I feel to be back in theaters, sharing the holidays with the chosen family we’ve collected around the globe!” Jinkx Monsoon added, “I’m thrilled to be back on tour with my sister DeLa, celebrating the holidays the way I was meant to: boozed up, bawdy, and on display.”
For the past three years, Jinkx and DeLa have owned the holiday season with their critically-acclaimed sold-out holiday tours (To Jesus, Thanks for Everything in 2018 and All I Want for Christmas Is Attention in 2019). In 2020, BenDeLaCreme produced her first-ever film under BenDeLaCreme Presents with The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special (Hulu / PVOD), a 60-minute variety special made for the screen. The special debuted to critical acclaim and solidified itself as a global queer holiday must-watch for years to come.
The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! is produced and directed by BenDeLaCreme, co-written and co-created by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, and associate produced by Kevin Heard. For more information, and to sign up for updates, visit jinkxanddela.com.
U.S. Tour Dates:
November 30 – Portland, ME (State Theatre)
December 1 – Boston, MA (The Wilbur)
December 3 – New York, NY (The Town Hall)
December 4 – New York, NY (The Town Hall)
December 5 – Washington, DC (Lincoln Theatre)
December 6 – Philadelphia, PA (Keswick Theatre, Glenside)
December 8 – St. Paul, MN (The Fitzgerald)
December 9 – Chicago, IL (Thalia Hall)
December 10 – Detroit, MI (The Majestic Theatre)
December 12 – Austin, TX (Paramount Theatre)
December 14 – Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)
December 16 – Phoenix, AZ (The Van Buren)
December 18 – Los Angeles, CA (The Theatre at Ace Hotel)
December 19 – San Francisco, CA (The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre)
December 21 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 22 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 23 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 24 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 26 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 28 – Vancouver, BC (Vogue Theatre)
December 30 – Portland, OR (The Newmark)
Praise for Jinkx & DeLa
"Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme are the Queens of Christmas." - Entertainment Weekly
"Filled with queer Christmas cheer, these queens deliver the goodies." - Film Inquiry
“A masterclass in polished, elevated drag, that plays to the special talents of its stars, this is a pairing not to be missed.” - Glasgow Theatre
“[Jinkx & Dela] are experts at the kind of physical comedy Lucille Ball perfected in her heyday. Whether it’s with a snarl of the lip, in Jinkx’s case, or a widening of the eyes, in DeLa’s, each has the ability to make small movements speak volumes…” - Exeunt Magazine
About BenDeLaCreme
Director, Producer, Co-Creator, Co-Writer, Starring as Herself
Sweet as pie and sharp as cheddar, the Terminally Delightful BenDeLaCreme is known for combining her background in performing and visual arts with a love of spectacle, glamour, and Saturday morning cartoons.
Continuing to break new ground by, and for, drag artists, DeLa’s production company, BenDeLaCreme Presents, produced its first national tour with, To Jesus, Thanks for Everything! -Jinkx and DeLa, co-created and co-written by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon. In 2019, the queens hit the road again with a brand new holiday show titled, All I Want for Christmas is Attention. That tour was a sold-out sensation and marked DeLa’s first producer credit for an international tour. In 2020, BenDeLaCreme self-produced, directed and co-wrote her debut film under BenDeLaCreme Presents, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special, which became a critical and commercial success, leading to an exclusive licensing deal with Hulu. DeLa is thrilled to add producing and directing her first film feature to her long list of career achievements. BenDeLaCreme also made a cameo appearance along with Jinkx Monsoon in Hulu's biggest film debut to date, Happiest Season. She has dazzled crowds throughout the Americas, Europe, and Australia, premiered four critically acclaimed solo shows off-Broadway, as well as written, directed, and produced myriad narrative works and variety spectaculars that have played to sold-out audiences for over a decade. BenDeLaCreme’s live performances have received glowing reviews: “Keeping you entertained while making you think about your place in the world is all a part of the BenDeLaCreme experience,” said Forbes and Billboard raves that her work “...soars past entertainment and into the realm of theatrical art.”
About Jinkx Monsoon
Co-Creator, Co-Writer, Starring as Herself
Since winning Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) has travelled the world performing her original cabaret shows with her music partner, Major Scales. The duo are best known for their highly acclaimed show The Vaudevillians, which enjoyed multiple extensions Off-Broadway and toured to many international festivals. With original music by Major Scales, Jinkx has released two albums: The Inevitable Album and The Ginger Snapped (available on Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify). While live performing is her passion, Jinkx is no stranger to film and TV work. Besides her stint in reality TV, she has appeared on the CBS cop drama Blue Bloods, the Netflix original AJ and the Queen, and has voiced characters for such animated shows as Steven Universe, Mighty Magiswords, Bravest Warriors, as well as a few surprises that are yet to come! Jinkx has been the subject of two documentaries: Drag Becomes Him, and The Queens. She is an award-winning stage actress, having won the Gregory Award for her portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently, The MAC Award for her show The Ginger Snapped, co-written with Major Scales. You can watch her web show, Cool Mom with comedy partner Nick Sahoyah on the streaming app WOW Presents Plus. Jinkx is extremely proud of her partnership with BenDeLaCreme, having co-written and co-starred in both To Jesus, Thanks for Everything! -Jinkx and Dela, All I Want for Christmas is Attention and The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special now on Hulu.
The Dinah
Club Skirts presents The Dinah — the annual music festival and pool party weekend and the largest lesbian event worldwide — is taking over Palm Springs from September 21st through the 25th.
Now celebrating its 31st year, the star-studded weekend will kick off a five-day party known to draw in upwards of 15,000 women from around the world.
This year, for the first time ever, the event will take place in Palm Springs’ most iconic hotel, The Margaritaville — formerly The Riviera — famous in the ’60s for its role as celebrity central, drawing the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis Jr., and Sonny and Cher.
Mariah Hanson
Photo courtesy of The Dinah
“I think it is definitely a rite of passage and a bucket list item,” said Mariah Hanson, ”and it’s a beacon in a way. I think that what we create there is so magical and so inspiring that you hear about it and you want to be a part of it because it’s life-changing.”
Hanson explained that the magic is intentional. She said along with her staff, they set to produce an event that is diverse, welcoming, and life-changing.
“We create a world for five days where people are united by the common theme of just acceptance and diversity and living in a world you want to live in,” Hanson said.
Hanson said she is proud to offer what she says is one of the “most diverse, inclusive, celebratory events.” She said The Dinah recognizes that our community is very diverse, and she wants everyone to feel welcome.
The festival includes various performances by nationally-renowned recording artists, massive pool parties with world-famous DJs and go-go dancers, red carpet events with celebrity guests and musicians, and meet-and-greets with lesbian celebrities.
The Dinah pool party
Photo courtesy of The Dinah
While in previous years, the Dinah events centered mostly on pool parties, the Dinah of the past decade has flawlessly amped up the pool parties, while also simultaneously becoming an enormous music festival, drawing in huge superstar artists over recent years, such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Chaka Khan, Meghan Trainor, Iggy Azalea, Eve, Salt ‘N Pepa and more, many of them while they were just on the cusp of hitting the big-time.
Hanson explained that she has a formula, a set of ever-changing criteria, that she uses to book acts. She has a knack for finding artists to perform at the Dinah who is on the cusp of enormous stardom.
“My favorite example is Lizzo, who headlined the Sunday afternoon pool party in 2017,” said Hanson. “Nobody really knew who she was, and she’s a major star now. No one will ever see her in that small of a venue.”
Hanson has another incredible all-female entertainment line-up again this year.
“I’m excited to offer the lineup we have. I think it’s powerful. It’s almost all queer except Taylor Dane, but she’s welcome because she’s so cool!” said Hanson.
Taylor Dane, 80s pop icon, is taking over the stage at Friday night’s Black & White Ball and is bringing her full band for a special Dinah performance. The GRAMMY-nominated powerhouse’s groundbreaking debut single "Tell It to My Heart" turned her into an overnight star in 1987. She followed the smash hit with 17 Top 20 singles including “Love Will Lead You Back.” Co-headlining Friday night is a breakout hip-hop artist, Haviah Mighty, who is poised to follow the footsteps of Lady Gaga, Bebe Rexha, Iggy Azalea, and Lizzo. She is the first Black woman to win the Polaris Music Prize.
On Saturday night’s Hollywood Party, Fletcher, one of the most electrifying queer artists to burst onto the scene, takes center stage. The GLAAD-nominated artist has a slew of hit singles including “Undrunk”, “Bitter”, “girls girls girls”, and “Cherry.” Her new single “Her Body is Bible” is out now and her debut album is being released this month.
“You don’t want to miss any of these acts,” Hanson said.
Club Skirts The Dinah pool party
Photo courtesy of The Dinah
All of the weekend’s pool parties, night parties, and concerts will take place at the Margaritaville. The opening and closing parties will both be held at AsiaSF, a new hotspot to both kick-start and close the weekend.
Hanson said she is excited for the Dinah this year and hopes it will, as always, be an amazing experience for all who attend.
Hanson said her message for attendees, other than to pace themselves, is always the same.
“Don’t be afraid to meet new people. Don’t be afraid to reach out and share your stories and listen to other people's stories because there’s people from all over the world coming.”
Hanson negotiated some great rates with the host hotel, Margaritaville, and it currently has a waiting list. Email thedinah@gmail.com to get the Dinah discount and to add your name to the waiting list.
For more information and for tickets, please visit The Dinah.
Michael Feinstein will commemorate Judy Garland’s life on March 20 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
Musical icon Michael Feinstein is coming to Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday, March 20, 2022. His smooth voice and playlist of American standards will soothe audiences of all ages in this special live performance. Feinstein is known for having worked with George and Ira Gershwin, two of the most prolific songwriters in history.
His appearance in Scottsdale will pay tribute to another of entertainment's most iconic voices: Judy Garland. The actress and singer would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year. Her music still lives on in the hearts of millions.
Concert is Executive Produced by Liza Minnelli
Audiences are invited to join a nostalgic and spectacular musical exploration of Garland’s illustrious career. Executive produced by Liza Minnelli, this performance will be packed with special surprise moments as Feinstein honors Garland’s unparalleled talent and charisma.
This brand-new multimedia show features big screen film clips, never-before-seen photos, rare audio recordings, great music and good humor. Feinstein will lead you on a historical journey through Garland’s amazing life, telling stories he learned from Minnelli — Garland’s daughter — and from the legend’s close friends.
Audiences will be treated to recently discovered and previously unheard musical arrangements while gaining rare insight into the enduring Garland mystique.
“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate the iconic Judy Garland on her 100th birthday, especially knowing the authenticity and love that went into this project with her daughter Liza Minnelli as the executive producer,” said Abbey Messmer, programming director at the center. “With the Ambassador of the American Songbook leading this journey, it’s certain that we’ll feel Judy’s spirit when we hear songs like ‘Get Happy’ and ‘Come Rain or Come Shine.’”
Photo courtesy of Michael Feinstein.
The Great American Songbook
Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last three decades, bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From his multi-platinum-selling recordings that have earned him five Grammy nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS television specials, his acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe.
Feinstein's New Album to Feature Music Icons
His live performances, film and television appearances, and 35 albums — including the upcoming release of “Gershwin Country,” featuring duets with country superstars like Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss and more — have made Feinstein an all-star force in American music.
Valley audience members can join Feinstein for this celebration of Judy Garland at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, Arizona. There will be two concerts at 3 pm and 7 pm on Sunday, March 20, 2022. Tickets start at $79. For information click here or visit or call 480-499-TKTS (8587).
All guests age 12 and older must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test, taken within 72 hours of the performance date, along with photo ID, to attend performances. As an alternative, guests may provide proof of full vaccination. Masks are highly encouraged to protect artists, staff and patrons. For full health and safety protocols click here.