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Internationally renowned drag queen, visual artist, and newly-minted author @sashavelour1(Facebook)/@sashavelour (Instagram)/@sasha_velour (Twitter) returns to #Philadelphia with #TheBigRevealLiveShow @KimmelCC (Twitter)/@KimmelCulturalCampus (Facebook and Instagram) on 5/18. For more info, visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.
Press Contacts:
Lauren A. Woodard Hall
484-832-1963
lhall@kimmelculturalcampus.org
Hannah Palermo
267-765-3724
hpalermo@alliedglobalmarketing.com
KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS PRESENTS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAG QUEEN, ARTIST, AND PUBLIC SPEAKER, SASHA VELOUR, ON HER FIRST BOOK TOUR: THE BIG REVEAL LIVE SHOW!
MAY 18, 2023
Enjoy an evening of drag, storytelling, and live art in a celebration of her newly announced book, The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag
“Among the most life-affirming shows you could find on any platform.” - The New York Times
“From an iconoclastic drag queen comes an equally singular, thought-provoking manifesto that brings necessary and sparkling substance to our understanding of drag, queerness, beauty, and liberation!” - Bookshop
“One of the greatest show creators of our time.” - Express and Star
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 4, 2023) – The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents the internationally renowned drag queen and visual artist, Sasha Velour, in The Big Reveal Live Show! at the Perelman Theater on the Kimmel Cultural Campus on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. The live show brings Velour’s book to life with iconic new performances, an in-person conversation with a special guest star, an audience Q&A, and book signing to follow. This show includes special guest Murray Hill, entertainer and comedian.
As a modern-day pioneer of innovative, emotive, and provocative drag aesthetics, Sasha Velour continues to raise the bar for the art of drag performance across the globe. She came to international attention when she won season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, with a performance of Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” that made show history.
“Sasha Velour is an icon, visual artist, and now author, who is constantly reinventing herself and she is at the top of her game with The Big Reveal Live,” said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming & Presentations on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. “With her ingenuity and platform, she continues to be a championing force behind the LGBTQIA+ community and the acceptance of queer and trans people as more than just an onstage presence. We are honored to have her return as she levels up in her career once again.”
Velour’s live performances have been called “an entirely new level of performance art” (Yahoo) and “heart-wrenching” (Billboard). Her first one-queen drag show Smoke & Mirrors toured from 2019-2022 to over 80 cities around the world, including a performance at the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. Her esteemed drag show NightGowns has hosted some of the world’s greatest drag performers. Founded in 2015, NightGowns has since been developed into a docu-series (2020) and two original films (2021).
Velour frequently uses her platform to discuss politics, queer history, and LGBTQ+ issues in an educational format, transforming her into a highly sought-after public speaker. She has graced the stages at prestigious venues, including The Smithsonian for “The Long Conversation,” an event with thought leaders from around the world; the US Embassy in Singapore; and many distinguished universities, including Purdue, The University of Illinois, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Columbia.
Velour’s talents also expand beyond the drag universe, as her artist profile continues to transcend boundaries and mediums untouched by many other queens. Her studio and illustration work was the subject of two acclaimed solo gallery shows in New York in 2014 and 2016 before being tapped by Google to draw their homepage search engine doodle of the late Marlene Dietrich in celebration of Dietrich’s 116th birthday in 2017. Together with her partner Johnny Velour, she also self-published and designed the art magazine Velour, which celebrates the art of drag through visual art, poetry, photography, and essays.
The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag is a first-of-its-kind, spellbinding novel that explores drag as a unique form of art and expression – with histories and controversies surrounding drag – alongside her own stories and experiences. Her new work highlights both intellect and imagination, featuring photos of her own original artwork intertwined with intuitive critical theory, captivating LGBTQ+ history, personal memoir, and all-engrossing camp.
The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag, published by Harper Collins, will be released on April 4, 2023.
Other featured upcoming performances on the Kimmel Cultural Campus include Samantha Bee: Your Favorite Woman Tour (April 29, 2023, Miller Theater), Girls Gotta Eat: Snack City Tour (May 12, 2023, Miller Theater), DC’s Reflecting Fools (May 20, 2023, Perelman Theater) and Kevin James (June 16, 2023, Academy of Music).
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information.
Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal Live Show!
Perelman Theater on the Kimmel Cultural Campus
May 18, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
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KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to The Philadelphia Orchestra and six esteemed Resident Companies: Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Ballet, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world view, and mission statement here. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, coworkers, and programs here.
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For photography, please visit https://kcccpress.smugmug.com
For a PDF version of this press release, click here.