CREATOR AND HOSTS SPILL THE TEA ON ‘DRAG DEN’ SEASON 2
Aside from a new set of competing queens, ‘Drag Den with Manila Luzon Season Two: Retribution’ sports a new set, lays down new rules and releases new songs
Ayear after it premiered, Drag Den with Manila Luzon started rolling a second season on 18 January, an achievement for the first Philippinemade drag competition series.
Produced by CS Studios and Project 8 Projects, Drag Den with Manila Luzon Season Two: Retribution will be releasing new episodes weekly on Amazon’s streaming platform, Prime Video. This also marks Prime Video’s first renewal of local content in Southeast Asia.
Filipino-American drag queen, Manila Luzon, alum of the phenomenal RuPaul’s Drag Race, returns as Drag Lord or the main host and judge, together with Miss Grand International 2016 first runner-up Nicole Cordoves and social media personality Sassa Gurl as regular co-hosts and co-judges. Manila has just won as Best Entertainment Presenter at the 28th Asian Television Awards and Best Entertainment Host at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2023, adding ostrich feathers to the show’s cap or the much-favored fascinator.
Ten queens — Deja, Margaux Rita, Elvira B, Feyvah Fatalé, Maria Lava, Mrs. Tan, Moi, Marlyn, Jean Vogue and Russia Fox — are now competing for the title of Drag Supreme.
Guest celebrity judges to look forward to include Yeng Constantino, Bini, Rufa Mae Quinto, Alaska Thunderfuck, Alodia Gosengfiao, Andrea Brillantes and Dolly de Leon.
According to series creator and director Rod Singh and showrunner Antoinette Jadaone of Project 8 Projects, new twists are added to the show, including a new set, a new thematic storyline that follows the original one, new challenges, new songs and new rules, including the much talked about elimination process.
Singh, Luzon, Cordoves and Sassa Gurl talk about their experiences doing Drag Den and the new developments:
ON THE SECOND SEASON OF ‘DRAG DEN’
Rod Singh: “Retribution could mean a reward. From Season 1, Season 2 is our reward. It paid off obviously. We’ve got Season 2 but it could also mean punishment… Everything paid off for us. Retribution seems like a fitting title for Season 2. But we did a season title this time kasi nga the idea was for every season, it’s going to be new game, new rules. So, it’s just like the den. Think of like Big Brother.
You have the same iconic house with the same host but like different mechanics every season and different queens, different types of house or different interior. We did that with Drag Den. So, with Drag Den, it’s like the Drag Cartel will return to another den. Parang ganoon. Hindi necessary raid but the idea is that they always leave the den after the game.”
Manila Luzon: “We like to keep it new and interesting. I think the Filipino audience deserves that. We don’t want anything to become stale. Drag is something that’s always evolving. There’s always new stories to tell. There’s always different queens with different points of view. And I think that Drag Den 2: Retribution reflects that.”
ON NEW THINGS LEARNED WHILE DOING ‘DRAG DEN’ SEASON 1
Sassa Gurl: “I was introduced sa drag on TV na, like online, ganyan. And I’ve had this idea about drag, and I thought drag has like a limited space, has a template and all. Going into Drag Den, I realized that drag is not a template, it’s an art. It’s freedom.
And somehow I realized that in drag, you make the rules. And we apply that to the show. We make our own rules. We are not templated by anything or anyone. It’s just that this is art, this is freedom, and we express it.”
Manila Luzon: “Where I came from, as you may know, from RuPaul’s Drag Race in the United States, and that has really shaped a lot of what the public worldwide viewed as drag. And because of its popularity — and that’s been going for so long — it’s now starting to become predictable. What is great is that with
Drag Den here in the Philippines, we get to tell a different point of view. We get to infuse it with our own culture here in the Philippines. We get to share it worldwide. We Filipinos are very proud to share our culture with everyone, and we’re everywhere around the world. So, it’s great to present something that’s really Filipino, something for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to get into, be entertained by around the world. And so, I think that there’s always going to be something different, what we can provide, and something that’s really unique. I think we have that chance again this season.”
Nicole Cordoves: “Siguro for me, as someone who only used to watch drag at Nektar and O-Bar and then ayun nga, medyo templated version of drag na with a reality TV show contest. Siguro sa Drag Den, nakita ko ‘yung process of paano ba nila bini-build ‘yong identity nila as drag artists especially in Season 1 where there were a lot of baby drag, pandemic drag queens because may mga similarities din kasi sa pagiging beauty queen, may mga
mold tayo na gustong pasukan, mas fab drag ka ba or character drag? ‘Yung mga ganoon.
“Pero dito sa Drag Den, I feel like more than the world-building ng set na ‘yon, they allow the contestants to really live out their fantasy and become ‘yung best drag selves nila. We allow that creativity na this is the world na kayong bahala kung paano niyo gusto i-craft ‘yong sarili niyo, ‘yong
artistry niyo.
“Ang sarap lang ng feeling na ganoon pala ‘yung…parang ang empowering niya na you can reinvent yourself as constantly as you can, as much as you can, and watching them do that really… ayan pa-drag na ako.”
Manila Luzon: “I think that what’s really interesting, I think what people really like about drag is that it showcases that, like, you can wake up a certain way and you can transform yourself. Others be like, from how you look, just how you feel, like from your mood to — you know — like I have a big