Sasha Velour revived her drag king character Alexander Velvet to honor King of Drag — the first-ever reality competition show for drag kings, now streaming on Revry — hosted Murray Hill and featuring Sasha as a mainstay judge alongside Dr. Wang Newton and Tenderoni.
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Alexander Velvet had audiences feeling hot and bothered in two recent performances of Sasha Velour's NightGowns show at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. In case you didn't know why King of Drag host Murray Hill lovingly refers to Sasha as "the Queen of Kings," this revival of Sasha's drag king persona answers quite a few questions.
Between Alexander's hunky physique and sensual moves, fans were also served yet another gag-worthy reveal from this powerhouse drag artist: Finding a copy of Judith Butler's 1990 book Gender Trouble right in his pants!
Instead of continuing his steamy and seductive number, Alexander actually stops, opens the book, and is clearly fascinated by the writings of Judith Butler. The hilarious — and hot — performance can be watched below.
If you're not familiar with this beautiful man, let's fix that right now!
Sasha Velour introduced Alexander Velvet in May 2019 as her "masculine alter-go." Inspired by legendary drag kings of the past who left their mark in the art form, Sasha referenced several iconic queer entertainers, writing:
"I think of Annie Hindle and Vesta Tilley (the most successful drag kings of Vaudeville), Gladys Bentley (drag king and musician of the Harlem Renaissance), Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich, Diane Torr (1980s performance artist who created 'man-for-a-day' drag king workshops), and especially Stormé DeLarverie (the king who hosted the Jewel Box Revue and, according to legend/herself, threw the first punch at Stonewall). Plus the many amazing kings of today who are developing some of the most original drag out there! Learn your drag history, darlings… All of it!"
Shortly after that official (but brief) introduction, Sasha Velour appeared in a GQ feature titled, "From Joan of Arc to Murray Hill, Drag Kings Have Redefined Queer Culture."
In the photo shoot, the Drag Race season 9 winner and The Big Reveal author posed alongside other queer performers and drag kings like Murray Hill, Vigor Mortis, and K. James, among others.
Last but certainly not least, Alexander Velvet made a recent appearance in the fourth season of HBO's We're Here, which Sasha Velour cohosted alongside Jaida Essence Hall, Latrice Royale, and Priyanka.
Under that particular setting, Alexander Velvet adopted a cowboy aesthetic and went out for drinks at a local bar. Just dudes being dudes, after all.
(L-R) Sasha Velour, Latrice Royale, Priyanka on HBO's We're Here season 4.
HBO Max
Fans are excited about this return of Alexander Velvet — and what a perfect time for this heartthrob to reemerge and celebrate such a milestone for the art form of drag in mainstream media: This historic first season of King of Drag, which is still airing new episodes every Sunday on Revry.
Otherwise, Sasha Velour is on tour this summer with The Big Reveal Live Show making its way across the country and around the world. Later this year, Sasha will also put together a spectacular show to commemorate the 10th anniversary of NightGowns, with scheduled performances taking place between August 27 and September 1 at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City.
In the meantime, King of Drag season 1 still has lots of new episodes dropping every Sunday. This OG cast of drag kings includes competitors like Alexander the Great, Big D, Buck Wylde, Charles Galin King, Dick Von Dyke, Henlo Bullfrog, King Molasses, King Perka $exxx, Pressure K, and Tuna Melt.
Not only are these drag kings being celebrated for their talents, but they're also making queer history by competing in the series. We can't wait to see how this turns out!
King of Drag season 1 releases new episodes every Sunday on Revry.
