Touring the ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Set with Nymphia Wind

Hello, AD.

It's me, Nymphia Wind,

your current reigning champion

of Season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

I'm gonna be your godmother for today,

and we're gonna take you on a tour

on the set of RuPaul's Drag Race.

And here, in this Maxi Challenge,

you're gonna have some behind the scenes scoop

on where magic happens and where icons are born.

Insert glitter on the hands. [graphics tinkling]

[upbeat music]

I am standing in the alleyway,

and here is where the queens line up

before they walk into the Werk Room.

I remember standing here before my first time walking in,

and all I could think to myself was,

you know, Just enjoy the moment.

As I walked [footsteps thudding]

threw the banana peel first, and walked out,

did my little iconic shuffle,

slipped on the banana peel and fell,

while all the other queens thought I actually fell.

And here I was,

created a iconic entrance, if I say so myself.

[upbeat music] Bananas.

[metal clangs] [drag queen gasps]

This Werk Room has created so many drag icons,

and it has created so many memorable

and iconic moments for queer people.

Everyone gets their own little closet area

to hang up all their life's work, their clothes.

So these golden doors beside me,

this is the Ru door where Ru walks in

and says, Good morning. It's time for a new challenge.

And also to note, ladies and gentlemen,

this was the first time when you walk into the Werk Room,

that you would meet Ru.

It's, [sighs], such a gag moment.

Hello, hello, hello.

[drag queens screaming] [RuPaul laughs]

'Cause you always see Mama Ru on TV for so long,

and to actually see the doors open in real life

and her walking down those stairs in her beautiful suit,

is such a moment to remember.

Also in these Werk Rooms,

on the walls, you could see Mama Ru everywhere,

'cause she is here to remind us

how we must strive to be like Mama Ru.

[alarm blaring]

[Nymphia screams]

[footsteps thudding] She done ready to have her.

[gasps] I missed her so much.

Welcome squirrel friends,

for the first time in Drag Race history,

our incredible cast and crew will be giving you

a gagworthy behind-the-scenes tour.

But please, be careful not to slip on the charisma,

uniqueness nerve, and talent,

because baby, it's everywhere. [laughs]

Amen. Ah.

And mama Ru didn't tell everybody,

but she secretly told me, Nymphia Wind...

[scree beeps] No, she would say

Banana Queen.

[crickets chirping]

No, actually correction, Banana girl.

Today's Maxi Challenge for you is to give a tour with AD,

and don't [beep] it up.

[upbeat music]

This workroom is very synthetic,

very over the top, almost surreal.

You know, there are not a lot of spaces in the real world

that are this big with this many stage lights,

but I think it's really charming

that they let them come in one by one

because it is a little bit overwhelming

just to be in the space

that they have fantasized about being

for such a long time.

I remember walking in

and seeing the whole space of the Werk Room,

I said to myself, This Werk Room is actually massive.

'Cause, you know, on camera you only see a side.

There is spaces for you to walk around, prance,

and just be yourself.

And here, we are at the mirror where you paint your face.

This is where the girls kiki.

This is where relationships are built.

And these are the moments

where vulnerability can really happen.

I never got that much time with my dad after we made up

and he saw what drag could be.

Girl, [indistinct]. [Sapphira cries]

[Drag Queen] Can we all give you a hug?

[upbeat music]

[Jen] A huge portion of the show

is actually shot in a camera hide

that is behind two-way mirrors.

So when the queens are doing their makeup,

we are actually looking at them directly in the face,

because our mirrors can see them but they can't see us.

Well, it's always historic

that the eliminated queen of that episode

writes on the mirror.

And I, fortunately enough, didn't have to do it

because I was never eliminated.

But now I get to have the full experience of Drag Race,

'cause now AD has me writing on the mirror

'cause they try to sashay me away. [whimpers]

But, you know, here goes my message.

AD, you...

This is actually harder than I thought.

So, I ran out of lipsticks.

But what it says on the mirror is,

AD, you are bananas. Love you.

[upbeat music]

The inspirations for the show

come from all sorts of places.

Like, we might need to design a tacky mansion,

or we might need to design a park,

but a lot of times we're always trying to figure out

how to make it draggier,

and that's probably a word that we use daily.

It could be a basketball

and somebody is like, Can you make it draggy?

And so, I think the whole team has become accustomed

to preparing themselves to make all of the props draggier.

And that's probably something

that doesn't exist on any other show.

In Bruno's golden hopper are 11 balls

with your names on them.

Let's go.

We're in Art Department.

We do a lot of custom fabrication

and we augment a lot of store-bought things.

So we have an entire massive assortment

of glitter and sparkly things,

and there is no limit

to what we can add glitter and sequins to.

And most of the props that come through the space

end up getting glitter at some point.

We use a lot of hot colors,

we use a lot of bright colors,

we use a ton of sequins,

and I don't think that's ever going to change.

I think it's important

that when the audience is flipping through the channels,

that it's instantly recognizable.

The show is actually really zany and pretty random.

We have a massive assortment of strange props.

We have all sorts of unconventional things

that you would not think that you would need on a drag show,

but with drag, anything goes.

I don't know why we have so many traffic cones.

And of course, dress forms, musical instruments,

furniture and more.

Production design on Drag Race is really unique.

I think in a lot of ways,

our show resembles a sketch comedy show,

and a lot of times, if something could be funnier

or it could be more witty,

there are a lot of changes on the fly.

We would have maybe about a week for any sort of big build.

But once in a while,

if Mama Ru really wants to see something happen,

we're gonna have to take a hard turn

and we're just gonna have to make it happen.

The general prep time for a bigger episode

is anywhere from a day to a week.

[upbeat music]

Welcome, everyone.

We are here at the Untucked Lounge

where everything comes untucked.

Where all the drama happens.

Where everyone lets loose,

take their shoes off,

let their tights out.

And we're here just chilling, lounging,

kiki-ing, drinking,

and most importantly,

remembering the lip sync song.

You know those moments in Untucked Lounge

when you just see the people lounging,

and kiki-ing, drinking, and having a chat,

and then behind you can see two queens or three,

under little headphones,

[footsteps thudding] [fabric rustling]

just, you know, practicing,

'cause, you know, no one wants to go home.

I have to spill the beans.

After Season 16, this new set has grown in size.

The Untucked Lounge has become way bigger,

way more spacious.

Our Untucked Lounge

is pretty much entirely full of Easter eggs.

We decorate it solely with scenery

and props from previous episodes.

We have this shiny mop 'cause who doesn't like gay [beep]?

And the shade button is still here,

[hand thudding]

but very unpressable. [hand thudding]

In the spirit of Untucked, we're gonna [beep] up.

Let's go. [chuckles] [footsteps thudding]

[upbeat music]

Before you walk onto the main stage,

you're gonna look into the mirror

and say to yourself, You got this, bitch,

'cause you are what that bitch.

The energy behind the main stage

is always, to me, very serious

and a moment to reflect and calm your nerves

and to take deep breaths.

And you know what?

Just have fun, 'cause you have nothing left to lose.

And then you would walk out,

hit the main stage,

[footsteps thudding]

and the rest is history!

[upbeat music]

This particular year, we moved to a new stage.

There was literally no flooring, no walls.

And so, we took a template from previous years

just to figure out what the optimal camera angles are.

And those didn't change.

When I was thinking about what this set should look like,

I was really inspired

by the beautiful building on Hollywood Boulevard,

that's an Art Deco style.

And I just thought that it would be really incredible

to nod to that style,

especially because we're in Los Angeles.

A lot of Art Deco buildings

have a bit of a crown on the facade.

And I thought since, you know,

this is very much a show about pageantry

and beauty as much as it is about,

you know, humor and talent,

I kind of wanted to create a set

that had a little bit of a crown,

and was a modern take on an Art Deco building.

But we decided to incorporate a floor

that lights up in a T shape.

That way when you have your queen on the right

and you have your queen on the left,

they're able to go head-to-head.

But when we're trying to de-emphasize the T shape,

we can turn the lights off,

and then the stage can be

a little bit more of a blank palette.

This is where icons are born.

This is where it all goes down,

sweat, tears, dreams shattering, dreams being built.

Everything happens on the main stage.

[Jen] And you know, let's be honest,

drag is already over the top enough as it is,

and so I think the goal is always to make sure

that the queen really shines.

We wanna make sure our scenery is taking a back seat

because there's just so much to appreciate in drag,

and everybody's really just paying attention to the queens.

So I think the goal

is for the scenery not to be distracting.

♪ Sky and see me ♪

♪ And me ♪ ♪ And me ♪

♪ And me ♪ ♪ And me ♪

♪ Whoo ♪

What you also don't see on the film set,

is outside of this judging panel,

there are also people on the production team viewing you.

So, in a sense, there is actually an audience.

One of the things we have to accommodate

is we have to be able to make sure that a camera person

can get everywhere they need to go at any time,

which is very hard to predict.

You know, these queens might do something hysterical

and they might death drop onto the floor.

And so, we just need to make sure that,

you know, the floor is completely clear,

that the stage has a lot of vantage points.

And this set, there's probably around seven to 10 cameras

that are filming us.

You got Ru's camera,

and then there are like around three to four cameras

straight facing us all,

capturing our faces as we get critiqued, or complimented,

or get sashayed away.

Then we have another camera on a crane that flies around,

capturing all the magical moments of us queens

standing on stage.

But before we go onto the main stage,

we also have to walk from the Werk Room to the main stage.

And that, sisters,

is around a block and a half walk in this geesh.

But Drag Race is very kind

and they have prepared golf carts.

But sometimes I just like to walk

because I just wanna accidentally stumble

upon something that I'm not meant to see.

One thing on set, whenever there's a queen walking,

the production team, the PAs will scream,

Queens walking!

Queens walking!

[upbeat music]

I am sitting on the bane of my existence.

This is the judging panel.

And I am in shock mode right now

because I am seeing this whole set in a different lens.

The lens of a judge.

I feel very powerful.

I am sorry, my dear, but you are up for elimination.

[suspenseful music]

[laughs] I need to do the Ru laugh.

[imitates Ru laughing] Wow, that was a lip sync.

[judges laughing]

Give it up for the lighting crew,

[people clapping] and all the production team.

[upbeat music]

All right, AD, I have heard enough,

but it is my decision to make,

and unfortunately,

it is time for you to sashay away.

Goodbye.

You will be missed. [smacks]

And remember, if you can't love yourself,

how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?

Can I get an amen up in here? [laughs]