Jaida Essence Hall

Super Spy

Drag Race’s Jaida Essence Hall is ready to Werq

Rich Lopez | Staff Writer
rich@dallasvoice.com

Time drags on in the new, official RuPaul’s Drag Race World Tour: Werq the World — and that’s how it’s supposed to be. In this trip through time, the drag queen cast includes Kameron Michaels, Vanjie, Dallas’ own Asia O’Hara and Plastique Tiara and Jaida Essence Hall — all of whom will sashay in spectacular fashion.

High concept, high fashion and high camp is on the horizon when the tour stops in North Texas July 20 at the Texas Trust CU Theater. And this edition of the annual world tour may be the biggest one yet.

“This is the biggest, most spectacular drag show on earth,” Brandon Voss, the show’s producer said in a recent press release.

“Audiences will be in awe as their favorite queens from past seasons and the newest stars of Season 14 come together in some incredible numbers. The music, sets, fashion, choreography and lighting in the 2022 production are the largest to date and like nothing fans of drag have ever seen before.”

Before her first night onstage for Werq the World in Fort Lauderdale, Jaida Essence Hall, 34, was feeling both the nerves and the excitement.

In the show, O’Hara is building a time machine to go back to her season so she can take the crown. The machine malfunctions, leaving queens to land in — and perform in vignettes of — different periods of time. Hall lands in the 1960s, which turned out to be a dream come true for the performer.

“I’m a spy, which is so crazy, but, as a child, I always played and dreamed of being one of those spies in the movies,” Hall said by phone. “So I get to take that time period and elaborate on it with my character.”

A lot has changed for Hall since her Season 12 win. She’s walked in Rihanna’s Fenty fashion show, she is currently competing in RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars and now is part of this tour alongside a bevy of her drag sisters.

Hailing from Milwaukee, Hall recalls the crowd that would be there during her hosting days at Hamburger Mary’s. The crowds and venues are now bigger, but the feelings are the same.

“It doesn’t go away, those butterflies. They are just there in a different form,” she said. “Now it’s certainly something different, but I still get that same feeling. Those feelings are magnified but make me remember where I came from.”

Hall’s Drag Race season wrapped on television two years ago — May 2020, to be exact. That win is still fresh for Hall. It also keeps her on track to where she’s going.

“I think I’ll always be on this honeymoon of my win. I don’t want to fall out of this dream,” she said. “When you do come out of this place of disbelief, you don’t push yourself to do more. So I always want that feeling.”

Despite this dynamic cast of queens, many who have garnered their own devoted followings, Hall said that there’s no drama like one might see on Drag Race. Instead, there is a lot of support for one another between them all.

“As contestants, we form opinions without knowing [the other person], but as we spend more time together, you find out what makes them tick,” Hall explained. “You really see who they are as people and all their layers and different interests.”

Hall’s favorite part of it all is her time with fans and traveling to places she’s never been before. “You get to be closer to the fans and even find connections
with them. That is my absolute favorite,” she said.

The flip side of that is a nonstop schedule with back-to-back-to-back appearances and shows.

“Oh yes. Sometimes I don’t even know if I’m putting on makeup to be beautiful or to just not look like shit,” she said.

But Hall knows that this is her moment, and she’s embracing it all. That’s the lesson she’s taking away from all these new opportunities.

“I’m taking it as a time to learn more about myself. When you say ‘yes,’ there’s room to grow and learn and discover. So right now, I’m open to a million possibilities,” she said.

She’s dreamed of becoming a spy and now she is one. Jaida Essencce Hall could be on to something. n

For information and tickets, visit VossEvents.com.