This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jay Jackson: Yes, God, honey, it's your girl, Miss Laganja Estranja, and you're listening to Behind the Awards.

[0:08] Eila Mell: Hello, and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila. As always, I'm here with Bruce.

[0:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello, Bruce.

[0:22] Eila Mell: Hi there. How are we doing today?

[0:24] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm good. So you had a busy weekend at the theatre?

[0:29] Eila Mell: I've been wanting to get back to see Mincemeat, especially with, you know, some of our guests, former guests, being in the rotation now to try to see, you know, who I could see. But before the show even started, I saw something I've never seen in a Broadway theatre.

[0:46] Bruce Gotlieb: What?

[0:47] Eila Mell: And I texted you a picture because I couldn't believe my eyes.

[0:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yes, an audience member.

[0:53] Eila Mell: This gentleman walked in with his dog, but his dog on a leash.

[0:58] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, well, you would hope.

[0:59] Eila Mell: Just free walking. No, but not like in a bag or carrying it. The dog and him were both walking down the aisle.

[1:06] Bruce Gotlieb: How big was the dog?

[1:07] Eila Mell: Medium-sized Whippet, if you will, breed. So like a greyhound-ish look.

[1:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, right. Skinny, tall, skinny dog.

[1:16] Eila Mell: Yes, and medium-sized. Not quite super long, but medium-sized. Definitely looked like he didn't know why he was there. The owner sat down in his seat, which was on the aisle about midway up the orchestra, and proceeded to try to have the dog lay on the floor next to him.

[1:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[1:33] Eila Mell: Which isn't, in my opinion, a good look because once the lights go out, somebody can trip over that dog.

[1:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. You get up to go to the bathroom. You're not going to think, is there a dog in the aisle?

[1:43] Eila Mell: Right. If you live with a dog in your own home, you know, oh, I have to be cognizant of my dog.

[1:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, you'd think.

[1:50] Eila Mell: You're at the theatre, you're not thinking that.

[1:51] Bruce Gotlieb: I trip over my dog in the night many times.

[1:55] Eila Mell: So, he proceeded to pick up the dog and put him on his lap. And now, this also, again, a medium-sized dog is not a lap dog.

[2:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[2:05] Eila Mell: So, it was just interesting to me because I know, listen, service animals are allowed in all different buildings and to accompany the people that they support.

[2:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[2:14] Eila Mell: I didn't notice if he was wearing a support vest, not that that matters.

[2:17] Bruce Gotlieb: The uniform.

[2:18] Eila Mell: Right. It was just because of the size of the dog felt like this isn't the right space for it.

[2:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Is that that? So, were other people reacting? Like, the people sitting next to him?

[2:34] Eila Mell: It didn't seem so. It seemed as everybody was just like...

[2:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Everybody was cool.

[2:38] Eila Mell: Ignoring it a little bit.

[2:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[2:40] Eila Mell: You know?

[2:41] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, my gosh. I personally would love it, but I, you know, I just love dogs so much. But I can see if you have an allergy or if you just don't want a dog, I can see maybe not loving it quite so much.

[2:52] Eila Mell: I don't know. And especially as we know, Broadway, you know, seats aren't the roomiest of seats either.

[2:57] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, that's true.

[2:58] Eila Mell: So, now you have a dog that doesn't really understand the constructs of, you know, personal space.

[3:05] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[3:06] Eila Mell: During Act One, you wouldn't even know there was a dog there. However, in the second act, there was a bark.

[3:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Aww.

[3:13] Eila Mell: Which makes me wonder, like, the performers from the stage, you know, as they're looking out into the audience, what must go through their mind to see, all of a sudden, this dog like in its chair.

[3:26] Bruce Gotlieb: In its seat.

[3:27] Eila Mell: Oh, my gosh. Maybe it's not all that uncommon. I don't know.

[3:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Maybe.

[3:33] Eila Mell: Does anyone out there know? Let us know if you've seen dogs in the theater. That would be really interesting. So, I've got to think it had to have been a service dog if they let the dog in the theater.

[3:44] Bruce Gotlieb: I would assume so as well. I didn't. I had a lot of questions, but I decided I would leave them, you know, for this type of discussion instead of walking up to him and asking him.

[3:55] Eila Mell: Right. Oh, my gosh. If I was sitting next to that person, I would have been asking all the questions.

[4:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Well.

[4:02] Eila Mell: But I think it's your right, as a seatmate, if someone's going to bring a dog in.

[4:06] Bruce Gotlieb: To inquire?

[4:07] Eila Mell: What do you think? I feel like, you know, it's that unusual.

[4:10] Bruce Gotlieb: I'd rather have a dog than a baby next to me in the theater. Maybe a baby could cry at any moment.

[4:15] Eila Mell: True.

[4:17] Bruce Gotlieb: A dog is easier to control.

[4:18] Eila Mell: In theory.

[4:19] Bruce Gotlieb: So, I'm going with probably the unpopular view where I should take the dog over the baby.

[4:25] Eila Mell: Yeah. I just, it was, I was shocked. I've never seen it in all my years of theater going.

[4:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen it. And if I have, I didn't know it because it was in a bag or something like that.

[4:37] Eila Mell: Well, that's what in your head you would assume, like they would, somebody would have, like, you know, a toy Yorkie or something that's.

[4:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[4:45] Eila Mell: Can go in a small bag.

[4:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, exactly.

[4:48] Eila Mell: This dog was just, you know.

[4:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Free reign.

[4:50] Eila Mell: Free reign.

[4:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Today's guest is very special. Fans of RuPaul's Drag Race know and love Jay Jackson, otherwise known as Laganja Estranja. So, if you're a fan of Drag Race, we're going to talk a little bit about that. But they are also choreographing the new Jawbreaker the Musical, which is having a workshop out in L.A. for all the cult classic Jawbreaker fans.

[5:20] Eila Mell: Oh, and there's a lot of them. So, if you're in L.A., you can still go. You have, I think, another week to go see this show.

[5:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[5:27] Eila Mell: But here's our interview.

[5:31] Eila Mell: We are so excited to welcome Jay Jackson, also known to so many as Laganja Estranja, to Behind the Awards. Hello there.

[5:41] Jay Jackson: Hi there. Nice to see you guys.

[5:44] Eila Mell: Great to see you too.

[5:45] Bruce Gotlieb: You too. Fancy choreographer, off-Broadway.

[5:48] Jay Jackson: Yeah, well, hopefully off-Broadway and hopefully to Broadway.

[5:52] Eila Mell: That's right.

[5:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely.

[5:54] Jay Jackson: We like that trajectory.

[5:55] Eila Mell: That's right. So, you're doing Jawbreaker the Musical. Now, this is a big cult movie. I like to call it the original Mean Girls.

[6:03] Jay Jackson: Absolutely.

[6:04] Eila Mell: How'd you get involved with Jawbreaker?

[6:08] Jay Jackson: Well, I've been a friend of Darren Stein, the original writer and director of the movie. We're both Capricorns, so we are often getting to see each other about once or twice a year around our birthdays in December. And this is a project that he had mentioned to me quite a while ago. And of course, immediately when he told me that he was turning it into a musical, I was like, I really want to choreograph. So, I'm so grateful that in the end, I got the opportunity to be the choreographer for the musical workshop production here in Los Angeles at the Hudson Theatres.

[6:40] Eila Mell: And had you been a fan of the movie?

[6:43] Jay Jackson: Of course, yes. I grew up with the trifecta of popular girl movies, Heathers, of course, and Mean Girls. So, personally, Jawbreaker has always been my favorite of the three because of its dark edge.

[6:56] Eila Mell: Yeah. Who doesn't love Fern?

[6:58] Jay Jackson: That's right. And so, in your production, Fern is a little bit different. Can you tell people in what way?

[7:06] Jay Jackson: Absolutely. So, I think something that Darren really wanted to accentuate with the musical was creating the character Vern, Fern and Violet as a trans woman. I think that this character, for so many of us, we saw ourselves in her in the movie. And I know that he had other people reach out to him and explain to him that this is sort of a character arc that felt very similar to the arc of a trans woman. And I think as a queer person himself, he wanted to honor that. And he wanted to use that visibility for change. So, I was thrilled when I found out that the character was going to be trans in the musical and that they would be hiring people on the back end, like myself, to also represent the community.

[7:52] Eila Mell: When you watch a movie, sometimes you can get certain sensibilities as far as like movement or songs or like you could see it living in a different world. Have you been choreographing this movie in your mind even before you knew it was going to be a musical?

[8:08] Jay Jackson: I don't know that I would go that far. But definitely once Darren put the bug in my ear that this was going to be a musical, for sure. I absolutely started looking at it for choreographic inspiration. I think something that the movie does so well that I tried to sort of emulate in the choreography of the musical is sort of that slow-mo strut that we see the, you know, flawless ones do at the beginning of the movie. And also sort of that slow-mo deterioration of Courtney Shane at the end of Prom when all the corsages are, you know, berating her. So, that is something that I tried to do in the musical as a nod to the movie with this sort of idea of slow-motion movement. You know, I don't know about you, but that's how I walk normally in real life.

[8:50] Eila Mell: Well, I wish I could say the same, but no, I am a very fast-paced kind of gal. I am always on the go. So, having your, you know, your personal roots in the theatrical world, you know, with being a direct performer, going to school for dance, was theater always, like, on the trajectory for you, like, as a goal one day?

[9:08] Jay Jackson: Absolutely. Theater was my first love. It will be my final love. I would not be who I am today as Laganja Estranja if it wasn't for my upbringing in the theater. You know, I was touring nationally by like the age of 14 with Woe, Odris Follies, starring Larry Gatlin, and I was so lucky and still am very lucky to have a supportive family who made sure I had every tap shoe, every dance competition that I could possibly have so that I could get to the point where I am today. But theater really did shape who I am as a drag queen. I think so much of my gags and stunts and shows and shenanigans tie directly back into, you know, Gypsy, one of my favorite musicals that I was in probably like seven times as a kid. I never got to be Gypsy Rosalie, but now I get to be her nightly. So I'm so grateful for the upbringing in theater and for having that really informed who I am as an artist today.

[10:08] Eila Mell: I was Baby Louise, don't be jealous.

[10:10] Jay Jackson: Sing out, Louise! Sing out!

[10:13] Eila Mell: Exactly, that was me!

[10:16] Jay Jackson: With having Rebecca Gayhart as part of this production, obviously keeps, you know, the roots of its originality there. What has that been like to see her explore a new character? And you know, I guess also kind of be able to be a piece of history for the girls that are playing the flawless ones now?

[10:38] Jay Jackson: Yeah, well, Rebecca is a wonderful actress and an incredible person all around. I will admit I was very nervous to work with her. I remember when we were in the beginning, Matt DiCarlo, who is our director and become a really close friend of mine through the project, as one does in theater. He was like, OK, you and Rebecca are going to go in that room and I'll take the cast. And I was like, wait, you're sticking her with me alone? Like, I'm nervous. But I had nothing to fear. She's so nice, such a hard worker. You know, we did a private outside of rehearsals, just she and I, so that we could really go over the choreography in detail and she could write it all down. And, you know, I think for the flawless ones, having her there was, you know, priceless.

They were able to literally turn to her and ask her directly, like, what was this like? What was that hand movement you did at the end? And, you know, get specific details that you wouldn't be able to get with another actress who wasn't, you know, participating in the film back in the 90s. So having her there was so special. We were also so lucky to be visited by Julie Benz, who was in the original movie. And, of course, Rose McGowan, who recorded our, like, pre-show announcement. So all of the girls have been so supportive from the original film to the musical adaptation.

[12:58] Jay Jackson: Like, we're just gonna stage three songs, and if we get time, we'll do the others. Spoiler alert, we got to the others. But I think it's because we did all this pre-production work together. And that's how we worked. I would choreograph, I'd send them videos, he'd be like, I like this, maybe this could be adjusted. What if you did this? And it really was a collaborative process. And I'm so grateful that I had his expertise and knowledge to guide me throughout this process, because it really did inform a lot of the choices that I made as a choreographer.

[13:26] Jay Jackson: Well, I think what's super cool about the movie and the musical is that it's sort of timeless, you know, even though the movie was in 1999, when you look at the fashion, there's so many retro references to the 60s and 50s. And so I think the musical tried to do the same thing. I mean, there was a line in the musical that was like Facebook that got changed to Instagram. So I do think there are some updated language usage that might harken to a newer era. But I think it really is timeless. I don't think we tried to, you know, specify exactly what time date we're in, just like the movie didn't either.

[14:39] Jay Jackson: Well, with this particular process with the workshop, I actually was not involved in the casting. I was on a project working on something else. And so I trusted the team and Tal, our amazing casting director, to do this. And I will be honest, I think most of our participants in this workshop would identify as actor, singer first, mover second. But that's actually a specialty of mine. You know, I did my Laganja's Dance School around the world, and most participants in that class were buds, or people who support me and follow me, and non-dancers. So I think I'm fairly good at working with people who maybe aren't as confident in the language of dance. And I definitely got these kids a-moving and a-grooving.

So, quote one of my friends, Danny Franzese, who was in the original Mean Girls movie, who came to opening night, he was like, you didn't give them a second to breathe. So I definitely think I pushed the envelope and really encouraged them to go outside of the lines that maybe they would normally, you know, color in. We got some barrel turns in there. I got a split from Marcy. So I definitely did try to add sort of some of my signature moves. We definitely got the Laganja in there. So yeah, I definitely think I brought my flair from the drag world to the project. But as we continue to hopefully grow this, of course, I'm hoping that I can continue to expand the choreography to be more complicated.

But ultimately, you know, what's really unique about this show is it isn't necessarily a big dance musical. And that's why I feel so grateful that Matt Trusted Me, it's added into other numbers that maybe we didn't really originally think would have movement.

[16:30] Jay Jackson: Yes. I was always constantly being like, now, Matt, what if we added two eight counts here? So, you know, I tried as much as I could to get the autography in there. But I think a lot of what we see in this workshop production is also like movement coaching and, you know, getting them to feel sort of pedestrian movement in a heightened way.

[17:01] Jay Jackson: I have. And I'm so grateful that my sister Willam from RuPaul's Drag Race was one of the first girls to be like, what's the tea? I must see this. And she just saw it last weekend and was like, oh, sister, I'm so proud of you. And she was like, and I think I saw several of your outfits in the show. I was like, you did. There's a lot of my clothes in the show.

[17:18] Jay Jackson: Yeah. Of course, I've had my buds come out and support as well, which I'm so grateful for. And I'm just so happy that I can sort of blend the two worlds together because drag and musical theater, there really are so many similarities. And I'm so grateful that a lot of people who are fans of LaGanja are now going to see that I'm also a very skilled choreographer.

[17:59] Jay Jackson: So I think it's so much fun for your fans to come see it. I think it's a natural plus, it's campy and it's so much fun anyway.

[18:08] Jay Jackson: Yes, it is definitely camp. And I definitely think, you know, people who really follow me, they are going to recognize my clothes on stage because they followed me for years and they were like, oh, she wore that to this and this to that. So there's lots of little Easter eggs for those who have followed the work of LaGanja for sure.

[18:30] Jay Jackson: Of course, I think any good dancer choreographer should start with ballet. You know, I actually started in sports as a young child and it just never clicked. It was never my thing. And once my parents put me in air conditioning and a mirror where I could look and stare at myself, I was happy. Also being surrounded by girls was nice too.

[19:00] Jay Jackson: Yeah. I don't really like nature very much.

[19:14] Jay Jackson: Yeah. Gotcha. As a choreographer? I don't think so. Right. Like you said, there wasn't much for me to work off of. But I do think, like I mentioned, those sort of slow moments, I really did want to capture that with the choreography and the vibe of the overall entrance and sort of exit of the musical. But no, I think that was more on the writer's side, more on the musician's side. They were the ones that were really doing the work to keep the movie alive, but also progress it forward as a musical.

[19:50] Jay Jackson: Exactly. And I think that the writers, you know, did such an amazing job with the music. You know, they turned Peachy Keen, one of the most iconic lines from the movie, into a full fledged song. And I think also what's really amazing about this production is that the way the songs sort of they go into song and dance and then they come out into a scene and then they go back into song and dance like a traditional musical theater piece. And so I think the way that they executed that is chef's kiss.

[20:47] Jay Jackson: Yeah, I mean, you know, I think at the end of the day, they're all three very different. I think, of course, there is similarities there. But I think especially with the updated, you know, idea behind Violette, it really gives this musical something different that neither one of those shows has. And I also think bringing on a drag queen to be a choreographer is something that we haven't quite seen yet on Broadway. Obviously, we've been seeing people like Jinx, you know, go to Broadway. We've got Alaska touring with O'Mary right now. So I do think drag is like making its way into Broadway. But I definitely would love to be the first trans and drag queen to win a Tony on Broadway. So yeah, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our trajectory is moving us in that way and that it will, you know, fill that spot for those who are looking for the next sort of popular girl musical vibe.

But I really do think that our show is special and it stands on its own. And it definitely deserves to continue to grow and be seen by more audiences because it is completely sold out here in Los Angeles. We just added another weekend, which we're very excited about. Rebecca will not be joining us for the final weekend. But we have Lori Allen coming in, who's amazing. And so we're just really looking forward to like seeing kind of the reception of that as well. Because as you know, with Broadway, you start with an original cast. And then as it grows and expands, you bring in other people. So I think this is a perfect way for us to test out that and just to continue to share the love of Jawbreaker with Los Angeles as long as we can.

[22:42] Jay Jackson: Yeah, I definitely hope so. I mean, for me, it's just an additional layer. It's just something that does make it different from the movie, but also makes it that much more interesting, right? Because, you know, you know, she's going to die from the Jawbreaker, obviously. But you don't know how Violette's story is going to sort of blossom throughout the show. And so I think it adds another layer of interest for the fans and for people who have never seen it.

[23:17] Jay Jackson: Yeah, totally. So as you know, Bruce just said New World Stages is wide open. So we're hoping, fingers crossed, it would be a natural move. Hopefully your team is on that. Do you know if there's any next steps planned yet?

[23:32] Jay Jackson: I do know that there is Whispers of New York. I also know that there's Whispers of London. So I'm definitely trusting the team when it comes to that, even though I grew up in musical theatre and have been working in that field for quite some time. In fact, next year, I'm going to be at Playwrights Horizons for Misstep, another original musical that I've been a part of, co-choreographing alongside Conor Gallagher. So I have been, you know, interested.

[24:00] Jay Jackson: Interwoven into the Broadway world, but that is not my expertise when it comes to drag clubs and nightclubs. I got you there, which is why we did our opening party at the Abbey here in West Hollywood. But I trust the team fully when it comes to, like, what are our next steps? And I'm just here to support. But yes, there definitely have been whispers of New York and or London. So I'm hoping for both amazing. And would you consider coming back and being in the cast of something at some point?

[24:29] Eila Mell: Like would I be in the cast of Jawbreaker as a performer?

[24:32] Jay Jackson: Or any show.

[24:33] Eila Mell: Or like if Chicago called you up and said, come on in and give us a little Roxy.

[24:38] Jay Jackson: Yeah, I mean, you know, at the end of the day, musical theater is my roots. So I do love to perform. I wouldn't say I am a singer actor first. I'm definitely a dancer first than actor than singer. But, you know, I would love to perform on Broadway. Of course, I would be silly to turn down any opportunity to, you know, be on stage as myself performing in a role. You mentioned Chicago, of course, one of my favorite shows. Cabaret is number one for me. I got to see the revival of the revival of the revival. I've lost track how many there's been, but I got to see it with Marsha Marsha Marsha recently. And that was amazing. And she was incredible as the emcee. So, yeah, if that opportunity was ever, you know, presented to me, I would definitely love to be a part of it.

Specifically with Jawbreaker, the singing is really hard. So I don't think that I have the chops for that. But, you know, I would definitely love to be a part of, you know, the performance. Maybe someday there was talks of me potentially replacing Rebecca as the principal.

[25:46] Eila Mell: I feel like we'd be remiss if we didn't just, you know, dip a toe real quick into your experience on Drag Race. Obviously, a very different aesthetic in terms of, you know, being an entertainer because you're on a, I'll use air quotes for those that are not watching and just listening. You're, you know, in a reality show, which, you know, we all know, being around for a while that some of the stuff is not real. But, you know, overall, obviously, for people that are trying to use platforms as a ladder to get to further where they want to go, it's great. You get in front of a wealth of people that can kind of carry your career on with you. So do you still are you still in touch with any of the girls from either your seasons or, you know, time within, you know, the Drag Race umbrella?

[26:34] Jay Jackson: Absolutely. I mean, it definitely is a sisterhood, which means we fight and fuss with each other a lot, but we also love and support each other just as much. And I've been so lucky that I've actually been able to choreograph for a lot of my sisters. So I've done Trixie's music video, Hello, Hello. I did Katya's music video, Ding Dong. Then I did their tour of Trixie and Katya Live, which got to go to Radio City Music Hall for me, which was a dream as someone who, again, grew up in musical theater to have my work presented on the stage was just like such a pinch me moment. And I've also been able to choreograph for Lady Camden for the last, I think, three years now. I've done her Christmas show, The Naughty Nutcracker, and got to choreograph that.

I also worked with her and Bosco and Diabetty on their tour that they had together. So I'm really grateful that, again, a lot of my sisters have turned to me when it comes to choreography. And I've been able to, again, put on that hat and help them with their drag through the lens of a choreographer.

[27:38] Eila Mell: That's amazing. Are the worlds very different between theater and drag?

[27:43] Jay Jackson: I would say yes and no. I would say yes, because every drag queen thinks they're Britney Spears. So you are working with a lot of personality. But they're very similar in the fact that they're both so theatrical, you know, costume reveals and the usage of props and storytelling. I mean, it really is much more similar than I would say it is different. I just find, you know, when you're working with actors in equity, there is a certain level of professionalism that may be kind of hard to pull out of drag queens. I'm lucky that with all the drag queens I listed, that's not the issue. Not the case, rather. But, you know, like I'm about to go on Work the World's Halloween tour again, Night of the Living Drag, or Slayaway Camp.

I'm not for sure what title we ended up on, but it's sort of a Slayaway Camp, 80s-themed, where we're all around the campfire and each of us has a different story. So again, I feel like that's so musical theater, but just told through the lens of drag. And I will say that on Work the World, there are some girls who, you know, run on their own time. And it's not like equity, where if you're late, your pay gets docked, which is something I have tried to get the producers to implement for many years, because I'm very much that girl. If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. And if you're late, you're fired. This is something I learned in musical theater. So I'm hoping that more of those practices will make its way into the drag world. But yeah, it really is quite similar in the way things operate, for sure.

[29:17] Eila Mell: I know that on Project Runway, at least, people have to audition many times, a lot of the time. Was that your experience with Drag Race?

[29:31] Jay Jackson: I'm very grateful that I'm one of the few who only ever auditioned once and got on right away. But I give huge props to my mama, Alyssa Edwards. I really do believe that if it hadn't been for her, I probably wouldn't have got casted as soon, because I was really green. I'd only been doing drag one year before I was on the show. But my mother, who was on the season before me, season five, was such a fan favorite. And World of Wonder, you know, was and still is, as they should be, absolutely obsessed with her. And so I think, you know, putting me on the show was a way to sort of keep her lineage alive. And at the end of the day, I had the chops to back it up. So I'm so grateful that, you know, I did only have to audition once. Because like you said, there are many girls who we know and love now who had to audition season after season.

[30:19] Eila Mell: Now, obviously, you're a busy girl. But with all the incarnations of all stars, and, you know, this versus the world and that versus the world, if time allowed, something you would visit again? Or was it like, all right, we've done it, I've experienced it, and you know, moving on from it?

[30:34] Jay Jackson: You know, I think for me, ultimately, it comes down to money. It takes a lot of money, especially now to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race. So if I had a sugar daddy, or I had an organization that wanted to give me $25,000 so that I could compete with the level of the girls now, then I would maybe entertain that idea. But ultimately, what I'd really love is to come back as a choreographer. I'm really trying to make this happen. You know, I feel like it's like, fetch. They're like, it's never gonna happen. And I'm like, yes, it will. So you know, my dream is to come back to the show as a choreographer, and to also be like sort of a guest judge as a choreographer. That would be like the ultimate height for me.

But as far as competing goes, I don't know that that's really my strongest suit. To be honest, I am a competitive person. But in that atmosphere, I crack under pressure. And as we all saw in season six, I cried every episode. So I'm not really trying to relive that again. And I'm so proud of what I presented on All Stars 6 when I came down from the ceiling in my green nug outfit. And I just don't really know how I would top that. So yeah, I'd love to be a special guest. I'd love to be a choreographer. But as far as a competitor goes, unless I miraculously fall on money, I think for me it is a puff puff pass.

[31:56] Eila Mell: Well, you certainly have nothing to prove at this point. Everyone knows and loves you now.

[32:02] Jay Jackson: Well, that's very sweet of you. I do not feel that way. I feel like every day is a day for me to prove myself but ultimately to me. You know, I'm my harshest critic. And trust me, if someone has thought it, I've already said it to myself. So I am always constantly working on proving myself to myself, not just as an artist, but as a human being. You know, I mess up all the time. I am a drag queen. So I do have a tendency to have a mouth. And it is something that, you know, I work on constantly because I think being strong and speaking your mind is so important. But I also think the way in which you go about that is as equally important. It's one of the main reasons I am sober and stay that way because trust me, Ms. Drunk Laganja will let you have it.

[32:54] Eila Mell: We, you know, put it all out there into the universe. I think a lot of the people we have on the show, and Isla and I included, like, we speak into existence. So hopefully, you know, whoever, whenever entities are listening, we'll make those choreography, you know, dreams come true.

[33:08] Jay Jackson: You know, amen, all different incarnations for you. And also the, you know, the more people get to see your work, the more people are going to want your work. So, you know, and we're very excited that you're coming to New York so we can come see you. Did you say Playwrights Horizons?

[33:20] Jay Jackson: Yes, I'm so excited. I mean, I've been working on Missed Up for I think three years now. It's an original musical. Kit and Melissa are the writers and they are amazing. The music is so good. And it tells the story of a, well, the way she sings it in the opening is a unremarkable trans woman. And it's a story about her and her family and what she discovers about her father and sort of keeping his lineage alive. And it is just a beautiful, beautiful musical that I'm so passionate about. Last year, we were at MCC doing a workshop presentation. We were so honored to have the icon, Rachelle Rack, a part of it, as well as a cast of incredible performers. But now we are officially going to Off-Broadway in the fall of 2027 with Playwrights Horizons.

So I cannot wait to be back on that project and back in New York. I'm a little nervous about the fall because, you know, New York's weather in the fall can be very up and down. But I'm just excited to be back and continue this project. And, you know, obviously, we're hoping with this that it will go from Off-Broadway to Broadway as well. So fingers crossed.

[34:35] Eila Mell: Well, so many huge shows like Sunday in the Park with George. I mean, they started at Playwrights Horizons. It's one of the best Off-Broadway theaters we have here in New York.

[34:42] Jay Jackson: Yeah, yeah. We're very grateful.

[34:46] Eila Mell: So if you're in the L.A. area, although sold out, maybe you know somebody?

[34:51] Jay Jackson: Not the New Weekend. The New Weekend is not. So you can come to the last weekend. We run till the 27th.

[34:58] Eila Mell: All right. So we'll see, Jawbreaker. And if you're in New York, you know, get your misstep tickets while you wait.

[35:05] Jay Jackson: Yes, absolutely.

[35:05] Eila Mell: Now, it's probably a little soon, but we'll remind you. And maybe Jay will grace us and come back when it's time to talk about that show.

[35:11] Jay Jackson: Absolutely. Absolutely. I would love to.

[35:15] Eila Mell: Wonderful. We love supporting new work.

[35:17] Jay Jackson: Thank you. I appreciate your support. And, you know, I'm just so grateful for any opportunity to chat about the things I love, which is making art and, you know, the power and universal language that is dance.

[35:31] Eila Mell: Yeah, well, I think that people love just hearing about the creative process and especially from someone they already know from television, because they probably only got a little taste of that on Drag Race. So.

[35:44] Jay Jackson: Right.

[35:45] Eila Mell: Totally. There's so much more to you than.

[35:47] Jay Jackson: Thank you.

[35:49] Eila Mell: All right. Well, thank you again. And we will see everyone next time on Behind the Awards.

[35:54] Jay Jackson: Bye-bye.