EDGE Interview: If You Love Musicals and Lady Bunny’s Dirty Wit, Then This is Your Dream Double Feature

New York’s legendary drag icon Lady Bunny is touring the country once again and this time, she’s taking her biggest swing yet. In her brand-new musical comedy extravaganza, Bunny Butchers Broadway!, the outrageously funny performer takes her knife (and mic) to Broadway’s most beloved hits, slicing and dicing classics from Wicked, Dreamgirls, Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast and more with her signature dirty wit and fearless social commentary.

A self-professed theater queen before she ever donned a wig, Bunny grew up performing in community productions.  “My father worked at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and when the university needed a child in shows like Oliver, Gypsy, or even Shakespeare, they’d cast me!”  she recalls. “In The Winter’s Tale, I played Prince Mamillius, who died in the first act. I HATED that!”

Drag would eventually give her the freedom to create her own characters.  That freedom now fuels Bunny Butchers Broadway!, a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud blend of musical parody, stand-up, and biting cultural critique. With all-new lyrics and twisted reimaginings, Bunny transforms “Beauty and the Beast” into “Pussy and the Yeast,” “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” into “Don’t Cry for Me, I’m On Tina,”  (a reference to the drug Crystal Methamphetamine) and she even finds room for an original “tribute” song to Elon Musk. “This show isn’t political,” Bunny insists, “but I have to poke fun when a billionaire can buy their way into the White House and cut social services for the rest of us non-billionaires.”

The show is not for children.  It includes tributes to legends like Liza Minnelli and Cher (“I couldn’t resist turning “Liza With a Z” into a song about pronouns!”) and a drag queen roll call of fan favorites from RuPaul’s Drag Race in her “Drag Update” medley. “With so many RuGirls now nationally known, I’ve got plenty to joke about,” Bunny teases.

Despite the chaos, Bunny Butchers Broadway! isn’t entirely without theme. “Mainly, it’s about how jealous I am of Jinkx Monsoon’s success in Oh Mary! and Chicago,” Bunny quips. “But it was typecasting for Jinkx to play Mama Morton.  She was always having trouble with Roxxxy… Andrews!”

The show also promises jaw-dropping costumes designed by David Dalrymple, the fashion visionary behind looks for RuPaul and Bette Midler. “David’s been dressing me since the ’80s,” Bunny says. “He’s created all five of my looks in this show, and honey, they are spectacular.”

With her sharp tongue, bawdy humor, and affection for the Great White Way, Lady Bunny proves once again that no topic—or showtune—is safe. In between parodies of songs from Cabaret, 9 to 5, The Cher Show, Frozen, and The Greatest Showman, Bunny skewers everything from Ozempic culture (“Right now, I’m not on Ozempic to lose weight.  I’m taking it to save money on food!”) to the state of queer nightlife. “I’m very glad that comedy clubs are booking drag acts now,” she says. “Some beloved gay venues are closing, but the rise of drag in comedy spaces means we hams still have a home.”

Bunny Butchers Broadway! will play select cities nationwide this fall, including a special performance at San Francisco’s Oasis on November 24, marking Bunny’s farewell to the beloved venue.

As for her next act? Bunny jokes, “If Broadway producers come calling, I think I could pull off The Elephant Man! But until then, I’ll be doing what I do best:  making audiences laugh, cringe, and clutch their pearls.”

To dig deeper into the glitter, grit, and glorious chaos behind Bunny Butchers Broadway!, we sat down with Lady Bunny herself for a no-holds-barred conversation about parody, politics, and the power of drag.

EDGE: Bunny Butchers Broadway sounds like a fun show. What inspired you to take a comedic scalpel to Broadway’s most beloved hits?

LB: I do a lot of song parodies. I've always included a couple of Broadway songs in my one-woman shows, and since I have received good responses to my version of 'Rose's Turn' from Gypsy, I thought, 'Let's do a whole show like this.' In my last couple of shows, that song has been a favorite part, so I just wanted to give you all more of it. I want to make sure that people know I am not a show tune queen, and I even make the joke: 'Why is Bunny doing a show about Broadway?' She can't act, dance, or sing. Well, I figured that never stopped Madonna, so it won't stop me. 

EDGE: What’s your process for rewriting iconic lyrics into something hilariously twisted? 

LB: I've always had a knack for it. When I'm working with the comedy writer, they know that's the vein that I like to go. Most of my parodies are dirty and twisted. This is a show that Broadway queens will love and non-showtune people will enjoy. I'm not making fun of Broadway, but I'm using Broadway songs to do my usual twisted humor. Also, this is not a kid-friendly show; you can take them to hear a drag queen read a story, but don’t take them here. 

EDGE: Tell us about your costumes and what inspired the style for this tour?

LB: Anything that I can fit into while eating lots of Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, that’s the style. Most of my costumes stretch like a stretch Mumu. The guy who works on my costumes for this show is named David Dalrymple.  He was the in-house designer for Patricia Field, and he makes Bette Midler's annual ‘Hulaween’ costume. He's a great guy, and he also makes costumes for Latrice and Nina West. The great thing is that he is accustomed to handling large quantities of fabric, which is exactly what we all need.

EDGE: Is there a particular Broadway character whose look you had the most fun parodying?

LB: I’m not really able to parody other people’s looks—I just don’t have the time. I can do a quick costume change while a video plays, but I don’t have the luxury of switching up hair and makeup mid-show like some of the other performers. And truthfully, I don’t look like anyone. I’m jealous of drag queens who can impersonate celebrities. I guess I resemble Dusty Springfield a little—but let’s be honest, she’s not exactly top of mind these days. You might recognize the name, but she’s not a go-to reference.

What I find hilarious is that the number one Google search for “Lady Bunny” is “Lady Bunny out of drag.” And I’m like—why do I go through all this? Five wigs stacked on my head, tucking, teetering around in heels—just so you can deconstruct it? You monsters!

If you really want to know what I look like out of drag, forget Google. Head to any supermarket and grab a box of Quaker Oats. That’s me. Right there on the box.

EDGE: If you were to write and star in your own Broadway show, what would it be about?

LB: Well, I’d love for it to be about drag queens, of course—but someone asked me a great question recently: “What Broadway shows would you like to star in?” And honestly, I couldn’t think of any specific ones. But that’s what I love about this show. Instead of sitting through two or three hours just to hear that one iconic song, this production is packed with hits from popular musicals. It’s music people recognize and love, which is exactly what makes parody work—you need that familiarity. So whether it’s riffing on Wicked and poking fun at Ariana’s rumored eating habits, or turning Beauty and the Beast into “Pussy and the Yeast,” it’s all part of the fun. 

EDGE: You’ve been outspoken on LGBTQ+ issues for decades. What’s changed—and what hasn’t—in how queer voices are heard?

LB: I’ve noticed this for decades in entertainment: gay people are often accepted when we’re seen as style gurus for straight people. Whether it’s Queer Eye, Kojo, or Say Yes to the Dress, we’re celebrated when we offer fashion tips or makeover magic. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, an openly gay person could get on Oprah—as long as we were perceived to have some secret to keeping women stylish.

There’s been a similar push to portray drag queens as life-changing gurus. Drag Race leans into this idea that drag is a magic wand that transforms lives. But it’s not. Drag is something fun that I do, and that many of my friends do—but it’s not therapy. RuPaul isn’t a licensed therapist, and drag isn’t a cure-all.

Even in the musical Kinky Boots, which I saw with Billy Porter—yes, thank you, I’m very knowledgeable about Broadway, even if I can’t remember every detail at 63—the drag queen character is portrayed as a magical figure who saves a struggling shoe factory by thinking outside the box and designing high heels for men. It’s the “magic drag queen” trope again. We’re Here also casts drag performers as therapists. But we’re much more than that. We’re people who deserve equal rights.

And we need to ask why gay people are still most accepted when we’re in the role of style consultants. Do people realize why we know so much about style? It’s because we got beaten up for it. We bought that pink t-shirt, thought it was gorgeous, wore it to school—and paid the price. We had to learn, or not survive, what certain clothes, hairstyles, or jewelry could provoke.

So if straight people want our style tips, they need to understand: we can’t keep offering them if we’re being hospitalized, killed, or targeted by laws that allow discrimination at work, in school, or anywhere else.

Democrats missed a major opportunity when Biden had control of both houses from 2020 to 2022—they failed to pass the Equality Act, which would have reduced discrimination. So yes, we need to oppose Republicans who attack our rights, but we also need to hold Democrats accountable when they put our rights on the back burner."

EDGE: What role do you think humor and satire play in LGBTQ+ advocacy?

LB: They say laughter is the best medicine—and I believe that. I came up during the darkest days, when AIDS was a death sentence. And yet, we kept going out. We kept performing. We threw the best parties, even though one sexual encounter could mean the end. Humor was how I coped. It still is. My humor tends to be irreverent, because the funniest things to me were often the things you weren’t supposed to laugh at. I remember going to church as a kid, and when they passed around the offering plate, we’d drop in a single penny, cross out “The Lord loveth a cheerful giver,” and write “The Lord loveth a cheerful millionaire.” Then we’d sit back and wait for the reaction—that was comedy gold to us. And according to my mother, my sister and I used to sit by the toilet and wave, saying “Bye-bye, dodo.” So yeah, I’ve always been a little questionable in the taste department. That wasn’t something I developed—it was just there from the start.

EDGE: What excites you the most about sharing this show with your fans?
LB: Well, it’s all new—and at 63, how often do I get to say that? Not very often, until now. Sure, I’ve always had fresh bits and pieces, but this show is almost entirely new, which is rare. I just hope I can remember all the lyrics! One of the songs is about Elon Musk. People sometimes label me as far-left or politically controversial, but I think most Americans can agree on this: we don’t want billionaires working with the government to cut Social Security, Medicaid, or food stamps. That’s something we need to be crystal clear about.

EDGE: As the holiday season approaches, how can we in the queer community support each other better?

LB: I’d love to see a real meeting of the minds—bringing together all kinds of gay and trans people, especially those who aren’t necessarily the red carpet activists from organizations like GLAAD or HRC. Because honestly, a lot of what’s being framed as “the gay agenda,” even around trans issues, doesn’t reflect what matters most to my trans friends.

Take pronouns, for example. While they’re very important to some, I’ve worked with and socialized with trans people for decades. When I meet a trans woman, I would never ask her what her pronouns are—that can come across as saying, “Your look isn’t working, honey.” It’s like the old SNL Pat sketch: “I can’t tell what you’re going for.” That’s deeply insulting to trans women who’ve gone through expensive, painful surgeries and who present clearly as women or men—not as something indeterminate.

There’s this growing idea that gender itself is problematic, but I don’t think that reflects how most LGBTQ+ people feel. I think that’s coming from think tanks trying to speak for us. As a community—especially in the face of the challenges posed by a Republican president—we need to come together and determine what truly matters and what we can realistically achieve.

For instance, if we’re serious about addressing violence against trans women, my trans friends say one major issue is the criminalization of sex work. Historically, when trans people faced extreme discrimination, sex work was often their only viable employment option. I support legalizing sex work—not just for trans people, but on principle, for straight sex workers too. But are Democrats truly backing that? If not, we should encourage them to support policies that genuinely benefit our community.
Ultimately, I want to see us come together and set our own priorities—not have them imposed upon us.

Lady Bunny is taking her outrageous new show Bunny Butchers Broadway! on a national tour—grab your tickets now for a night of camp, comedy, and Broadway parodies at www.vossevents.com or check out her full schedule at ladybunny.net/gigs.