Jinkx Monsoon

Jinkx Monsoon is a celebrated Broadway performer, vocalist, and actress whose work blends an old-school glamour, vaudeville, camp and cabaret into her own distinctive style. Recognized as a two-time winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, Monsoon has starred on Broadway, including productions of Oh, Mary!, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Chicago, and Little Shop of Horrors. Along with eclectic pop albums, including 2014's The Inevitable Album, 2018's The Ginger Snapped and 2022's The Virgo Odyssey: Prologue EP, she has also starred in shows like Doctor Who and voiced characters on Steven Universe, Adventure Time: Fiona & Cake, and Resident Alien. Born in 1987, Hera Lillith Hoffer aka Jinkx Monsoon grew up in Portland, Oregon. She became fascinated by drag performing in her teens and made her stage debut at age 15 at a local all-ages club. After high school, she attended Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2010. All the while, she continued to perform drag, adopting her stage name inspired by actress Jennifer Saunders' character Edina Monsoon from the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. In 2011, she and creative partner Nick Sahoyah began collaborating on the Funny or Die series Monsoon Season. She also appeared in director Wes Hurley's film Waxie Moon in Fallen Jewel and was the subject of a YouTube docu-series. As a theater artist, she appeared in a bevy of stage productions, including starring as Moritz in the rock musical Spring Awakening at the Balagan Theater and as Angel in the 5th Avenue Theatre's production of the musical Rent. She also starred as Hedwig in the Moore Theatre's production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and as Velma Von Tussel in 5th Avenue Theatre's production of Hairspray. In 2013, Monsoon joined the cast of season two of RuPaul's Drag Race where she became an immediate fan favorite. She ultimately won first place, beating out competitors Alaska and Roxxxy Andrews. The following year, she released her debut studio album, The Inevitable Album, mixing blues, jazz, traditional pop, and cabaret. It featured a guest spot from Fred Schneider of the B-52s. Building upon her success, she and creative partner Major Scales (aka Richard Andriessen) co-created and starred in the '20s cabaret musical The Vaudevillians. She also joined the cast of Wes Hurley's web series Capitol Hill and appeared in an episode of the TV drama Blue Bloods. For her sophomore album, 2018's The Ginger Snapped, Monsoon explored a mix of '90s-inspired sounds, from grunge and garage rock to ska. Along with the returning Schneider, it featured appearances from Amanda Palmer and Lady Rizo. More acting work followed, including taking on the role of Emerald in the animated series Steven Universe, Hairmosa in Mighty Magiswords, and both Normulon and Lemon Grab in Adventure Time: Fiona & Cake. Other roles followed, including playing the villain Maestro in Doctor Who and voicing the character of Bruce in Resident Alien. In 2022, she competed on season seven of RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars where she won first place. That same year, she released the EP, The Virgo Odyssey: Prologue. The following year, she made her Broadway debut as Mama Morton in the Ambassador Theatre's production of Chicago. More ballyhooed roles followed, including playing Audrey in the Westside Theatre's 2024 Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors and Ruth in the Todd Haimes Theatre's 2025 production of Pirates! The Penzance Musical. Also in 2025, she took on the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! at the Lyceum Theatre.
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