Monét X Change: An infusion of classical music and pop culture

The artform dates back as far as ancient Rome (and perhaps even further), but the origins of the term ‘drag’ are murky. One school of thought finds the source in the dramas of William Shakespeare, while another looks toward 19th-century theatre slang for the word’s foundation. Although the exact origins of the word may be contentious, there is no doubt at all that drag is permeating the popular consciousness like never before. With shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race boosting drag queens to stardom, it is exciting to see what queens from the competition do with their newfound fame.

One such star is Monét X Change. A competitor on the show’s 10^th season, Monét won the fourth season of the show’s All Stars franchise and returned again for season seven, during which she turned to her training as a bass-baritone to wow audiences with a performance of ‘Vi ravvisoo luoghi ameni’ from Bellini's La Sonnambula. Then followed Monét’s Minnesota Opera debut and now a show at the Edinburgh fringe which promises to combine her stand-up prowess with her considerable vocal talent. I caught up with Monét as she prepared to perform at Toronto Pride.

You will be performing for the first time at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer, with Life Be Lifein’: Missed Opera-tunities. What can audiences expect from this new show?

'College was where I really fell in love with opera.' Monét trained as an opera singer at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. ©Victor Jeffreys

I'm going to show British audiences my comedic chops. I've done a lot of stand-up in the US and I've hosted tours and shows in the UK but I haven’t focused on myself and my story. I'm calling the show Life Be Lifein’: Missed Opera-tunities because I'm going to be talking about the ‘what if’s and questions that a lot of us have. I’ll talk about my life in music and all the opportunities that I didn't take over the past decade, wondering what steps I could have taken back then which would have led me to a different place.

In your show you’ll be talking about reaching vocal maturity at 35, how do you expect it to impact your career going forward?

This age is bringing me an ease and excitement in singing that I didn't have before. During my undergrad (I did a double degree in opera performance and music education) I learned from my teacher that I wasn't going to reach vocal maturity until I was 34 or 35 because I'm a low voice, a bass baritone. So, from the time between 21 and 34 I just felt like I had more to do, I felt like life was offering me more.

Now I’ve reached the prime of my vocal fach I feel comfortable in the things that I used to struggle with. I remember in undergrad being so afraid of a C4 and now I'm soaring with Es and Fs and feeling so comfortable. I don’t have to do the vocal gymnastics that I thought I had to do back then, and singing is honestly more fun because I'm not panicking about the C# that's coming on page three.

You were born in Brooklyn, New York City. What were your first experiences with classical music like and how did you get onto the path of studying opera at university?

I was lucky enough to go to an audition-based performing arts high school in New York City. To get in you did these American Idol-style auditions for the five different schools in New York City. Then, whether it be drama, dance, music, theater or voice you’d get really great arts training. I went to the Professional Performing Arts School where my teacher was really passionate about teaching us oratorio work and anthems and spirituals and giving us a solid classical technique. I wanted to echo that same experience for kids, so I wanted to be a music teacher.

When I went to college I studied a lot with fabulous opera diva Sharon Sweet and she told me, ‘You really have something. You have a great instrument.’ I started watching endless hours of Diana Damrau singing ‘Queen of the Night’ and watching Sam Ramey in all his roles. College was where I really fell in love with opera.

You trained as an opera singer at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. What’s one lesson from your classical training which you have brought to your drag career?

I remember taking this class called ‘The Singing Actor’ with mezzo-soprano Laura Brooks Rice, which taught you how to emote and portray what each aria is asking of you without any of the text, to give life to the text without saying words. I bring that a lot into my lip syncing – I would find ways to communicate to my audience what feeling the song gives me without the words, working on how I can portray that with my eyes, with my face. That has really informed a lot of my career in drag, acting, singing – all of it.

You shocked audiences by choosing to sing ‘Vi ravvisoo luoghi ameni’ from Vincenzo Bellini's La Sonnambula in the All Stars Seven Variety Show episode. What was the story behind that performance?

It was such a flippant decision. Originally, I was going to sing an R&B song, but I was going around the room asking all the girls what they were doing and so many people were doing their own original songs that I wanted to do something shocking, something that no one has ever done on the show.

I hadn't had a voice lesson since I graduated in 2012 and I thought to myself, ‘Can I really get up here and just sing an aria? I haven’t rehearsed this aria in over a decade – can I do it?’ I went to my hotel room, I sang it through, and I thought, ‘Yeah, I can!’ It is one of the best decisions I've made in my life. It's afforded me so many great opportunities and it's opening up my world so much. I'm so grateful that I did it.

Monét brings her classical training to both the opera and drag stage (Image courtesy of Minnesota Opera)

Responses to your performance prompted season eight winner Bob the Drag Queen to come to your defence. Why do you think the audience were so quick to respond to opera in this negative way?

It was two things. I think a big part of it was that some people thought I was lip syncing. There was this group of people saying, ‘She wasn't singing live, Monét can't do that.’ The other thing was Drag Race is a competition show and people get really obsessed about the person that they want to win. It was undeniable that I did such a great job and I think that people can't see one person doing a good thing without thinking that it takes away from someone else. It doesn't have to be that. We can all exist on the same plane and do a great job. That's how the whole season felt; RuPaul was constantly congratulating and complimenting all of us.

Having opera broadcast on such a popular platform is a fantastic way to introduce people to the art form. You’re also an ambassador for LA Opera – what is your vision for a more accessible and approachable future for opera?

I think it starts with putting things like drag in opera. The art form of drag is exploding in popularity. RuPaul’s Drag Race has single-handedly put drag in the living rooms of so many people.

It is no secret, anyone who is a classical music enthusiast knows that opera can be very gatekeep-y. I think that me doing opera on Drag Race has opened the artform up to so many people. I have incorporated opera into a lot of my stand up and to hear these audiences be so excited, screaming and shouting like they’re at a Madonna concert while I'm singing an aria, is so crazy to me. I think that’s what's making me most excited about opera these days; opening it up to an audience that felt like it wasn't for them. It's finding ways to infuse classical music and pop culture. A lot of other artforms do this because people recognize that pop culture is not going anywhere.

I've seen some activation, there's some really great opera TikToks that do pop meets opera and it's just really exciting. It doesn't feel like I can't watch it because I'm not good enough for it, it feels like I'm welcome here. That’s what it's about; making people feel welcome and that they can like opera if they want to. Everyone can enjoy opera.

You recently made your Minnesota Opera debut as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in The Daughter of the Regiment. This was your first time performing opera in full drag – how did the experience compare to productions out of drag?

'They made sure that everything looked right and fit right and fit the story, I felt so taken care of.' Monét's costume for her Minnesota Opera debut was made especially for her (Image courtesy of Minnesota Opera)

Doing it in drag was such a great experience. I never in my life thought I would get to perform a role in drag but after my All Stars Seven performance aired and so many people were so enthused by it Minnesota Opera approached me with the opportunity. I immediately jumped at the chance to combine my two greatest loves – classical music and opera. Those two worlds collided in this really beautiful and magnificent way.

I felt so powerful and so regal and the Minnesota Opera team made me feel so comfortable. All the costumes from the show were from an existing production that has been around for 30 years, so they made my entire costume (pictured left) from scratch – the hat, the wigs, everything was completely brand new. They made sure that everything looked right and fit right and fit the story, I felt so taken care of.

When I went to learn the aria that I sang, ‘La Calunnia’, I went to see if it was already in one of my books. I remember cracking the book open and I found myself pulling out all those skills that I learned before. I got out my IPA dictionary and translated each word then I sat at the piano and plucked at the notes and learnt it. It was something I had not done in so long and it was a really great exercise to jump back into the world of classical music.

Now you've had this awakening, what’s next for you in the opera sphere?

This year some great opportunities have come by. I’m doing some work with the Sarasota Opera Company and some other stuff in the states, possibly some work with the Houston Grand Opera. I'm still just easing back into Opera so I'm just going to take my time, take lessons, take care of my voice and make sure that when I am fully immersed that I have the chops to back it up.