It’s beginning to look like an Alaskan Christmas
-
- November 8, 2023
Alaska Thunderfuck, a reality TV star, personality, performer, and entrepreneur, has her own show, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Alaska… A Christmas Show.” The tour kicks off on December 6th in Seattle and includes stops in Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, and New York City.
During my chat we discussed the show, how she discovered drag, Alaska’s birth, and what’s next.
Finding Drag
Alaska didn’t realize she wanted to be a drag queen until she traveled to San Francisco at the age of 22. As an audience member, she fell in love with drag events back home in Pennsylvania. But it all came together when she visited San Francisco and went to The Stud. She was attracted by the chaos that ensued during the show. She said, “crazy makeup everywhere, props, water being sprayed, and everything was wild, unhinged, and untamed.” She relished every moment. “That’s when I was like, I want to do that,” Alaska explained.
We’ve seen recently how some are trying to put an end to drag and regard it as something other than art and creativity. When I asked her why she feels drag is important and what it contributes to the world, she said, “It’s a celebration of radical femininity.” She believes that the magic of drag resides in the fact that it allows the performer to be someone else and the audience to be transported somewhere else, even if only for a brief while. It’s both inspiring and healing.
The birth of Alaska
Only Alaska will provide you with an unexpected narrative. “Back in college, my classmates were chatting about cannabis trains they had tried. Alaskan Thunder Fuck was one of them, and I thought it was the coolest name ever,” Alaska added. She scribbled it in her notebook so she wouldn’t forget. When it came time for her drag name, well, the rest is drag.
But it wasn’t until she came to Los Angeles that Alaska’s origin story began. “When I moved to LA, that’s when I created her story,” Alaska explained. She was an alien who had crash-landed on Earth. “And she’s trying to get out of there.” Coming from Pennsylvania, this was also an inward representation of how she felt in Los Angeles. She didn’t feel like she belonged anyplace, and Alaska became her way of embracing the truth.
The Show
As Alaska indicated, the audience is in for a treat since “it’s going to be elegant, stunning, and fun.” This show arose from her and her long-time best friend Jeremy performing “holiday shows for years in smaller venues with more intimate settings.”
She wanted to step it up a notch and offer the audience something they wouldn’t forget because this isn’t your typical Christmas concert. I mean, nothing is ever ordinary with Alaska. “This will be a Christmas show with hardly any Christmas music,” Alaska said. She went on to explain that the reason behind this is that with Christmas music, we’ve heard it all before and know what to expect from start to end. The goal of any performance by Alaska is to transport you to a space you’ve never been before.
She pointed out her squad for special praise. “I’m fortunate to have a team of good and talented people to assist me in making all of this happen.” I’m not the sort to get into the nitty gritty of things. “I like to get up on stage and do the damn thing,” Alaska explained.
Tour Dates
December:
6th: Seattle, WA @ Neptune
7th: Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue
8th: Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
10th: San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365
12th: Montreal, QC @ Le National
14th: New York, NY @ Town Hall
15th: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Hall
16th: Boston, MA @ Big Night Live
17th: Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
21st: Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
23rd: Erie, PA @ Erie Playhouse – 2 shows
Alaska’s tour does not conclude the end of the show for her. She informed me that her new fragrance, Red for Filth, is now available on her website for sale and will be available at Macy’s. She added, “This has been ten years in the making, and I’m excited to introduce it to everyone.”
