‘Drag has taught me so much,’ Monét X Change talks comedy, Queer expression and 15 years in drag ahead of Just For Laughs Toronto

Drag powerhouse Monét X Change is bringing her immense talent to this year’s edition of Just for Laughs Toronto with a show called High Heels Bad Knees.

X Change is a household name in the world of drag queens. The New York-born drag superstar, comedian, television personality, and classically trained opera singer has built a career that blends drag, comedy, music and storytelling, from her one-woman shows to her hit Sibling Rivalry podcast with Bob the Drag Queen.

This month she’s bringing that talent to our city with High Heels Bad Knees, a show that gives audiences an hour of wild, fast-paced stand-up about growing up and accepting your joints are “functional, yes, but sometimes a little fragile.”

After 15 years in drag, Monét X Change has learned a thing or two about the art form, including just how much it can transform the person underneath the wig and heels.

The RuPaul’s Drag Race star has been doing drag since summer 2011, and says stand-up has become one of the most rewarding parts of her career.

“There is nothing like being on a stage in front of a room full of judgmental, drunk homosexuals,” X Change told Queer & Now, describing the thrill of making an audience laugh and “disarming them with your jokes.”

Ahead of her Toronto show, she has one request for the audience: bring your loonies and toonies.

“Every dollar and every toonie and loonie counts,” she jokes, encouraging fans to throw the Canadian coins onstage so she can take them straight to the bank. “I was made like a Chevy truck. I am made tough.”

X Change finished in sixth place during season ten of RuPaul’s Drag Race, earning the title of Miss Congeniality before going on to secure first place in season four of All Stars.

Despite jokingly warning young people to stay away from drag because of the toll years of performing have taken on her body, the queen says she still loves the art form, particularly its transformative power.

“Drag has taught me so much about my expression [of] my own gender,” she says. “So I embrace the power and the transformative nature of drag.”

And after a killer 15 years of success, that transformation is still part of what keeps her coming back to the stage.

X Change will grace Toronto’s Bluma Appel Theatre on Oct. 3 for an hour of fast-paced drag, kicking off at 7 p.m. Tickets for the show are available at Just For Laughs Toronto.