You don’t know Iowa drag if you don’t know Studio 13’s Star Search. And if you don’t know Star Search, you can start your education with Star Search: All Stars.
The new season premiered this past weekend, and you’re going to want to clear out your Sundays, 9-11 p.m., for about the next nine weeks. Trust me.
Star Search: All Stars is a live, weekly reality competition show that’s basically the region’s own RuPaul’s Drag Race. There’s been five previous seasons, but this one is special: it’s an all winners and almost-winners lineup. Each contestant has competed before and was a crowd favorite.
Main judges Beep Beep and Lil Kimmy Blaque both described Sunday’s show as the “best Star Search episode yet.” What I’ll say for this first episode: it was eventful.
Challenge one: An SCU production
The challenge theme was an “Homage to Star Search past,” a megamix of previous lip-sync songs. Each number blended in a nonstop mixed rotation, so performers were entering and leaving the stage in a constantly revolving cycle. These weren’t your typical weekend numbers, but impressive feats of production. There were backup dancers in almost every performance, complete with choreo and costume.
From Season 4, Sonny Noble opened the show as a flamboyant Jesus accompanied by some familiar faces (fellow competitors Spooky Santos and Ruth Lime) as choreographed devotees. Ruth Lime was surrounded by similarly dressed clowns dancing around a dining table, creating a campy emotional whirlwind. Kalliope Bell, winner of Season 2, marched in a black straight jacket and was eventually pushed off a table into the arms of dancers.
There was arguably a lot of room for error in this challenge if just one person was late or early, if props weren’t moved in time — but it was practically perfect. All succeeded in the intention of honoring Star Search, and Studio 13 itself. In each performance, dancers were recognized as staples of the drag scene. Everyone in the Studio Cinematic Universe seemed to make an appearance in the highly professional production.
Challenge two: Runway tributes (and reads)
It was during the next challenge when the trouble began.
The runway theme was “Winners Inspired.” The contestants would have to combine a style from a previous winner of the competition with their own. This sounds harmless, and it mostly was. Muuvie Premier wore a startlingly accurate but personalized take on Oblivion Westwood’s winning flannel patchwork look from Season 4. Valencia La Del Barrio wore a surprisingly chic peeled banana garment, while donning Frisbee Jenkins’ signature mustache and holding a clutch with Jenkins’s OnlyFans handle.
But Spooky Santos, one of only two drag kings competing, chose to take a different direction, doing a less-than-flattering Kalliope Bell impersonation. Kalliope’s personal style is a Western-tinged blonde pop star, but Spooky’s runway consisted of a Chicago Bulls bodysuit with a harness overtop and a platinum wig, the only indication of Kalli parody his shouts of, “Does anyone wanna make out?”
The judges panel announced who was safe first: Valencia De La Barrio, Frisbee Jenkins, Barbara Busch Lite and Sonny Noble. As they exited the stage, critique began. Muuvie Premier, Virgo Frost and Ruth Lime were announced as the top three, leaving Erotica Divine Bell, Spooky Santos and Kalliope in the bottom. Ruth Lime and Virgo Frost would eventually face off in the lip-sync to determine who the week’s winner would be, but first, Virgo and Ruth asked the bottom three some questions.
If not themself, Virgo asked, who would they send home? The mic was handed to Spooky. “I would say someone else because we had an alliance, but I got blocked [by Kalliope] so I’ll say Kalliope.”
Kalliope remained calm and neutral-faced at this. The mic then passed to Erotica. “Kalliope had the best production so I can’t say her name.”
One to one. Kalliope took her turn and the entire crowd went silent. “I have to say Spooky, because out of the three, you did the worst. That’s all that matters in this game. You did the worst. You should go home.”
A lip-sync and a chaotic elimination
Ruth Lime and Virgo Frost put on a spectacular show in the final lip sync, and though it was a tight race, Ruth Lime won, leaving her to decide the fate of the bottom.
She sighed as she took the mic. “I’m choosing this person solely based on what I saw tonight,” she began. “I pick Spooky.”
Spooky hung his head and Erotica rushed to comfort him. Ruth stood, looking less than remorseful, to the side.
But before anyone could speak another competitor, Barbara Busch Lite ran to the stage to steal the mic, Kanye-style: “I was so excited when I got the call to come back this season. I’ve been so lucky to have a lot of amazing opportunities these past few months, but saying yes also means having to say no. So I will not be moving on in the competition.”
Barbara got a promotion at work and would not be able to make the five-hour commute to Iowa City each week to properly compete. As she relayed this, Frisbee Jenkins, winner of Season 5 and briefly seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race (as Sasha Belle), called, “Then someone else could have played! You should have backed out!” A murmur started to rise in the audience, with Ruth verbally agreeing with Frisbee.
“We’re not going to bully her,” guest judge Myla Jade demanded from the judges table, denouncing her behavior as Frisbee stormed out. Barbara Busch Lite explained she only got word of the promotion two days prior, and immediately told the judges. Having already shot the promo, it was too late to get someone else. Lil Kimmy Blaque, who had been relatively quiet in the chaos, then said, “Those who could have played but were not asked, were not asked for a reason.”
The judges corralled the contestants back onstage to announce next week’s challenge: Girl Groups. Three groups of three will learn a dance and lip sync, wear correlating outfits, and create a uniform style for the performance. Ruth and Virgo picked their teams as members of the audience called out strategy. It’s gay fantasy football in front of a live studio audience.
Ruth picked Frisbee and Erotica. Virgo picked Muuvie and Sonny. This left the last group as Valencia, Kalliope and Spooky — who, one would have to assume, will be unblocked for the week.
As my friends and I debriefed in the car after the show, we had a thousand questions. What the hell is going on with Spooky and Kalliope? Why didn’t anyone call out Spooky for being shady, but called out Frisbee for being unprofessional? How many Britney Spears songs will we hear these next nine weeks?
In the end, all we’re sure about is that we’re going to be there every episode. Be sure to check the Little Village website each week for further coverage of All Stars, all the way to the finale!
