We’ve never met a bigger sweetheart than Nina West, considered a veritable “every-queen.” Miss Congeniality on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11, Nina made history, or herstory, at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2019 as the first person to walk the red carpet in full drag.
Over the years, she has grown a platform to lift up and support LGBTQ+ organizations. In 2015, they established The Nina West Fund at The Columbus Foundation to support local nonprofits that provide services for the queer community. Nina is back in the workroom and on the runway in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 9 and raising funds for The Trevor Project, which offers crisis support and suicide prevention counseling to LGBTQ+ youth.
We reached out to Nina when we learned just how extensive their travel schedule is, including stops in Provincetown, Orlando, Anaheim, New York, and more.
Pack your bags, we’re going on an adventure
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GAYCITIES: Nina West, you are on the move! Can you give our readers a glimpse into your summer travels this year? Every time I see you post, you’re in a different city!
NINA WEST: Helloooooo! First of all, I just want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to chat with you! Summer is always fun, but this year is especially awesome because of All Stars 9!
I have been lucky enough to work with two different Men’s Choruses this year, the North Coast Men’s Chorus and the Seattle Men’s Chorus, and I just spent the weekend in Minneapolis with over 120 choruses at Gala. I am also hopping in and out of Provincetown with two brand new cabaret shows: one written specifically for Bear Week and then my new show that I am lightly touring with this fall called “The Very Queen.”
There is a lot more happening but those are for sure the highlights.
How do you prepare and pack for a trip? Do you keep a bag ready to go?
This is always a crap shoot honestly. I like to try to plan ahead and have a bag packed, but then I also like to throw some things in an extra bag just in case because I have become a little bit notorious for changing my mind at the very last minute. And I love that you think it is just a bag. I am traveling with three full-size luggage ladies because, let’s be honest, there is a whole lot of me!
What are a few of your favorite places to perform?
One of the greatest gifts and privileges I have been afforded in this life is the ability to travel, see the world, and meet people all over. I recognize that it is a super unique position to be in, and I really really value this. With that said, I love London, Seattle, Kansas City, Omaha, Atlanta, but my favorite place in the world is P-Town.
All great cities. Out of curiosity, what does a vacation look like for you?
I love traveling. I am lucky to do it for work. I like to sometimes tack or add on a couple of days here or there when I can, but I also recognize the importance of actually setting aside time to take a break and unplug.
I love a cruise for that, like being out in the open water. I recently took a Mediterranean cruise that embarked from Barcelona, and I fell in love. It is so queer. And fabulous. And the people were so wonderful. I am also a Disney Gay. I know most people know this, but I love Disney park trips when I can fit them in.
But as I have found the power of LGBTQ+ destinations, I really love letting my proverbial hair down in Palm Springs, Wilton Manors…you know…keep it fabulous.
Tell me about Columbus. What are your favorite things about your hometown? Is there anything we should check out when we come to visit?
What I love about Columbus is how wonderful it is as a community. Many people who have not been to the city may think that Columbus is a flyover town. And simply put – it isn’t.
This is the home to incredible art and innovation. The food scene is so diverse, eclectic, and delicious. And when people come, I want them to experience our city as it lives and breathes and thrives for its residents. There is something for everyone, from incredible local artisans and craftspeople to a thriving nightlife.
Want to watch an incredible football game? Well, we have the traditional American style with Ohio State University, and we have the MLS Champions, the Columbus Crew. Want some of the best ice cream in the world? Columbus is home to Jeni’s Splendid! You want drag? My drag mama, Virginia, owns a bar that serves it up nightly. It is a big city with smalltown vibes, and that is what brings me home.
Do you have any travel rituals or things you make a point of doing when you’re on a trip?
I love to go to record shops and local bookstores. The vinyl hunting is a bit more of a personal collector’s thing, but I discovered when I was on the road with Hairspray for two years that if you wanted to find out about a city or a local community: where to go, what to eat, who to meet, then go to a local bookstore. They usually have engaged people working there who want to share about their hometowns. And, in the process, buy a book!
Do you have a travel playlist for when you are on the road?
Of course, I do. It is filled with Dolly, Chappell, Mariah, Whitney, and Cher: all the divas. And I sometimes mix it up with cinematic scores. It feels so, ya know, cinematic when you are taking off on a flight, and the music from Michael Giacchino or James Horner or John Williams just sends me. And yes, there is a full Broadway playlist too. GAH. I travel a lot.
You have an amazing presence that comes through in every post, video, and clip of you. With such a busy travel and work schedule, how do you stay so even-keeled and wonderful?
The thing is, I don’t know. Honestly, social media is really challenging for me. I want to connect with people who want to connect with me and have a positive experience loving and celebrating similar things or learning new things from one another, so I try to show up for that when I am posting. I write and post all my own content and just try to stay true to what I am feeling and doing at the moment. It can all be so much. But I love what I do, and I love sharing it.
I wa blown away by your performance in Sheridan Square during New York Pride. Can you share a little about this experience and how you prepared for it?
A few years ago, I was doing a deep dive into the music of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. I stumbled across this beautifully painful song called “Sheridan Square” that Howard and Alan wrote for their friends who were dying from this unknown disease. The only audio recording I could find was a demo of Howard singing it with Alan on the piano.
Fast forward a few years, and I was asked to host the Disney+ Pride Celebration. The documentary Howard by Don Hahn had just come out. I pitched to Alan that maybe we perform the song to celebrate Howard’s memory for this. He immediately said yes.
So, the song became a bit more of a presence in my life. I have sung it in my shows and plan to keep singing it as we continue to fight for a cure. Sorry. I like to tell a long story.
Anyway, I was asked to perform at this event at Stonewall National Monument on Sheridan Square to celebrate Howard Ashman’s life and sing this song. I was very overwhelmed. I was standing in a spot where our movement really was started and forged and saw so much pain, grief, and celebration. In the lyrics, at the beginning of the song, Howard wrote, “with a corner to catch the subway, and a corner to buy cigars, and a corner to wait for The Times to come out…” and I was facing that weird and beautiful intersection. The sign for the cigar shop was still up (I guess it had just sold after years of being there), but it all felt so important.
And it is so important. Because I recognized in that moment that I was not only honoring Howard but the lives of an entire generation of brilliant, beautiful souls lost to AIDS. I felt him that day. I felt the sense and power of community that day that I hadn’t in a long time.
Shameless plug time, where can we find and see you?
OHHHH!! I am going to be heading back to Provincetown in August and September and touring with a new show called The Very Queen, which will also play New York’s famed 54Below! And I will be hosting A Drag Queen Christmas, touring nationwide this November and December! For more information on this or more upcoming dates, check out my website.
Lastly, you’re such an amazing performer, and I can’t wait to see you on Broadway one day. Do you have a Broadway bucket list? Any role you would love to play?
I would love to play the Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors. King George in Hamilton could be fun…, and maybe a little Madam Morrible action in Wicked, Dolly Levi, Mama Rose, and so many, many more. Maybe Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie. I mean, I could ramble on and on. My dream is to make it to a Broadway stage. After two years with Edna, I know I can do it. HEY! Maybe revive Hairspray on Broadway?
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