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Alyssa Edwards Talks “Dancing Queen,” “Drag Race,” and Helping You Spill Your Tea at Camp Tazo Next Year

“I’m thinking, what if an alligator jumps in this canoe?”

Alyssa Edwards spilled a whole lot of tea in Netflix’s Dancing Queen.

Over eight episodes, the two-time RuPaul's Drag Race tongue-popping Texan contestant, aka Justin Johnson, stepped way outside her comfort zone and got real about family tragedies and reconciling with estranged siblings, while sometimes being a hard-ass, uncompromising teacher to child and teenage competitive dancers and their stage moms at the Beyond Belief dance studio in Mesquite, Texas.

Now Edwards is gearing up to help others spill their tea at Camp TAZO in early 2019, an intense overnight experience from the progressive tea company that’s part of their "Brew The Unexpected" campaign.

Edwards will serve as Camp Director and lead fans—who can apply online to take part—through a series of activities that will push them outside their comfort zones and probably into a little drag while at it.

While we wait to see if Netflix will greenlight a second season of Dancing Queen, Edwards got on the phone with NewNowNext to discuss whether she'd be on board, if she'd try to snatch the Drag Race crown once more, what she has in store for Camp TAZO, and voting for Beto this November.

How do you look back on the first season of Dancing Queen?

Dancing Queen is the hallmark of my life. Besides opening Beyond Belief fifteen years ago, it's the single greatest accomplishment of my career. When I watch it, I get all giddy all over again. It's all of me, it took so long to shoot. Even when I’m just being honest with kids, I don't know. It’s just so real, too. I'm very proud of that series. Very.

You set up a second season of the show at the end with a sort of cliffhanger. Will there be another?

I don’t know how that works, but after I watched this, I was one-hundred percent in for a second season. The reviews have been wonderful.

So what’s the scoop on Camp TAZO?

I'm gonna give you all the tea, girl. Expect the unexpected, that's what this campaign is about. When Tazo reached out to me, they were very open in making this a collaboration about my life experiences, and that intrigued me. I’m going to be the inaugural camp director, encouraging people to get outside their comfort zones. That has been my entire life. When we started this they wanted me to canoe. Canoe? In drag? I’m thinking, what if an alligator jumps in this canoe? Girl, I canoed! I threw an axe at a target and the first time a nail fell off. I threw until I hit the target. In full Texas-sized drag. That was outside my comfort zone, and that’s what I hope people who are selected for this camp leave with. That sense of power—what Alyssa has given Justin.

And will drag be a part of that?

I’m thinking of packing a bunch of wigs and dresses so people can dress up and have fun with it. I was also thinking I might bring along some of the kids from Dancing Queen and maybe we can go off into groups and choreograph skits and dance. It would get people out of their comfort zones!

Would you like to make an actual Alyssa Edwards blend tea? What would it taste like?

I am working with TAZO, with a professional mixologist, for a recipe with the brand so stay tuned! I’m like, I gotta have something with a little lemon up in there! It’s in the works.

Have you considered doing a Shangela and trying to snatch the crown once more by being on another season of Drag Race?

Girl! At this point? If Ru put that crown on my head, I would probably faint. I totally would do it! Here’s the thing. I have so much fun on Drag Race. I went on to have a fun, good old gay kiki. And I did! I got voted off twice, and you know what, I don’t regret any of it, it was a fun time! I feel I am a winner. I might not be a crowned queen, but I think you can define a win based on your own experience, and I definitely won in my own right.

We get a glimpse of a touring Alyssa Edwards production you’re putting together at the end of Dancing Queen. When will we get to see that?

I'm actually in the creative development process, and I really want the show to be more than me doing stand-up and kiki-ing because Lord knows I can pick up a microphone and the next thing I know an hour has gone by. What I really want for the show is much more of an overall performance—dancers, an Anne Margaret vibe, a circus. I want this to be an extravaganza. Expect tons of laughs, big costume changes, dancing, dancers, and a full-on kiki. Oh girl, and you know I wouldn’t show up without some tongue pops. I stay locked and loaded with that.

Who would you love to see do a tongue pop?

Oprah Winfrey. I can see her doing it! Oprah would look at me and do it and walk off.

With all the Texas dance kid moms that you interact with at Beyond Belief, do you ever tell them, "you better vote for Beto or it’s over!"

OK, my favorite interview of all time is Dolly Parton where she’s like, 'I'm not a politician; I'm an entertainer.' Today, it's important for me to use my platform, but I’ve never told them, 'you have to vote for this person.' I wear my [Beto] T-shirts now and I'm proud of who I'm voting for and they know what team I'm on, but I speak more about exercising your right. There are people in the world who don't get that opportunity, so use it! Just know that in the world we need good people, and I love everything Beto stands for. I can listen to him speak and it makes me feel I’m ready to get out in the street and start this march and be part of this movement.

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