The touring circuit’s loss is Orlando’s gain: Drag star Ginger Minj has added a surprise cabaret to the lineup of Orlando Out Fest, which runs Sept. 10-13.
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Orlando Out Fest, a celebration of queer artistry, is produced by Orlando Fringe and features a variety of shows, films and events at Savoy Orlando, The Center and the Renaissance Theatre. The schedule was released weeks ago without Ginger’s participation.
But on Sept. 4, producer and co-creator CeeJay Russell announced that the planned fall tour of “Hokus Pokus Live,” a stage show co-created by and starring Ginger, had been canceled. The performer chose to fill the hole in her schedule with an Out Fest show.
The drag persona of Orlando-based performer Joshua Eads, Ginger Minj shot to fame on TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise. In her fourth appearance, Ginger won the 10th season of the “All-Stars” version of the competition. The “Hokus Pokus Live” show is a drag spoof of Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” comic Halloween film. In the stage show, which has toured successfully in the past, Ginger plays the Bette Midler part of lead witch Winifred Sanderson.
In his announcement, Russell attributed the cancellation to partner ObsessedWith.com‘s withdrawal “due to business related issues,” as well as “an overall lack of ticket sales.”
“Thank you for your grace, your understanding and your continued love for Ginger, Jujubee, Sapphira [Cristál] and Landon [Cider],” he wrote, referring to the show’s other stars. “We hope that we can bring you this magical show, bigger and better in 2027!”
“Hokus Pokus Live!” had been scheduled to make a tour stop at The Plaza Live in Orlando on Nov. 1.
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At Orlando Out Fest, the drag star will perform “Ginger Minj’s Big Gay Cabaret,” with shows at 9:15 p.m. Sept. 10 and 4 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Renaissance Theatre, 415 E. Princeton St. in Orlando.
The 75-minute show is described as a “choose-your-own-adventure through all things homosexual. Loaded with live vocals, games, stories and more fun than you can shake a stick at, each show is a one-of-a-kind experience that has left audiences the world over rapturous for more.”
It is the first time Ginger Minj has performed this particular cabaret, for ages 18 and older, in Central Florida. Tickets, $18, are available at orlandofringe.org.
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Despite his national recognition, through touring, the movie “Stop! That! Train!” and the TV appearances, Eads has remained close to his Central Florida roots. At last May’s Orlando Fringe Festival, Ginger made closing-weekend cameos in the show “Sin: The Musical.”
Ginger Minj has another local appearance planned as well, performing with drag artists Daisy Dior, Mocha Skye and Cora Halloway in a Sept. 16 Dolly Parton tribute show at Anthem Orlando.
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