The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans Creeps Into Phoenix for a Night of Thrills

The Boulet Brothers – Dracmorda and Swanthula – created an incomparable fusion of horror and drag with their reality competition series Dragula, which has four seasons under its spooky-meets-glam belt.

On the TV show, contestants are given a weekly challenge that informs the look and performance they create. Phoenix even got some representation on the show via area-based talents like Dahli, Astrud Aurelia, and Koco Caine.

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans is a spin-off of the original show that brings back former competitors to compete again. Now, they’re taking things on the road.

The latest iteration of Titans is a touring, live event. The pair chatted with New Times about it, careful not to give away too many scary spoilers. As true stans of all things horror, they vigorously appreciate the elements of shock and surprise.

“It’s a sit-down show,” Dracmorda begins. “What you’re seeing is an elevated drag show, but more of a tour through a fantasy. Each of the performers brings you into their own fantasy world. Each character you’ve seen on the show has their unique flavor, and this is an opportunity for them to build out their individual worlds and invite people to see it in a live format."

“You’ll see music, costumes, and performances from each of the Titans that happen to be on a particular stop on the show, as well as performances by us, The Boulet Brothers,” Swanthula adds. “There are group numbers and visuals from the actual show. So if you love Dragula and the show's artists, you get a huge dose of everything the show offers. We feel like this is the best way drag can be presented – live.”

Dragula, in all its versions, comes from a love of pageantry. The passion is evident, from impeccable makeup to the craftsmanship of the stage sets; this is all a dream brought to life by these two. “We love horror, special effects, reality shows, and competitions, and this is a big mosh of all the things we love,” Dracmorda tells us.

They initially started it as a live pageant to “celebrate the ugliness, horror, scary things, and the filthy and fabulous,” which made its way through cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Austin, and ultimately overseas. “It was just a cabal of freaks,” the duo says. “And we say that with reverence – they just loved it. We knew we needed to be on television to reach a broader audience.”

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” Dracmorda says. “The show is joyous; just a celebration of everything that is dark, weird, and gratuitous.”

Their mutual penchant for certain realms of culture pulled these two together to create a unified force.

Swanthula shares a bit of that history. “We met like years and years ago and have been in a creative conversation that hasn’t stopped for like a million years. I think it probably started for both of our loves of Halloween and fantasy, and that led to bigger talks about horror, old Masters of the Universe cartoons, our love of comic books, and all kind of nerdy stuff. I think our nerds are, like, the coolest people in the world. So yes, we started that conversation forever ago, and it just hasn’t stopped. It evolved into drag and costuming and writing graphic novels and TV shows. We’re just really good collaborators.”

Of course, within all of these areas of interest, they have some different leanings. “We have our different sub-dramas that we enjoy,” Dracmorda says. “Swan is more into the campier, '80s, gratuitous types of horror. I tend to love black-and-white horror movies, classic monsters, and maybe more of an elevated type of horror. Really, though, we both appreciate all of it.”

The duo is excited about the way the horror genre and its subsections are evolving, from having more of a presence with full channels devoted to programming to broader inclusivity. “I think the horror fan base has expanded and is broader and much more inclusive these days, giving a lot of space for new voices to come to the table,” Swanthula says. “There are a lot more diverse groups working in horror now, and that hasn’t always been the case. It’s inspiring for the genre as a whole. And it’s starting to be taken more seriously in the industry, with more presence at awards ceremonies and things like that.”

After the tour, there are no plans for Dracmorda and Swanthula to slow down.

Season five of Dragula is in post-production, and they also just released their Halfway to Halloween special, a night of scripted skits and musical performances. “A variety show that harkens back to those TV specials that were big in the ‘70s around the holidays. This one feeds the souls of all the little darklings that have to wait a full year to get to Halloween. We wanted to give them their own celebration to get them through the spring and closer to the Halloween holiday,” Dracmorda says. So if you're jonesing for October 31, find this show on Shudder.

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans is a visually stunning and entertaining night that lets you soak up all the thrills and chills this creative pair offers.

"We're beautiful, we're funny, and we're creative," Swanthula says, hoping you'll get caught up in their ever-growing, bewitching web.

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans. 8 p.m., Monday, May 1, at Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams Street. Tickets are $39.50 to $69.50. Call 602-262-7272 or visit orpheumphx.com.