By Denny Patterson

Ho, ho, ho! Are you ready to spend the holidays with some of your favorite queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race?

Presented by Murray & Peter for the eighth consecutive year, A Drag Queen Christmas will be coming to Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center on Monday, December 26, 2022. Hosted by Nina West, the production will include outrageous performances and lip syncs by the likes of Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté, Brooke Lynn Hytes, and Crystal Methyd, with whom OutClique had the pleasure of chatting.

As one of the most recognizable personas in the drag industry, Crystal became an instant stand out on Season 12 thanks to her signature makeup, creativity, and El DeBarge mullet while out of drag. In a time where this special art form depends on displaying fierceness and assimilating beauty standards, Crystal has carved her own path and embraces her uniqueness. 

Keep reading to find out what she has to say about the upcoming tour, her Drag Race experience, and more. 

Denny Patterson: Thank you for taking some time to chat with me, Crystal! How excited are you to be a part of this year’s A Drag Queen Christmas?

Crystal Methyd: I’m very excited because I’ve done it before, so I know what to expect. I had all of October off to get ready for this. I’m also doing every city. I only did a few weeks last time, but I’ll be everywhere this time, so it’s exciting.

DP: What can audiences expect this year, particularly from your set?

CM: I was trying to be kind of obscure with my picks of maybe not picking Christmas music, but still making it Christmas themed. I did have this one idea, but then I found out Kornbread had the same idea. It’s so funny how Kornbread’s aesthetic would cross with mine somewhere. So, I had to rework it, and now I’m maybe doing a spooky number.

DP: What are you looking forward to the most about touring with your Drag Race sisters?

CM: It’s a rotating cast, so since I’m doing the whole tour, I get to work with all kinds of different girls, and I think that’s one of the most fun aspects about these tours. Most of the time when I’m touring, I’m going to these cities by myself, and you miss out on the sisterhood and the hangout time after the show. This is nice because we’ll be together for so long and we’ll become this little family. Then we keep in contact afterwards. 

DP: How do you normally spend the holidays? Do you try to take some time off, or are you busy working?

CM: Before Drag Race, I would always spend Christmas at home. We don’t have a super huge family, so we would usually go to Arkansas and visit my grandparents or do something at my parents’ house. Nothing too crazy. I think the only tradition we always did was, my mom would give us matching pajamas the night before.

DP: Do you have a specific holiday memory that you will always hold closest to your heart?

CM: Hmm, I don’t know if I do. The thing that sticks out in my mind was when I was around six, I got a keychain kit to make little keychain animals, and I’m still obsessed with those. I’ve had fans gift me those without knowing the story. They’re so cute. 

DP: For those who don’t know, how did Crystal Methyd come to be? How did you discover your love and passion for drag?

CM: I came out to my parents when I was 22, and then I didn’t start drag until I was around 24. I was kind of feeling more comfortable being openly gay around my family, and I watched an episode of Drag Race with my mom, and she hated it. Then I was like, oh, I want to do that (laughs). I’ve always enjoyed breaking the rules my parents set, but not in a bad way.

DP: How would you say you’re constantly evolving as a drag artist and entertainer?

CM: I wasn’t doing drag full-time before the show, so I had to think about my drag in a new way, but also, I have so many more connections and the ability to do greater things. That’s why these tour shows are so fun because with the crew and everything, I can bring costumes and pieces that I would not be able to transport on my own. I like to try and get big and crazy. I did a Winnie the Pooh number on the last War on the Catwalk tour, and it was basically a big Disney mascot outfit. They had to ship it back to me because it wouldn’t fit in my bags again. So, my drag has kind of been shifting. I used to make all my things myself for one-night themed events, and then they would kind of deteriorate or I would take it apart to turn it into the next thing. Now, I’m like, I have to go to 100 cities in this. How is this going to last? That’s been very fun, and I’ve also enjoyed working with a choreographer for these tours. I never saw myself as a dancer, but when I’m hanging out with the dancers, they’re so open, fun, and they really cater to what we can do. You push yourself and learn a lot, and now that they’ve seen that I’m okay, they’ll challenge me a little bit more this year with the choreography. 

DP: Why did you initially want to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race?

CM: I wanted to be on the show because I had been to drag shows before back home, but I had never been inspired to do drag or get involved in the community in that way until I started researching and finding out about Club Kids and things like that. I wanted a way to kind of build an atmosphere in my community where people could experience that. In Missouri, people didn’t know what that was. I wanted to create some kind of environment where people could come and be whoever they wanted. We had an event at a straight venue, and the people who were maybe uncomfortable going to see a drag show at a gay club, since this was at a bar they were used to frequenting, they were like, okay, maybe I’ll go check this out. That then made it to where all kinds of people were falling in love with drag, not just at the gay club. Sometimes, straight men were performing because their girlfriends were encouraging them to do so, and everyone always dressed in theme. It was always above the top and people went all in. I love themed parties and a reason to get dressed up. So, that’s kind of how I fell in love with it. I got active in my community and saw all these friendships that I could make, so I just started pushing more and more. Then it got to the point where I was like, maybe I’ll try Drag Race. 

DP: In your season, which challenge was your favorite?

CM: My favorite challenge would have to be either the Rusical or the final Vegas number musical because I never worked so hard on a production with other people like that before. My drag sisters and I have tried to put together little numbers here and there, but never to that level. It was cool to do all those things and work with Jamal Sims. It was so much fun, but I also really liked the Gay’s Anatomy challenge where I was partnered up with Heidi and we had the fork in us. I knew Heidi was going to be over the top and big, so that pushed me to match her energy.  

DP: What was going through your mind when you realized that you made it to the Top 3?

CM: When I realized I had made it to the Top 3, I was like, oh no, now I actually have to put these things together (laughs). But also, there was a part in my mind where I was like, I did not see myself winning before. I was kind of using this show to showcase what I do rather than trying to win, but when I made it to the Top 3, everything shifted. I was like, wait, I think I can win this. If it all comes down to this one episode, then let’s try!

DP: Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic began right when your season was airing, so we didn’t have a traditional grand finale. How challenging was that for you? Even more, how challenging was it to navigate your career during that?

CM: Yeah, it was so strange because as much as I would have wanted to do the grand finale, I think forcing us to do it ourselves in our homes really pushed our minds in trying to figure out what we can do creatively and be different. I tried to lean into that home aspect and use craft supplies and stuff I already had lying around. The cardboard I used for the piñata outfit, that was stuff I already had. I don’t know what I would have put together for a big stage show in front of a live audience, especially at that time because we hadn’t been traveling or anything. I hadn’t built up these connections that I thought I would have at that point, so I didn’t have the team that would be needed to put together something like that. In the end, I think it worked to my benefit, but I would love to do something live on a stage like that again.

DP: There are tons of people who want you to come back for All Stars. Are you interested?

CM: I feel like you can never say never, but I think right now because of losing out on the chance to travel and everything, I’m playing catch up at the moment. I finished a gig in Australia that was booked for 2020 in September, and that was my last booking from 2020. Now, I feel like I’m able to look at things with open eyes and be like, where do I want to go from here? I think I just need a little more time for myself. I feel like every time I get in drag, I improve a little bit or I try to be better in some way, so if I go back, I want to be unrecognizable. Not from plastic surgery and filler like other girls, but I want my drag character to be like, this is who Crystal really is. I want to elevate my drag and bring some crazy things because I know the expectations on me are high, and I’m always hardest on myself.

DP: This past season, we were introduced to your drag daughter Daya Betty. How meaningful was it to see her compete on the show?

CM: It was so awesome to see Betty on the show because doing our little gigs back in Springfield, Missouri, you’re always like, I can do that. We’re doing the same thing. No one cares about us over here. So, it was cool to see that my little artistic family can stay up there with all the other girls. And we both made it to the end, which was also awesome. I’m happy for her, especially because I now have someone to relate to all these experiences with. I’ve already lived it, so I was trying to share what I had learned. We also started traveling around the same time, so that’s been hard because we were used to seeing each other every day. Now, we’re not sure when we’ll see each other next. I live in LA now, so we did get to do some filming opportunities that popped up. Whenever we get to spend time together and do something, I’m always grateful. 

DP: What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career and platform?

CM: I think the next thing is figuring out what I want to do next. Maybe a television program that isn’t Drag Race, and because I have been traveling, I would love to focus on making looks and garments again. Moving while touring was really hard. It took me months to unpack, so it’s been nice to create little things here and there. Even if I don’t wear them and throw them away, that was my favorite part of drag. The concept, creating, and seeing what I can make. I’ve really been missing that. Traveling and performing has been such a blessing, and another reason why I love being on these tours is because I’ve been a fan of all the girls, and they all have something to teach. Anytime I’m in a dressing room with another girl, I’m looking at how she’s doing her makeup and how she’s attaching her wigs because I know that I can better myself. I love learning, and I’m constantly trying to push myself.

DP: Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?

CM: Come see me at A Drag Queen Christmas, and if you can’t come see me, you can still get my merch at MyBestJudy Merch. I think my merch is so cute, but on tour, we do have an exclusive Christmas design. So, make sure to check that out!