{"id":239811,"date":"2026-05-21T21:45:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/239811\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T21:45:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:45:58","slug":"bracket-2-queens-of-rupauls-drag-race-all-stars-11-promise-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/239811\/","title":{"rendered":"Bracket 2 Queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11 promise strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

When asked to describe Bracket 2 of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars Season 11 in just one word, the competing queens painted a vivid picture of their three-episode run.<\/p>\n

\u201cTelenovela,\u201d says April Carri\u00f3n, while Crystal Methyd chimes in with \u201ccurveball.\u201d Salina EsTitties shouts out \u201csneaky,\u201d and Vivacious says, \u201cmixed bag of nuts,\u201d even though that\u2019s technically four words.<\/p>\n

\u201cVolcanic,\u201d adds Aura Mayari. \u201cBecause it bubbles up, and then at the end, it explodes.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the queens are to be trusted, it sounds like viewers will be in for a treat when Bracket 2, which begins on May 22 and comes to a close on June 5. Two of its six competitors will join Bracket 1 champions Dawn and A\u2019keria C. Davenport in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

\"Michele<\/a> \"'Survivor<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"AuraAura MayariSantiago Felipe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

In All Stars 11, only two queens per bracket progress vs. three queens last year, a twist that Vivacious didn\u2019t appreciate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very gaggy, and I was very pissed,\u201d she said while speaking to Gold Derby at Lawn Club in New York ahead of the season\u2019s premiere. \u201cI don\u2019t like when they flip the script on a bitch. It sent everybody into a full mental frenzy.”<\/p>\n

At 52 years old, Vivacious is the oldest queen ever to compete on RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars. An OG club kid from New York, she became an instant meme when she entered the Season 6 Werk Room with \u201cOrnacia,\u201d a named mannequin head, attached to the top of her costume.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t complain about Ornacia following me around,\u201d Vivacious says about the memes. \u201cShe pays the rent. I am just her chauffeur.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Vivacious and Ornacia originally competed, however, the set up for Drag Race was much different. \u201cOn my original season, I was given only eight days to prepare,\u201d she says. \u201cThis time around I was given more time. It allowed me to create and build what I needed to match the requirements. Being a club kid, I will always be opposite of the other girls. One thing I hate doing in life is walking into a space and something that I present looks like somebody else. The ability to stand out against them is always my motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VivaciousVivaciousSantiago Felipe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Like Drag Race, Vivacious is always evolving. \u201cI\u2019m one of the first queens that\u2019s giving you 3D-printed stuff in drag,\u201d she teases, wearing a 3D-printed headpiece. \u201cIn the future, I expect to see more 3D-printed queens bringing their madness to the stage, but please stone it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with Bracket 1, the second also contains several returning pairs, the first of which is Vivacious and April Carri\u00f3n, who sent her home a decade ago on Season 6.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I saw Vivacious, I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, cool. What? How random this is,\u2019\u201d the Puerto Rican queen says about reuniting with her sister. \u201cSo many years, and then we\u2019re here together.\u201d<\/p>\n

April is also thankful to have had more time to prep for this season. \u201cWhen I first did it, we only had a week to prepare for the whole season,\u201d she says. But despite having weeks to pull together just three runway looks, April adds, \u201cIt consumed me even more. I was just so detail-oriented, because I wanted the world to see my growth. I waited for this opportunity such a long time, so I wanted to be perfect.”<\/p>\n

While April may be fond of her own runway ensembles, she\u2019s got notes for the other queens in her bracket.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe girls said I was shady,\u201d she says slyly. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m shady. I\u2019m just stating how they look.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SilkySilky Nutmeg GanacheSantiago Felipe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

This comment came just seconds after she shaded Silky Nutmeg Ganache, arguably the most famous queen in her bracket. \u201cI was a little surprised to see Silk, for like the fourth time,\u201d April says drolly.<\/p>\n

After making it to the finals of Season 11 (with Bracket 1 winner A\u2019keria C. Davenport), Silky returned for both All Stars 6 (also with A\u2019keria) and Canada vs. the World Season 1, but while April may view that as overexposure, Silky takes the frequent invites as RuPaul Charles’ sign of approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just happy Mama Ru believes in me,\u201d Silky says, \u201cI\u2019ve been back several times, and that just goes to show that when you do good to other people, when you do right by yourself, when you continue your artistry, and when you continue to evolve, the dreams have not ended. The people see your hard work and dedication and bring you back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since her last season, Silky has also lost over 100 pounds, something that she\u2019s extremely proud of, but that did present her with a new problem. \u201cI couldn\u2019t fit anything. I can\u2019t fit any of my old drag, so I was getting brand new everything from runways to everyday clothes in the Werk Room.\u201d<\/p>\n

The thing that most thrills Silky about Bracket 2, however, is that it\u2019s made up entirely of queens of color. \u201cIt made me so excited to share this experience with girls that know what I\u2019ve been through as a girl of color on this show,\u201d she says. \u201cI didn\u2019t have to explain things. They just get it, and I was like, \u2018The runways are all gonna be cultural.\u2019 This is what Drag Race needed: a culture lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SalinaSalina EsTittiesSantiago Felipe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

That culture lesson will come in part thanks to Bracket 2\u2019s pair of Season 15 queens, Aura Mayari and Salina EsTitties.<\/p>\n

When asked what she\u2019s most excited to show on her return, Aura immediately shouts out, \u201cIncorporating my culture, my Filipino-ness, into my runways, and being more my authentic self.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Season 15, Aura has also upped her performance abilities, appearing in the Los Angeles production of the Broadway hit Here Lies Love. While she got her drag start playing Angel in Rent, she hadn\u2019t returned to theater in a decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d been getting requests to audition, and I always declined them,\u201d she says, \u201cBut then I was like, \u2018F–k it.\u2019 Here Lies Love is a Filipino show, and my drag is all about Filipino culture. The best way to celebrate that was to join the show. I did it for three months, eight times a week. You guys should see my toes. A lot of calluses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AprilApril Carri\u00f3nSantiago Felipe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

While Aura was brushing up for the Rusical, Salina was polishing her runways, especially after she received the Golden Boot Award for the worst runway of the season, during the Season 15 reunion. The trophy makes a brief appearance during Salina\u2019s entrance, but she promises her fashion will be better on All Stars 11. \u201cI had actual fittings this time. That was the key,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

While Salina is a Honduran Angelino, something she showcased on Season 15, she\u2019s also ready to utilize another side of her culture in All Stars 11, namely her long history as a Survivor aficionado.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big Survivor fan, so I love the social deduction and alliances,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you\u2019re a fan of Survivor, you\u2019re gonna see that I utilize a lot of Survivor gameplay in Untucked.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with Bracket 1, the four losing queens each week have points they can strategically give away, something that directly resulted in Morgan McMichaels not winning her bracket. Salina (who would compete on actual Survivor if invited), is working hard to earn a different fate.<\/p>\n

Perhaps a bit less strategic is Season 12\u2019s runner-up Crystal Methyd, who was so busy taking in her return to the main stage that she missed RuPaul\u2019s announcement about the rules change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really trying to see everything. I wanted to make eye contact with every person and feel the energy of the room,\u201d Crystal says. \u201cBut when they were explaining the new rules, I definitely missed the part where Ru said only two queens were making it. I have ADHD, so I was not even listening to RuPaul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CrystalCrystal MethydSantiago Felipe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Crystal, who is quick to point out that she\u2019s doubled her experience as a drag queen since her first outing, did sign up for All Stars 11 specifically because of the shortened format.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re only doing three episodes, it seems a bit more manageable than being away from your phone for six weeks on a normal season,\u201d she laughs. \u201cI would never do that again. I don\u2019t think I could.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Crystal and Co. are a bit nervous to watch their three episodes when they air, due largely to not knowing what shady confessionals will make the final edit, she\u2019s getting out ahead of any conflicts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve already formally apologized for any shady things I\u2019ve said, so we\u2019re ready,\u201d she says. But can anyone really be ready for a volcano?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When asked to describe Bracket 2 of RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars Season 11 in just one word,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":239812,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,3005,122,124,123,3296,4943,44401],"class_list":["post-239811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-paramount","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-reality-tv","tag-rupauls-drag-race","tag-rupauls-drag-race-all-stars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}