SOME PEOPLE LIKE IT RAW. My Sisters’ Room’s Thursday night performance contest, suitably called Raw Talent, is no exception. The contest is an elimination-style competition that seeks out the best performer from the initial lineup of 11 by kicking off someone each week.
The show is co-produced by two veterans of the field, Jada, a femme performer, and Shane, a drag king. With the competition open to performers ranging from kings and queens to femmes, Jada says she wanted to provide a jumping-off point for performers getting their start.
“The idea behind Raw Talent was to have an open stage for all new and upcoming performers to perform on a weekly basis to jumpstart their careers,” she says. “Most of the contestants in the show are new to performing, and some have never performed before.”
This is the competition's second go-round, now at its halfway point, and Jada reports that she is thrilled it has maintained and built upon the audience it found last year.
“We are really just getting started,” she says. “I look for this competition to become a show that everyone looks forward to. We have a great time every week.”
WITH THE APRIL 3 EDITION, this year’s competition rounds the corner of week five out of 10. Jada says there couldn’t be a more exciting time to jump on board, thanks to the recently-raised stakes.
“This season is certainly heating up due to increasing the grand prize to $2,000, audience awareness of the show and how it works, and the loyal friends of Raw Talent,” she says. “For many, it has become the only place to be on Thursday nights, regardless of who they are cheering for.”
Jada says it’s anybody’s guess who will come out on top in the end, due to varying themes each week that play to different contestant’s strengths. Contestant include performers like Hayden, Ace Sterling and Buster Cherry; they're what Jada considers the cream of the crop, some of whom came to the show last year as audience members.
“This season’s competition has improved because some of the same people that were cheering last season for their favorite contestants are now in the competition themselves,” she says. “They know the level of last year’s competitors and know they will have to make their mark in order to survive the 10 weeks.”
EACH WEEK, THE AUDIENCE votes for its favorites, and the contestant with the least votes gets the boot. But just because the show ends with an elimination, Jada stresses that the party doesn’t have to end, noting that one of her favorite parts of the night is the DJ Duck-led dance party that follows.
“You see performers, producers, contestants, and even friends and fans of the show all dancing together and having a great time, and that is what it’s all about,” she says.
Jada hopes that Raw Talent raises the bar not only on itself each round, but also on the level of talent to be found in Atlanta.
“Each season, we will try to continue to up the cash prize and the level of competition,” she says. “I can only hope that this will inspire others to break out of their shells and explore the creativity inside themselves.”
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