And he doesn’t take himself too seriously: goofy is the new sexy.” His hips don’t lie and will make love to you silly all night. Vico Ortiz describes their drag king persona best: “Passionate! Dramatic! Romantic! He’s the sensitive Latino lover you dream about. In 2021, you’ll be able to watch Murray Hill on several TV series: Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth on Hulu, Bridget Everett’s Somebody Somewhere on HBO, and Paul Feig’s This Country on Fox. Murray Hill takes his role as a trailblazer for the community seriously, and encourages those who have come after him, “If you don’t see yourself represented then go out and represent yourself.” Instead he says, “I’m Murray, just Murray.” In so doing, he has become a symbol of nonbinary and genderqueer performance that transcends drag. No, Murray rejects all pronouns and identifiers that would put him in a box. But here’s the rub: Although he is a leader in the drag king community, Murray Hill does not consider himself a drag king. With slicked-back hair, windowpane suits, horn-rimmed glasses, and polyester ties, his persona recalls not the drag kings of the present but male impersonators of the past, such as Stormé de Larverie. He’s a fast talking, magnetic ad-libber with such control over his audience that he can take them from silent to rolling in the aisles and back in seconds.

The legendary Murray Hill looks and behaves like a mid-century old-school comedian in the vein of Don Rickles, Shecky Greene, and Shelley Berman, who frequented resorts in the Catskills. In addition to performing internationally, Adam All hosts the drag king cabaret BOi BOX and co-hosts the drag king competition MAN UP. Jen Powell, who created Adam All 12 years ago, tells them., “He’s a gentle man who can charm and alarm with equal appeal, bringing live vocals and cartoon realness to his dashing geek-chic cabaret.” He moves with gusto from one punchline to the next, enchanting his audience and giving them an experience that is at once lighthearted and profound. Adam’s performance is a watertight, high-energy act. Known as the modern “Godfather” of the UK drag king scene, Adam All is arguably the most influential drag king presence east of the Atlantic, both as a performer and an advocate. I hope to encourage others to do the same and find freedom in expressing who they truly are.” - Jen Powell, creator of Adam Hall As an androgynous individual and as someone who considers themself to be gender-neutral, Adam allows me to embrace my masculinity and through him. “He has allowed me to embrace aspects of my personality that, since my childhood, I had felt forced to ignore.

Drag Kings by Pia Thilmann