Interview: Castrata & Kiki Ball-Change of AN OCTAVE APART at Green Room 42

Drag queens Kiki Ball-Change and Castrata are doing their first ever fully live-sung duo show at the Green Room 42. The show is a culmination of their years of friendship, and most of all, it’s bound to be a night of pure fun and entertainment. The pair has received much praise for their solo shows, and two heads are better than one, so don't miss their next foray. Tickets to their April 11th, 7 pm show, titled AN OCTAVE APART, are available here. We spoke about the path that led to putting this night together and more.

Can you tell me a bit about An Octave Apart?

KBC: Castrata and I have been almost inseparable since we first met in 2019. In 2021, we started our joint show, Two Stupid Queens at Pieces Bar in the West Village, that has been running for almost three years. An Octave Apart is really all about our friendship and exploring how close we’ve gotten over the last five years together. 

C: The show is going to feature highlights from our illustrious careers and showcase what makes us unique and the same. 

What made you decide to put this show together?

KBC: Castrata and I have both made our own marks in the cabaret world of NYC, putting on multiple successful solo shows. In Two Stupid Queens, we have a mix of lip-synched and live-sung duets that we’ve been slowly building up over the last few years. Now that we’ve shown what we can do separately with our cabarets, we decided it was time to combine forces for a duo show. 

C: We really have set ourselves apart as live-singing queens in NYC and we have always talked about creating a fully live-sung duo show together. The stars have finally aligned (and our schedules have finally lined up) and we’re doing it! 

What has the process of writing the show and figuring out the set list been like? 

C: The process has been very organic. We sit down, smoke a joint, and get to work. Haha! We were both a little nervous to get started, actually. Getting started is the hardest part. 

KBC: Once we sat down to discuss what we could possibly do, it just started flowing out of us. We matched a bunch of songs to pivotal moments in our friendship and our careers that I think will really speak to everyone in the audience, while also giving a behind-the-scenes peek at the people behind the drag queens.

Is there any part of the show you're especially excited about? Can you give us any hints about what to expect?

C: We have several new duets, mashups, and parodies planned, plus a few surprises up our sleeves. This is going to be some of our best work yet!

KBC: Oh, the mashups are sickening!! As a musical theatre girl, there are some iconic duets that I am so happy to finally sing with Castrata. Aside from the content itself, I’m just excited to be on this journey with my best friend. She is a truly gifted singer and collaborator that I’m always honored to work with.

Is there anything else about the show you'd like to add?

KBC: In true drag queen fashion, we have brand new looks we’re debuting, crafted by our longtime collaborator, Pierretta Viktori, that we’re very excited about. We also are very excited to work with our friend Mikey Ramirez to arrange some of the mashups and duets, as well as our live band, led by Drew Wutke.

Besides An Octave Apart, what's coming up next for each of you?

KBC: We have dreams to take this show across the country. Ptown, Puerta Vallarta, wherever will have us. Separately, I am still at my weekly shows at Pieces with Castrata every Tuesday, and at Vers every Sunday. Pride Month is also right around the corner, so every drag artist in the city is mentally preparing for the chaos that’ll be.

C: I foresee lots of travel for both of us this year! Catch me at my weekly shows at Pieces, Red Eye, and Hush! Also, I’m also going to be working on producing and releasing my debut solo EP!

Follow Kiki Ball-Change on Instagram @KikiBallChange. Follow Castrata @castratanyc.

For more information on the show and other upcoming events at the Green Room 42, visit them online.

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