With Melai Cantiveros-Francisco, Angeline Quinto, and Precious Paula Nicole joining this season’s roster of judges, here are MEGA Drag’s predictions for the drag queens’ challenges for the season
The fabulous third round of Drag Race Philippines introduced us to new Pinoy drag superstars and a bevy of new queer cultural moments. Multihyphenate artist Paolo Ballesteros (fondly called as Mama Pao) is returning as the host and to the judging table along with regular judges Jiggly Caliente and KaladKaren. Its premiere last night presented 11 fierce queens fighting for the crown to be Philippines’ Next Drag Superstar, but it promises to be even bigger with A-list guest judges. Among them: actress-singers Sharon Cuneta, Janella Salvador, and Jolina Magdangal Escueta, host-comedienne Melai Cantiveros-Francisco, vocalist and “Power Diva” Angeline Quinto, Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel, actor Kyle Echarri, and Season One winner Precious Paula Nicole.
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The first episode showed that Queen of Philippine Pop Culture Jolina Magdangal Escueta judged for a vogue-dancing mini challenge and a one-minute viral dance video maxi challenge; Khianna and Zymba Ding emerged as the top two. Next week, it was revealed that Miss Universe 2022 will be judging for the design challenge—apt, as R’Bonney Gabriel is a designer herself. With that, here are MEGA Drag’s predictions for the rest of the drag queen’s challenges—according, of course, to the specific guest judge.
Sharon Cuneta: The Rusical Challenge
Drag Race Philippines prides itself as a platform to intersect pop culture and queerness. One particular moment emerged as a fan-favorite across all Drag Race shows: the Rusical challenge. The queens are tasked with picking roles and creating a show-stopping theatrical experience. Complete with costumes and choreography, the Rusical challenge is the perfect way to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community’s unwavering passion for musical theater. Season one saw the queens deliver their own interpretations of the OPM divas Regine Velasquez, Sarah Geronimo, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Pilita Corrales, and more. Season two, on the other hand, had the queens perform their own take of The Little Mermaid, titled Sirena: The Rusical. This third season, will the queens be tasked to perform an 11 o’clock number of some of Sharon’s most iconic songs? Entirely possible!
Melai Cantiveros-Francisco: Comedy Challenge
Melai is celebrated as this generation’s Comedy Queen, so this challenge is her area of expertise. In season two, the queens wrote, directed, and acted in a shampoo commercial. Will this be their chance to test their wits and match the host’s quick and smart adlibs? With Melai as the guest judge, the contestants could learn a bit from her skills as a natural entertainer.
Kyle Echarri: Snatch Game
Kyle Echarri is next in line for the leading man status—so it’s fair to say that he knows his way around and in front of the cameras. Stepping into another character’s shoes is a cakewalk, and so judging and seeing how the queens’ celebrity impersonations fare might be his forte. The Snatch Game has become one of the most beloved challenges in the show; a turning point in the competition, if you will, as it tests not only the contestant’s impersonation skills, but also their comedic and improv abilities. It would be interesting to see how the queens, as their chosen characters, interact and banter with the actor during this challenge. Will they be hilarious or cringe-worthy? Perhaps it’s up to Kyle Echarri to decide.
Angeline Quinto: Girl Group Challenge
One of Drag Race’s trademarks is the queens’ own formulation of a girl group—they have to perform together to a recorded track, typically with their own personalized verses. The Queen of Teleserye Theme Songs Angeline Quinto’s insights are important here. Performance, after all, is an art she has mastered over the years.
Janella Salvador: Acting Challenge
From blockbusters to music videos to teleseryes, Janella Salvador has become a commanding and focal name in Philippine show business—both as the protagonist and the antagonist. In season two, the queens showcased their acting skills in a side-splitting soap opera spoof about babies switched at birth. What might be the drama that acting expert Janella Salvador might judge this season?
Precious Paula Nicole: The Final Lip Sync Challenge
As the first winner of Drag Race Philippines, it might be a full circle moment for her to judge the finale before Captivating KatKat, season two winner, crowns the successor. The top two queens battle in an epic lip sync smackdown for the crown—and it will be up to Precious Paula Nicole to decide who is the Philippines’ Next Drag Superstar to make HERstory.
Catch episodes of Drag Race Philippines season 3 on HBO Go or WOW Presents Plus every Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
Additional Text by MIKEY RAMOS
Photos and Featured Image: MEGA ARCHIVES, PRECIOUS PAULA NICOLE, MELAI CANTIVEROS-FRANCISCO, ANGELINE QUINTO (Via Instagram)
The post Drag Race Philippines 3: What Could Be the Next Challenges? appeared first on MEGA.
Drag Race Philippines 3: What Could Be the Next Challenges?
Source: Insta News Pinoy
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