Jinkx Monsoon joins 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical' Broadway cast

The RuPaul's Drag Race star will join Ramin Karimloo and David Hyde Pierce in a jazz and blues-infused adaptation of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.

Anchors aweigh! Jinkx Monsoon has joined the cast of Pirates! The Penzance Musical on Broadway, running at the Todd Haimes Theatre from April 4 to June 22, 2025. Opening night is April 24.

Monsoon is best known for winning two seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, earning the nickname "The Queen of All Queens." In 2023, Monsoon made her Broadway debut as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago and returned for an encore run earlier this year. In between, she starred as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors off Broadway.

In The Pirates of Penzance, Monsoon will play Ruth opposite Ramin Karimloo as the Pirate King and David Hyde Pierce as W.S. Gilbert/Major General.

Additional casting includes Nicholas Barasch as Frederic, Preston Truman Boyd as Sullivan/Police Sergeant, and Samantha Williams as Mabel Stanley. The ensemble includes Kelly Belarmino, Maria Briggs, Eddie Cooper, Cicily Daniels, Ninako Donville, Alex Dorf, Rick Faugno, Niani Feelings, Tommy Gedrich, Alex Gibson, Afra Hines, Dan Hoy, Ryo Kamibayashi, Tatiana Lofton, Nathan Lucrezio, Shina Ann Morris, Cooper Stanton, and Bronwyn Tarboton.

Directed by Scott Ellis and adapted by Rupert Holmes, this version of The Pirates of Penzance reimagines the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in a jazz and blues style. Set in New Orleans, the musical comedy follows madcap misunderstandings on the high seas.

"What you're going to see is a musical that celebrates the genius of Gilbert & Sullivan while taking some joyous liberties," Ellis said in a statement. "The Pirates of Penzance actually premiered in several U.S. cities, including New Orleans, which was a big center for piracy. So, since our pirates have now landed in New Orleans, we're adapting the title to be both familiar and fresh."

Pirates! The Penzance Musical also features choreography by Warren Carlyle, set design by David Rockwell, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Donald Holder, sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman, dance arrangements by John O’Neill, music direction by Joseph Joubert, and orchestrations by Joubert and Daryl Waters.

Photo credit: Jinkx Monsoon. (Photo by Timothy Greenfield Sanders)