Nymphia Wind

The Serpents Tour starring Nymphia Wind and Plastique Tiara snakes its way into the historic Vic Theatre at the tail end of January. These talented drag artists are ready to sink their fangs into Asian folklore and onstage storytelling.

Taiwanese drag persona Nymphia Wind dominated RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2024, taking home the crown on season 16. Leo Tsao became the first East Asian to win the franchise and has taken home trophies with the NYX Face Award 2019 Taiwan and in 2021 became the champion of Make a Diva Season 2.

Other yellow feathers in her hat include performing for Taiwan’s presidential office and at the 2024 Cultural Olympiad in Paris.

Duc Tran Nguyen is known professionally as Plastique Tiara and was born in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. After moving to the United States at a young age, Tiara eventually honed her drag skills to compete on season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She returned to the reality competition show franchise to battle popular queens on the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Coil up, Buttercup, these celebrated Asian drag artists are coming to the Windy City soon.

JN: (Jerry Nunn) Where in the world are you zooming in from?

NW: (Nymphia Wind) I am back home in New York. I don’t think there’s a yellow hotel like my background anywhere else in the world.

PT: (Plastique Tiara) I am in Vietnam right now and it is 12:30 a.m. You can see the skyline behind me.

JN: I am in Chicago and we are excited about the tour coming to The Vic. How many times have you been here before?

NW: Two or three times.

PT: Likewise for me.

JN: Congratulations on your engagement, Tiara.

PT: Thank you so much.

JN: So you are starting off 2026 on a high note already.

PT: Yes, absolutely. This tour and getting engaged both feel like a fresh beginning. I feel inspired again to do all of the things I really want to do.

JN: How did you create this show in the first place?

NW: Plastique reached out and asked about us doing a tour together. It made sense for us Asian queens to band together to create a tour that is Asian-centric. The public hasn’t seen something like that yet, so it was important for us to represent our Asian-ness.

This tour is focused on traditional Asian folklore and is based on the Chinese legend of Bai Suzhen (White Snake) and Xiao Qing (Green Snake). Our tour is based on two snake sisters and is inspired by that, but we are not conveying the same story. We are giving it a drag, gay twist.

PT: As gay people, we are bound together by blood but by spirit. These serpents live life over many lifetimes and meditate together. Through every trial and tribulation, they help each other until the very end.

I first discovered Nymphia when I was touring on the road and then later on in life, she was the season right before me. It was a cinematic experience for me when she won. I was entranced by it all. Seeing her grow over the year, I had to reach out about this project and I am so glad we are doing it together.

JN: Who is playing the Green Snake and who is playing the White Snake?

PT: Take a guess…

NW: Green is closer to yellow! I think our personalities match our characters’ personalities. It made sense that I play the Green Snake and Plastique plays the White Snake.

JN: I have a phobia of snakes because they tried to bite me as a kid.

NW: There will be plenty of snakes at the show, so you should be careful there.

JN: Is there modern music in the show?

NW: There is a mixture of modern pop, Vietnamese and Mandarin songs from our respective countries. I hope people come with an open mind.

PT: It’s a melting pot of culture and cunt.

NW: Exactly. [laughs] People will leave educated and entertained.

JN: These stories are important to travel around the world and be told.

NW: Yes, we are showing Asian excellence.

JN: Do you have a favorite Asian icon?

NW: I like Jolin Tsai and A-Mei. They are the ultimate pop divas in Taiwan. People may have seen Jolin’s huge snake online and she is constantly reinventing herself.

PT: Her props and the stage were incredible.

NW: One day, I would like to make something like that.

PT: For my icon, Minh Tuy?t is a famous Vietnamese singer and a star. I love her.

JN: Did you see the Netflix movie Left-Handed Girl?

NW: I did. It was set in Taiwan and it was cute. The story is very much how it is in Taiwan, where family matters are hidden under the rug and not talked about.

JN: What are your thoughts on season 18 of RuPaul’s Drag Race?

PT: It was so good.

NW: I haven’t watched it yet. I have been busy making stuff for the tour and I don’t have time right now. When I hit the road, I will watch it after I save it all up.

PT: I watched it when I was with Bianca Del Rio in New York for The Pit Stop. We watched a rough cut and not the entire first episode, but Bianca and I would just say nasty things while watching it. Five minutes in, we were advised by the production team to be at least 20 percent nicer to the cast because they couldn’t use the footage. In the first five minutes, we were going at it uncontrollably, but then we behaved after that.

They are really going back to seasons four and five, where the design challenge is at the beginning of the season. I like it so far.

JN: The interview with you and Bianca was fun and seemed like anything was on the table to discuss.

PT: Yes, that’s true.

NW: I was the pentacle of confidence when I did Bianca’s show.

JN: What was your takeaway from being on RuPaul's Drag Race?

NW: I liked seeing behind the scenes. It was interesting to me to see how this iconic show was filmed. I had a great time and it was so much fun. We trauma-bonded as a whole group and were in it together. We had a constant fear that we would go home.

If I have a second chance to do it again, I will tell myself to relax. The first time, I was camera-shy and I was stressed out about everything. I still had fun, but I was frantic.

PT: For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There is no other show like it where someone can showcase their queerness, gender expression and just be free, plus make money on top of it.

This was an incredible opportunity for everyone to focus on their art. I felt like what I was doing was validated and there were unique people shown on TV for the first time, like Nymphia and me. The representation was incredible.

JN: Well, Nymphia’s followers, the Banana Believers, better come out and represent at the Chicago pit stop on the tour.

NW: I will look for them to wear yellow. I am excited to visit Chicago once again!

Slither over to The Vic Theatre, 3145 North Sheffield Avenue, on Friday, January 30, 2026.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets plus additional upgrades, visit obsessedwith.co and jamusa.com today.