Will Swenson & Gavin Creel’s Drag Past Revealed! The Night Anita and Cookie Took London By Storm

So how exactly did Tony-nominated Broadway star Will Swenson prep for his role as Mitzi, an outrageous Aussie drag queen, in the new musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert? By hitting the streets of London last spring in full drag alongside his Hair co-star Gavin Creel! The two stars revealed the ribald night to Broadway.com exclusively at the opening night bash for the show’s pre-Broadway run at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this,” Swenson started. “But once I got the role, I said to Gavin, 'We need to do this. I need to do the homework.'”

The pair was starring in the London transfer of the hit revival of Hair at the time. Ever the devoted pal, Creel got in touch with friends working at the West End production of Priscilla who helped get the drag newbies (joined by Hair stars Steel Burkhardt and Anthony Hollock) dolled up for their big night on the town.

“Will’s name was Anita,” Creel revealed. “Mine was Cookie. We were terrified, but the minute we put those heels on, we were powerful. And Will was like the queen of the night!”

Swenson continued: “I was sort of in black leather... I don’t want to say it was like a dominatrix, but I was a hard woman! I was like eight feet tall.”

The group hit a bunch of bars and clubs in London before an admirer went too far with Creel on the street. “A complete stranger slapped me on the ass,” he remembered. “And the four of us turned into tough men in a flash, yelling at this guy. But overall, it was an awesome night.”

OK, enough with the tease. Where’s the photographic evidence? Creel laughed: “No one’s gonna see those photos! If they show up on Broadway.com, I’m coming after you!”