A veteran stage performer, Ambroja Zwaan has quickly taken to drag excellence, and will be a star of the scene we should all be watching.
Thotyssey: Ambroja, hello! Thanks for finding time to chat with is today! Do I see that you’re currently involved in a Long Island production of Hairspray?
Ambroja Zwaan: Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Yes, that would be correct! This is actually our closing weekend, and it feels so good to be back doing theatre.
Congrats! Who are you playing, and what was the overall experience like of doing it?
Thank you! I’m surprisingly playing the male lead Link Larkin! This is my second time doing the role since I played him in high school when I was 15. It has definitely been a really rewarding and a full circle experience, getting to redo a part that meant so much to me when I was younger now so much later, with so much more experience.
Link has the best hair of all of them, lol! Can you tell us a bit about where you’re from, and how you ultimately got started in theater and performance?
Well, I am originally from South Jersey, the Cherry Hill area near Philly! I started actually performing when I got to high school; I went to a technical school where I was specifically focused on theatre. Then I graduated and moved to New York to attend AMDA, to further my training in musical theatre! I look pretty young out of drag, so I was having a hard time booking shows since I look too young to be an adult and I’m too tall to play a child. So when I was about to turn 21, Season 16 of Drag Race was airing. That season really inspired me to want to do drag despite watching the show for years prior. So then I turned 21, and Ambroja made her debut!
Where did your drag name inspo come from?
Ambroja was actually the name of a girl I went to AMDA with. She was a year ahead of me, but we had a class together; she was always a little off, but she was so confident and sure of herself. So I joked to my roommate that my name would be Ambroja (she wanted my name to be Cooch Potato), and then Ambroja just stuck! Zwaan is actually my grandmother’s maiden name, and my drag is heavily inspired by my mother, grandmother and aunt; they’re so simultaneously beautiful and goofy, but that never takes away from their strength and ability to do whatever they want to. So yeah, it’s sort of a homage to the life I’ve established here in New York, and the one I’ll always have back home in Jersey.
How else might you describe yourself as a queen today?
Oooh, that’s such a hard question. I’ve been doing drag for just over a year, so I’m definitely still finding my footing. With that though, I like to take influence from the powerful women who I saw growing up — like I said before, the women in my family definitely make up Ambroja at her core. But visually I love the women in Mortal Kombat. They’re so sexy and strong, they’re beautiful with these ridiculous proportions and long hair… but that male gaze never deters from their power. That’s something Ambroja has taught me, actually: the power in femininity. I love performing the songs I would hear in the car on my way to school growing up — a lot of Kesha and The Pussycat Dolls, etc., — while sprinkling in some of the artists that are more relevant today
You’re a champion and staple of the weekly drag competition circuit, often winning the night and / or making it to finale and all-star rounds of each show!
Wow, a staple… that definitely is high praise, and means a lot!
How do you navigate that world: is it about winning, or about all the other things like networking and exposure and trying out new stuff?
When I started, I really just wanted to come out and win and show how talented I am. I quickly learned that drag is fuckin’ hard! No matter how much dance training I have, dancing in a heel and three inch thick hip pads makes your body move so differently. That’s when I had to step back and reassess whether the winning was as important as I thought it was.
I’m super competitive, so winning is always nice… but through all the competitions, I have been able to network with some people who have helped me more than I can say. Shequida Hall invited me to guest in her show at Hardware just two months into my drag journey. I’ve gotten to work with Janelle No. 5 at “Sexx Dreams.” And truly I have felt nothing but love through the competition circuit… especially when it comes to friends. I love my sisters so dearly, so yeah! The competitions have always been there for me.
You’re gonna be part of a big show on Wednesday: “The Aud Ball: Justice for All” at 3 Dollar Bill! That will pay tribute to the superheroes and villains of DC Comics. How amazing will this be… and what’s your number gonna be like?
I love [host / producer] Suddenly Audrey and I love the “Aud Ball.” I’m so excited to be back after performing alongside my sisters Sage and Furina Dior as the Powerpuff Girls in the Toonami edition of the show a few months back. For this time around, it’s just me. I don’t wanna give it all away or set anything up to be more extravagant then it is, but as Zatanna I can guarantee some choreo, some stunts, a touch of humor, and a whole lotta magic.
Very exciting! What else is coming up for you?
Honestly, not too much. I took a bit of a break from drag to focus on Hairspray, so with the run ending this weekend I’m really excited to be able to be back out in the scene with my community! I wanna work on allowing myself to settle in now and be more authentically me, rather than being so locked into the competitions. I will most definitely be competing still, but who knows… I may pop up here and there. And before you know it, “Drag Wars All-Stars” will be here, and you’re not gonna wanna miss it!
Ginger Minj actually just won that other All Stars event — Drag Race All Stars — and the kids seem unimpressed! Did you have any thoughts on her win?
I think Ginger Minj is incredibly talented, but I feel like with a stacked cast featuring so many powerhouses like Bosco, Aja, Jorgeous, and Denali, we missed out on possibly the best All Stars season yet because of production. If they want good TV, they gotta get me in there… I’ll get them that Emmy!
Screw The Traitors, lol! Okay, to close: what’s the most essential item in your drag bag, cosmetic or otherwise?
On the real, it’s my padding! I love the illusion that they give… and I made them myself! If anyone is interested in pads, BodiedbyBrojie is here to supply!
Giving pads their due! Thanks, Ambroja!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Ambroja Zwaan’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
Thotyssey 