Welcome to the world of Sasha Velour.

"Smoke and Mirrors," the drag superstar's theatrical spectacular now touring the country, combines musical selections, performance styles and artistic traditions from across generations in service of a singular vision.

Part drag revue and part magic show, utilizing cutting-edge technology and high fashion to convey naked vulnerability, "Smoke and Mirrors" removes the audience from any fixed sense of here and now, transporting them to a world of Velour's own creation.

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“I think it is important to create a kind of fantasy world, that’s what I see drag as doing like across the board," said Velour. "I think drag always pulls people out of reality, out of time, into a place that can be more lovely, less oppressive, more empowering, and I try to lean into that especially hard with my performances."

After selling out runs of "Smoke and Mirrors" in New York, Los Angeles, London, Australia and New Zealand, the Brooklyn-based Velour is taking the show on the road for a 23-city tour playing the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park on Friday, Nov. 15.

Velour, who won the ninth season of VH1's "RuPaul's Drag Race" in 2017, is also the director, art director for costumes and animation, and even program designer for "Smoke and Mirrors." It's a show that deploys elements of stagecraft rich with artifice — from magic tricks to lip-sync performances — to convey a personal statement rife with pain and power.

“I think that it’s easier to tell radically true statements about yourself through exaggeration and artifice and performativity," said Velour. "I’ve always believed that. When I go see theater, I find naturalistic performances kind of alienate me, and I wonder if that is connected to being a queer person who grew up never seeing people who reminded me of myself represented in any media, but realism is super-boring to me."

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Velour has consistently been drawn to stylized, heightened art forms. A 2013 graduate from the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, in June Velour released the comic book "Three Dollar Riot," commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landmark Stonewall uprising in New York.

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"I found really actually emotional moments in those kinds of things and have been able to reflect on myself through these really over-the-top art forms," said Velour. "And I think drag is a perfect example of that as well, and it’s certainly the one that’s most right for me as an artist. And I love getting to talk about it all the time while doing the drag. I think that interesting tension between illusion and artifice, and real authenticity is present there all the time. And I love getting to put a spotlight on it, so to speak.”

The soundtrack to "Smoke and Mirrors" spans nearly 60 years, utilizing the voices of everyone from Judy Garland to Lana Del Rey to help convey Velour's story.

But there was one number ("the only song I didn’t choose for myself," Velour said) that demanded a place of honor in the show: Whitney Houston's "So Emotional."

The Newark native Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee's 1987 classic scored one of the most iconic moments in "Drag Race" herstory when Velour lip-synced it on her way to the crown in the series' Season 9 finale.

It's a moment that's embedded itself in our pop cultural consciousness — Elizabeth Warren, played by Kate McKinnon, re-enacted it complete with wig removal, shower of rose petals and the song itself on the Oct. 12 episode of "Saturday Night Live" — and Velour said she knew from the beginning of conceiving "Smoke and Mirrors" that "So Emotional" had to be part of the show.

"I always wanted to include it in the tour because I knew people would want to see it live, actually," said Velour. "I put myself in an audience’s point of view and thought about what they would want to see as well because I think that’s my job, as a good entertainer. And then I had fun giving it my own flavor this time around.”

Business is booming in the world of drag, with Velour's tour one of a number criss-crossing the country this fall and winter. The "Drag Race" franchise earned 14 Emmy nominations and three wins in 2019, with a 12th season of "RuPaul's Drag Race," a fifth season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" and the debut of "RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race" on the way.

Velour's drag revue "Nightgowns," which has played theaters in New York, London and Los Angeles, has been adapted into an eight-part series for streaming service "Quibi," set to debut in 2020.

And while the popularity of drag is not new, Velour said what has changed is the broader cultural context.

"Cross-dressing performance and that kind of humor and fashion has been popular throughout a lot of history, but the kind of new thing is that people are able to be out as queer, gay, trans, nonbinary, etc., outside of the drag," said Velour, who identifies as gender fluid. "We’re able to see queer performers instead of just seeing drag as part of mainstream entertainment, and I think we’re able to define it a little bit more by our sensibilities, and I think that’s why there’s a kind of blossoming."

The current wave of passion for drag, and the openness with which performers are expressing their identities, is probably indicative of a societal shift that could signal a more inclusive future, Velour said.

"I hope that it does even more for queer people in life," said Velour. "Like the representation of drag on such a big platform, the enjoyment of drag by so many different kinds of people, maybe that will make space for little nonbinary and queer and gender-fluid kids to be seen as normal. I think it’s happening.”

Check out this video tour for more on the history of the Paramount Theatre on the Asbury Park Boardwalk:

Sasha Velour's "Smoke and Mirrors"

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12

Where: Merriam Theater, 250 South Broad St., Philadelphia

Tickets: $25 to $150

Info: 215-893-1999 or www.kimmelcenter.org

and

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15

Where: Paramount Theatre, 1300 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park

Tickets: $29 to $149

Info: apboardwalk.com

Online: For more on "Smoke and Mirrors," including tickets and a full list of tour dates, visit www.smokeandmirrorslive.com.