Gigi Goode of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Breaks Down Her Madonna Performance

If anyone could do a backflip in heels, it’s Gigi Goode, one of the top contestants from season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. But that actually wasn’t the hardest part of channeling Madonna in her rendition of “Papa Don’t Preach,” Gigi tells Women’s Health in the latest episode of “Performance Review.” (As it turns out, mastering the iconic chug in the number was much harder for Gigi.)

In the video, Gigi shares tons of behind-the-scenes stories from “Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical,” one of the highlights of the season.

“Being in drag is working out,” Gigi says. “You’re constantly in heels, your legs hurt, your waist is cinched, you have to be standing up straight the entire time. There’s a heavy wig on your head, heavy costumes.”

While planning out the Rusical, contestants had to figure out who would play each version of Madonna. Though at first Gigi wanted to play “cone-bra Madonna,” she ultimately landed on “Papa Don’t Preach” Madonna, in part because of the outfit. “You don’t want to be swallowed up by the look,” when you’re doing a Rusical, she says, so she thought to herself, “I’m going to be able to be Madonna, Madonna is not going to take over me.”

For Gigi, the choreography in the Rusical experience proved challenging since it normally isn’t a part of her drag performance. In order to nail the musical number, she worked with choreographer Jamal Sims — who she now DMs almost every day, lol — who helped her master the classic “Papa Don’t Preach” chug.

“They say drag is a contact sport,” Gigi says, “and they are so right about that.”

Fans can catch all new episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars followed by Untucked, every Friday, starting at 8/7c on VH1.

Click HERE for the video and more at Women’s Health