RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 winner Onya Nurve, known offstage as Justin Woody, exits and is no longer set to lead the upcoming North American tour of Kinky Boots, according to reporting originally published by Bernardo Sim in OUT Magazine. The change comes just months after Nurve/Woody was announced as Lola, a role the performer had openly celebrated landing.
When reached for comment, the production shared a direct statement confirming the departure:
“On behalf of Kinky Boots on Tour, Justin Woody (“Onya Nurve”) is no longer with the company. We are thrilled to share that Omari Collins (“Scarlett D. Von’Du”) will step into the role of Lola. We wish Justin well, and we look forward to bringing Kinky Boots to theatres all across the country.”
According to OUT Magazine, Nurve/Woody’s PR team has also been contacted for additional details.
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Nurve/Woody announced the casting in July, only three months after winning America’s Next Drag Superstar. In a celebratory Instagram post, Nurve wrote:
“I am BEYOND excited and humbled to announce that I’ll be joining the 2025 national tour of Kinky Boots the Musical, as Lola!!!!!!! @kinkybootsontour. Before RuPaul’s Drag Race, I wanted to be Lola, and now I get to live out both of my dreams at the same damn time. Truly a full circle moment. So excited to continue to learn, grow, and take in every single thing this new chapter has to offer me. EVERYBODY SAY YEEEAAAAHHHHH!”
Omari Collins — also known as Scarlett D. Von’Du — had previously been announced as one of the Angels. In November, Collins posted:
“THE BOOTS ARE BACK BABY!!!! I am officially hitting the road with @kinkybootsontour! Catch us in a city near you!!”
Collins will now assume the lead role.
Speculation intensified over the weekend after the X user @GreenGay raised concerns about changes to the Kinky Boots website:
“Anyone know what happened with Onya Nurve on the Kinky Boots tour? She was announced as Lola but the site now lists the understudy, and posts with her were removed. Just asking if she was replaced or if there was an update I missed???”
The post was later shared on the r/rupaulsdragrace subreddit, where a thread titled “What’s going on with Onya Nurve and the Kinky Boots Tour?” gained more than 1,400 upvotes.
While the production has confirmed the cast change, no reason has been provided for Nurve/Woody’s exit.
The 2025–2026 North American tour of Kinky Boots kicks off on November 19 in Elmira, NY, and wraps up on June 24 in London, Ontario. The production will visit over 60 cities across the U.S. and Canada, including major stops in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, San Jose, and Detroit. Fans can catch the show at iconic venues like the Clemens Center, Fisher Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and Budweiser Gardens. For more information on the national tour, visit KinkyBootsMusical.com.
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