Philly’s Sapphira Cristál breaks the top 4 in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

Drag queen Sapphira Cristál, the first Philly queen to compete in RuPaul’s Drag Race, has landed in the top four. After months of jaw-dropping runway looks, comedic sketches, and stunning performances, 10 queens have been eliminated, leaving Cristál, Plane Jane, Nymphia Wind, and Q all vying for the win.

A regular at Fishtown’s Fabrika, Cristál has been the one to watch all season, becoming an endearing fan favorite and acting as drag mother for her fellow contestants beyond the runway. The opera singer had previously auditioned for Drag Race 11 times before she finally snagged a spot, and she’s repped Philly proudly, wearing knockout looks from local designers and calling out her old girl group, Philly’s Foxes.

She’s been racking up wins throughout the season and even broke show records, becoming the first and only queen to win three back-to-back maxi challenges in U.S. Drag Race history (not including All Stars).

Despite Cristál’s wins, last week’s makeover challenge was a nail-biter — she almost didn’t make it to the top four. She and Miami’s Morphine Love Dion were in the bottom after floundering to transform backup dancers into drag queens (Cristál had to scrap wardrobe plans last minute, with subpar results). They competed in a lip sync challenge to Kelsea Ballerini’s “Miss Me More” while the singer herself was a guest judge. A dancing and lip syncing maven, Dion had previously eliminated three other contestants but this time, it was Cristál who sent a queen packing.

Philly has embraced and celebrated Cristál on her journey, from the premiere party at Fishtown’s Brooklyn Bowl — where fans cheered for her first win of the season — to a recently sold-out show at Theatre of the Living Arts on South Street, where she performed with an earlier contestant, Mirage.

For now, Cristál is tied with Plane Jane for four wins. We’ll all have to wait and see who will snatch the crown in the April 19 finale.