Ryan Raftery on The Ballad of JonBenét Ramsey: True Crime, Camp & Taking Risks
Raftery’s latest work stands out as a provocative musical satire that holds a mirror to our cultural compulsions.
Ryan Raftery has made a career out of transforming pop culture icons into high-camp musicals — Anna Wintour, Andy Cohen, Kris Jenner, Martha Stewart — all skewered and celebrated in equal measure. The New York Times once called him “the Shakespeare of pop culture satire,” but his newest project, opening September 12 at Joe’s Pub, may be his riskiest yet: The Ballad of JonBenét Ramsey.
At first glance, the title alone feels radioactive. “A lot of people have told me off the record they can’t cover it,” Raftery admitted. “Based on my past shows, it’s a fair assumption people think I’d be playing JonBenét — but I’m not. That would be in terrible taste.” Instead, he’s created something different: a fictional corporate woman who spirals into obsession after discovering a Netflix doc about the unsolved murder of JonBenét.
“She starts a podcast, it becomes a hit, she gets famous — and it unravels her,” he explained. “What she loves about true crime is that at the end, she knows who did it, and justice is served. But with JonBenét, that never happens. That’s the fascination. We’ll never know.”
The Case That Never Goes Away
Raftery’s hook for the show came from an article in Psychology Today about women falling asleep to true crime podcasts. “Eighty percent of the people who consume true crime are women,” he noted. “Ninety-seven percent of the time, they’re the victim. Why is that calming? Is it empathy? Is it preparation? Or just wanting closure?”
It’s a cultural paradox that fascinates him. Housewives fighting on Bravo? Too stressful. A cold-case rape and murder in Arkansas? Comfort viewing. “I really don’t understand the falling asleep to it part,” Raftery laughed. “But it’s prevalent. True crime is extremely popular, and this show examines why.”
Part of what keeps JonBenét Ramsey’s name alive, Raftery argues, is that her murder became inseparable from American pop culture. “Her name shows up everywhere — The Simpsons, American Horror Story, even a Lady Gaga song. And let’s be real: there’s no Toddlers & Tiaras or Honey Boo Boo without JonBenét. She introduced America to child beauty pageants,” he said.
The endless recycling of JonBenét in tabloids, documentaries, and memes ensures she remains in the collective consciousness. “Every single person I talk to swears they know who did it. But there isn’t a single theory that holds up all the way through. Not one. It’s like Tetris: eventually the pieces don’t fit. That’s why her name keeps bubbling up. There’s no closure.”
Beyond Drag, Beyond Satire
Most of Raftery’s past shows were performed in drag, but he resists the label of drag queen. “I consider myself an actor who sometimes plays women. Drag queens are courageous — they get into full face, get on the subway, and that’s radical rebellion.
“I have nothing but love for drag queens, but that’s not what I do,” he said.
Still, The Ballad of JonBenét Ramsey has him in lipstick on the poster — a nod to expectations. Inside the show, he shifts between his fictional podcaster and flashes of Nancy Grace, Patsy Ramsey, even Burke Ramsey. “But never JonBenét,” he clarified.
Joe’s Pub, Raftery’s longtime artistic home, has fully embraced the production. “They’ve only ever been massively supportive,” he said. “The only time they even asked about content was Ivanka (Trump), because they’re a non-profit and couldn’t be seen as endorsing or defaming a candidate.” Otherwise, it’s been open doors for a decade.
True Crime as Comfort Food
There’s an “11 o’clock number” sung to the tune of “The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie — a moment where Raftery forces the audience to reckon with their own consumption. “It’s about our true crime addiction. Is this good for us as a society? Why do we find it so soothing?” he said.
The show itself is structured like a podcast — complete with exposition so even true crime novices can follow along. But for those who grew up in the 90s, the case is already seared into memory. Raftery said, “We were raised on this story.”
Raftery fills seats — his fan base of straight women and gay men show up, no matter the subject.
But with The Ballad of JonBenét Ramsey, he’s asking them to look in the mirror, to think about why we find murder so addictive.
“It’s a risk,” he told me. “But I feel strongly about it. I don’t ever want people to leave my shows thinking I just did the same thing again with a different person. This isn’t obvious. It’s dangerous. And I think it’s going to be interesting.”
The Ballad of JonBenét Ramsey runs Sept. 12 to 17 at Joe’s Pub. Tickets: $65 including fees, with a two-drink or one-food minimum. For tickets, head to www.publictheater.org.