The Big Picture

‘House on Fire’ showcased ballroom culture authentically & highlighted the power of the chosen family.
Tati & Lolita are eager to celebrate the bond between cis women & trans women in ballroom.
The show brought peace to the cast & showcased true sisterhood, paving the way for Season 2.

Season 1 of House on Fire brought the world of ballroom to the screen in a manner that has never been seen before. In the series brought to life by the team that produced RuPaul’s Drag Race, the lives of the House of Miyake-Mugler captures the essence of community, chosen family, and the power ballroom culture can bring to the world. From initiations in order to join the house to balls and inductions, House on Fire showcased it all. The eight-part season has officially wrapped up, but fans are eager for more!

Celebrating their success at RuPaul’s DragCon LA 2024, Tati Miyake Mugler and Lolita Leopard spoke to Collider about all the incredible highs House on Fire has brought. To discuss their time on House on Fire, Tati described it as elated while Lolita said she was feeling grateful. And how could you not be after a successful first season? They had so much to share about their incredible experience.

‘House on Fire’ Displayed Their True Authentic Selves
Image from WOW

While this hasn’t been their sole time on screen, it was the first opportunity to share themselves with the world. Tati revealed that their personal stories play a major part in ballroom as, “Our personal stories is where we find ballroom. For me, ballroom was a place where I was able to find my confidence and family.” Lolita piggybacked on what Tati said, mentioning the family camaraderie and the ability to be your true self. She said this experience has given her the chance to learn and grow alongside like-minded individuals.

With this being reality television, certainly, there were some surprising elements they experienced. Lolita revealed, “Just the cameras being there and just honestly, pouring out and being our true authentic selves. That was the main key point, making sure we were our true authentic selves.” Tati wasn’t as shocked by the cameras. “I’m used to it now. I’m meant to be in front of a camera,” she joked. “We’ve done shows. We’ve done My House. We’ve done Pose. We’ve done Legendary. We’ve been accustomed to the camera. I just think it’s just amazing to be able to have the opportunity to be in front of the camera and show our genuine, authentic selves.” Tati noted it’s been a journey.

New York City played a special part in the journey for both Lolita and Tati during the filming of the first season. “New York is special to me because I moved from the DMV. I had a dream. I was like, you know what, I packed my stuff up and literally just threw myself into New York City without questioning it. Nothing thinking about it. Just living and being, with seven years landing me here. New York is just such a magical place,” Lolita shared. “Being from New York, born and raised, from Brooklyn, New York, I feel like New York is special because it’s all I knew. And from what I hear, it’s a hustle-and-bustle type of town. It keeps you on the grind. It keeps you on the go. I think those are things you can take with you anywhere and be successful,” shared Tati. If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere! Viewers were able to see the Miyake-Mugler family in action at various balls and events throughout the series.

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Tati and Lolita Are Eager to Celebrate the Sisterhood Between Cis Women and Trans Women

For many mainstream viewers, shows like Legendary and Pose were their first entryway into learning about ballroom culture. House on Fire is a more intimate vantage into the culture. The cast of House on Fire spent the season sharing their lives with the world, but they also spoke about ballroom in an accessible manner that educated the audience. Should there be a Season 2, what else do they want viewers to learn and understand about ballroom? Tati noted that in season one, they were able to discuss transitioning, ballroom drama, and financial literacy, but for Season 2, “the door is open to touch upon even more.”

What could that include? Well, Lolita said, “One topic I would really love to discuss is cis-women and trans men because a lot of cis-women and trans men don’t feel like they have a place in ballroom. Being one of the prominent cis-women in ballroom, along with the other cis-women who have paved the way to make it accessible for other cis-women and trans men to feel comfortable to come here.” Season 1 did showcase how this family, no matter their identity, supports one another. They may fight and bicker, but being there for one another in their time in need always comes first. Riffing off that, they were both ecstatic to share and celebrate the sisterhood between cis women and trans women. Lolita said, “It is real!” with Tati embracing Lolita, saying “This my girl!” Tati knows how nasty things can get so for her, showing the relationship between cis women and trans women is educational.

Much Has Changed Since ‘House on Fire’ Filmed

With so much to celebrate, House on Fire is a docufollow reality show, which means there was much drama that unfolded throughout the season. As Tati put it, “It ain’t called House on Fire for no reason!’ So which fight did they wish they had more popcorn when watching the season back? Tati went with Chanel and Leyna. Lolita picked A.J. They both noted that AJ “was the drama.” As Lolita put it, “A.J. was from the top to the bottom.” Someone had to be! Even Tati got into it with A.J. throughout the course of the season! As much as they live for the drama, they clearly knew it was all real and all authentic.

Since the show, both Lolita and Tati had some important updates to share. Lolita revealed, “I think the most impactful thing in my life that has happened is my breakup. I was in a 17-year relationship, and it came to an end last year…. Self-love has been like my biggest thing right now. I’m loving the journey that I’m on. I’m making sure I accept every journey that I go through and know that the light is always going to be at the end of the tunnel.” Thanks to being a part of the House of Miyake-Mugler, she’s got a family to lean on. “The next guy that comes around, they’re going to be snooping on him and making sure he doesn’t do anything.” He’s going to go through his own initiation! Tati said, “He’s going to have to have his own induction.” Tati revealed that during the filming of the show, she was going through a healing time in her life. “I was going through a lot of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues and that kind of carried into me not participating in ballroom for a long time. Prior to the show, I hadn’t walked a ball in three years. Since the show, I’ve been on this self-healing journey. I’ve been in the gym since, every day. Gym is life for me. It brings me peace. It’s a safe space for me. It allows me to release and keep my mind set on the right set.”

House on Fire has not only given Tati and Lolita a chance to share themselves with the world, it’s allowed them to find peace within themselves. No matter what happens next, House on Fire has played a major part in both Tati and Lolita’s journeys, and they’re eager to continue to bring ballroom culture to the screens. Their bond and sisterhood shined through as they spoke so highly of their experience. They are a true testament to the power of chosen family in the world of ballroom.

All episodes of House on Fire are available to stream on WOW Presents Plus.

Stream on WOW Presents Plus