A drag performer by the name of Champagne Monroe reads the children’s book "Rainbow Fish" to a group of kids and parents at the Mobile Public Library for Drag Queen Story Hour in Mobile, Ala. on ...

But surely being a drag queen and a TV star must pay more, right? Not necessarily. Since 2009, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has been hailed as one of the best reality shows around.

Drag queens, those glittering stars of the late-night stage, have rolled out of the dark and into the park. They've traded ...