‘Georgia McBride’ star Matt McGrath on the fresh drag show in town

The world premiere of The Legend of Georgia McBride is captivating audiences now through February 23 on the Ricketson Theatre of the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Billed as “A heartwarming comedy about a ‘King of Rock ‘N’ Roll’ who becomes the Queen of Drag,” the very funny drag drama features actor Matt McGrath as Ms. Tracy Mills, the no-nonsense drag mother of Georgia McBride with big dreams and a bigger drag persona!

We caught up with McGrath for an interview about the fun, flamboyant show.

Can you talk a bit about your role in The Legend of Georgia McBride?

So the first time you see me I am coming on-stage as Miss Tracy Mills, and I’m coming to this kind of busted-up bar on its last leg. So we decide to turn the place into a gay bar and have a drag show to really boost the interest. She meets the challenge and what she stumbles upon is somebody who is down on his luck, who doesn’t get to do his Elvis impersonation anymore at the bar — it’s not bringing any customers in. We start him off as bartender. When Miss Nervousa falls “ill”, he is quickly put to work by Tracy as the other drag queen in the show. He steps up to the challenge and he makes some money for his wife and soon to be mother of his child.

What experience have you had with drag to get ready for the show?

I knew from doing the summit last year that they were interested in me doing this production. I kind of booked myself out for this period because I really wanted to do this play so badly. I had been doing Hedwig and the Angry Inch in New York City, which we can argue that is not traditional drag per se.

Tracy is full of life. Tracy has feelings and emotions and has the highs and lows of what it is to live a life on the edge here and really needs to make that buck to get by. She’s up for the challenge, always. So in terms of doing this drag queen, we wanted to make a real-life character but also this person who’s at the top of her game.

Is there a certain drag queen or person you’re channeling as Ms. Tracy Mills?

Not really. I’ve been mulling over who this person is and where she’s from — you want to have a nice differential between the conservative brother of KC, who I also have to play, and you want it to draw those lines of distinction clearly.

I also did The Rocky Horror Picture Show recently, playing Dr. Frank-n-furter, and in that role I had to train for in heels because I was called in to take over that role rather quickly. I had seven days to learn the dance numbers and, you know, doing them in a four-and-a-half-inch heel was kind of like, wow. That’s a race to get it done like that. So there is this technical aspect and then there’s the kind of getting lost in the persona so that you can really pull it off. It’s been challenging and thrilling at the same time.

What do you hope audiences take from this production?

I think that my character, Tracy, is not someone to be afraid of. You get a glimpse into what she values even though her exterior and her lifestyle might be kind of ‘out there,’ almost living moment to moment to survive. But she basically wants a simple life, just to be happy and content.

Why do you think that this play is important for audiences to see, whether gay or straight?

I think that it is a unique rite-of-passage story. Metaphorically it’s more than just a gay community, or a drag, or a transgender community. It’s people who are there to entertain, and that’s classically what drag is. The actual word drag is from Shakespeare, (short for) “dressed as girl”, what he would write in the margins when boys would play girls. So that’s what it is, it’s the players, it’s the entertainer, and it should be viewed
as that.

For tickets or more information on this fabulous show, contact the Denver Center Ticket Services by calling 303-893-4100 or online at denvercenter.org