Prior to his star turn as the lead in “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” Tristan Wallach had never seen a real-life drag queen before. Now, he can say he’s performed in front of audiences in four consecutive sold-out shows dressed in full drag.
Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts (WebCo) staged playwright Matthew Lopez’s “The Legend of Georgia McBride” Feb. 28 to March 2, with performances that sold out two weeks prior to opening.
The award-winning play, which debuted off-Broadway in 2014, is about Casey, a young and broke Floridian Elvis impersonator living off gigs at a bar. When his act is replaced by a drag show, Casey is recruited to play drag queen Georgia McBride when one of the performers can’t go on.
Wallach, a sophomore acting major, was cast in the lead role as Casey by day, Georgia McBride by night. During callbacks, Wallach played guitar, danced, lip-synced and read scenes for hours to earn the role. Even after all of that, the hardest part for him was learning how to move with the flair of a drag queen.
“The big hip pads certainly helped,” Wallach said.
Presented in the middle of WebCo’s 2024-2025 season, the show is directed by senior directing major Avery Harrison, who has a ton of experience under their belt, including as assistant director for Repertory Theatre of St Louis’ production of “August: Osage County.”
When preparing for “Georgia McBride,” Harrison, who identifies as queer and trans, had Missouri’s queer community on the brain and believed it was that very community that contributed to the show’s massive popularity.
“I think it’s something about being in a little blue pocket in a red state where it is that idea of us caring so much about all of these issues,” Harrison said. “I do think a lot of it has to do with it being a drag show. I think that the community is deprived right now of a lot of queer experiences and outward queer art. That’s what we want to flock to – specifically, our little Webster University community, our little, young, vulnerable 20-year-old selves who are horrified about the state of the world.”
Juggling three jobs, classes and directing, Harrison’s day-to-day during the production was “chaos in the best way.” As director, Harrison oversaw the whole production, making sure it came together in a cohesive way to tell the story. This meant leading rehearsals, picking the cast, coaching the actors, talking with designers and lighting, wig and makeup, costume, scenic and sound crews – all while dealing with “the beautiful challenges of being young and 21.”
Directing majors in their junior year get to choose a show they wish to direct. Harrison has had “Georgia McBride” on their radar since they were 12 years old.
“I think I saw it at a theater in Arkansas way back when, and I knew nothing about drag,” Harrison said. “I saw it, and I was like, ‘wow, pretty dresses.’ And now that I’m older and have more brain space to comprehend the meaning of it, I truly fell in love with the story.”
Wallach notes “Georgia McBride” showcases drag for what it is: an important and historical art form. He believes educating more people about drag is the best way to shut down harmful legislation.
“I can’t imagine what being an actual drag queen in Missouri must be like today, especially with our state senators constantly trying to pass laws restricting drag performances,” Wallach said.
In February, a Missouri Senate committee held a public hearing on SB 295, a bill sponsored by Sen. Rick Brattin, who claims it is meant to protect children from sexual content. The bill would make an “adult cabaret performance” a crime if performed on public property that “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” The definition of an “adult cabaret” includes “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest or similar entertainers.”
Harrison’s director’s notes for the production stated, “It has been 11 years since Matthew López created ‘The Legend of Georgia McBride.’ While I want to say we have progressed as a society since 2014, the evidence proves otherwise.”
Since the play first took the stage, Harrison adds, the LGBTQ community has not been able to escape the public scrutiny. Gay nightclub shootings, anti-transgender legislation, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, drag bans and many other acts of violence have swept the nation.
“I offer these examples as a reminder that queer folks remain a political target,” Harrison wrote. “I offer these examples as a reminder that if you join us for a drag show, you must join us in protest.”
While the play deals with heavy topics, Harrison hopes the audience left with a good laugh.
“Right now in the world we’re in, we need a lot of life and a lot of fun,” Harrison said. “So I think the idea to go and escape for like an hour and 40 minutes in a big world of hair, makeup, heels, song, and dance and luster is super-appealing to people.”
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