Former Wichitan now competing on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ returning to town for performances
A national television audience has watched Rosé, the drag queen alter ego of Wichita State University graduate Ross McCorkell, dance, sashay and lip sync on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” since the show’s 13th season premiered four weeks ago.
This weekend, Wichita can watch Rosé do all of that and more on a local stage.
McCorkell, the 31-year-old former Wichita performer who is starring on the popular VH-1 reality competition, is headed back to Wichita for performances this weekend at the Crown Uptown Theatre — the venue at 3207 E. Douglas where he once regularly appeared in productions.
The Crown, where McCorkell still has friends and acquaintances, also has been hosting watch parties every Friday when “RuPaul’s Drag Race” airs on VH-1. They persuaded McCorkell, who moved to New York City after graduating from WSU in 2012, to return for a weekend of appearances.
He’ll be a special guest at Friday’s watch party, and while tickets to that event are sold out, fans can still get seats for two shows on Saturday night — one at 5 p.m. and one at 8 p.m. — during which McCorkell will put on a cabaret-style show where he’ll sing and lip sync as Rosé. Those who can’t attend can watch the show via livestream.
In-person tickets are $30 or $45 with a meet-and-greet included. Live stream tickets are $20. Both are available at crownuptown.com/events/rose.
During a phone interview this week, McCorkell said he was excited to return to Wichita for the weekend to see old friends, visit old haunts and get a look at the Wichita State University campus, where he was a student from 2008 until 2012. While here, he said, he’ll also participate in a Zoom call with WSU Performing Arts students to talk about his life after graduation.
“A lot of professors at WSU really helped shape me into the performer that I am today,” he said.
The organizer of this weekend’s events is Max Wilson, the Crown’s manager who not only attended Wichita State University with McCorkell but also worked as office manager at the Crown from 2011 to 2014, when McCorkell appeared in shows like “White Christmas” and “Next to Normal.”
Wilson reached out to see if McCorkell would be willing to return and entertain locals who’ve been cheering him on from halfway across the country.
Wilson said it’s been bizarre watching his old friend perform on the show, which features lip sync battles, fashion shows and other events designed to help judges find “America’s next drag superstar.”
“It’s bonkers because it’s now an international show, a phenomenon that kicks off people’s careers in the strangest ways,” he said. “You get on that show, and if you play your cards right and you’re as driven and talented as someone like Ross, that’s your ticket out.”
McCorkell, who was born in Scotland and moved to the United States with his parents at age 10, enrolled in the WSU School of Performing Arts in 2008. While in school, he received good reviews for his singing and acting in not only productions put on at WSU but also in those he joined in professional community theaters, including The Crown and Music Theatre Wichita.
In 2013, he relocated to New York City with dreams of pursuing a career on Broadway. Those dreams still exist, he said, but three and a half years ago, he was dating a makeup artist and started playing around with drag. He entered one of New York City’s biggest drag competitions and won, and after that, his drag career took off quickly. Before he was chosen for “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” he also made appearance as Rosé as part of a trio called Stephanie’s Child on Season 13 of “The Voice” in 2017 and on the 14th season of “America’s Got Talent” in 2019.
Appearing on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is like The Olympics for drag performers, McCorkell said, and he managed to make the cast on only his second try.
The season was filmed over the summer in Los Angeles, he said, and it was special for many reasons, including the fact that he was able to perform again after having very few opportunities since the start of the pandemic.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “And it was the most challenging thing I’ve ever been a part of. It’s also so fun and something I was really grateful I got a chance to participate in, especially this year.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 1:01 PM.
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