Make Me Gorgeous!, the dazzling new show making its New York City premiere, tells the fascinating and absolutely true story of Kenneth Marlowe, who became Kate Marlowe later in life. Marlowe is played with seemingly infinite charisma and energy by actor Wade McCollum.  As brought to life by McCollum and through Donald “Donnie” Horn’s script, Marlowe was an indeed a colorful, albeit underappreciated, character in American LGBTQ history.  She made her mark as a popular drag star, a hairdresser to the celebrities, an entrepreneur, and the author of nine books, perhaps the most famous of which was her autobiography Mr. Madam: Confessions of a Male Madam. Quoting the heroine from the 1982 hit song I’ve Never Been to Me, this unapologetically “out” personality had indeed “lived a million lives” (although McCollum-as-Marlowe adds in the show, it was “without the ‘yacht'” mentioned in the lyrics.)

Located on New York City’s famous “Restaurant Row”, Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s seems distinctly tiny in comparison to the grandeur of the adjacent Times Square.  But once the audience entered the theater, we entered the world of the central character of Make Me Gorgeous! Blue velvet covers the walls.  Those velveted walls are adorned with vintage black-and-white photos of drag queens, seemingly from an era when drag was, shall we say, “verboten”. The mood is inviting, possibly the result of pink lighting.  One thing became abundantly clear:  If “Every man’s home is his castle”, then this queen’s home is definitely her palace. Kudos to Walt Spangler for the scenic design and Jamie Roderick for the lighting. But back to the story: Born in 1926, Marlowe’s first steps in the journey of self-discovery were dressing in her grandmother’s fancy clothes and mimicking the famous one-liners of Mae West, the reigning cinematic sex symbol at the time. This moved on to the first same-sex crush, and– as a young man in the new openness of California’s Pershing Square– becoming familiar with the secret underground subculture of gay men.  This included learning “the queens’ vernacular” (Some of you may know what “French” is code for, but anyone who knows about “artificial pearls” wins a prize…) and a 1940’s version of the hankie code.  The trajectory of Marlowe’s life also included being a hustler and living as a “kept man” for a while. The first taste of fame notoriety came with being a popular burlesque act at a Holiday Inn in Calumet City, Illinois– for a whopping $60 a week.  And yes, we do get to see McCollum-as-Marlowe ply their trade. Later on, there was also a lucrative stint as a hairdresser in a “cat house” in New Orleans.  

Despite the play’s many moments of comedy, some truly heartwarming segments (mostly involving stories of Marlowe and her mother), eye-popping costumes (by Jeffrey Hinshaw), and enough absorbing scenarios for a miniseries, Marlowe’s life wasn’t always so “gay” (as in “happy”).  One incident early on in the play tells about Marlowe getting caught in drag by her father.  Unlike her mother, Dad wasn’t quite so accepting.  But a much more hard-hitting trauma came later on, when Marlowe served in the military.  Writing, it turns out, became a form of therapy and also a way to preserve her V-E-R-Y unique legacy.  

As Ken Marlowe, Wade McCollum is a revelation.  An extremely magnetic performer, it seemed at times throughout Make Me Gorgeous! that the stage of Playhouse 46 may not have been large enough to contain his energy as an actor or his character’s larger-than-life persona.  Interaction with the audience, in this case, became almost mandatory– as well as welcome!  This may be a one-man show– but in creating the M-A-N-Y peripheral characters in Marlowe’s life, McCollum excels (in what some may call “Lily Tomlin-esque” style), of creating completely different characters without the benefit of a change in costume or makeup. One example of many is when McCollum-as-Marlowe mimics their drag queen peers “Candy” and Dutchess”: Between McCollum’s changes in voice and elastic facial expressions, it’s simply laugh-out-loud hilarious.  McCollum takes advantage of every minute on stage. Similarly, there’s not one single wasted line of dialogue in Director/Playwright Donnie’s script.   

Make Me Gorgeous! is provocative and flamboyantly entertaining from start to finish.  As any seasoned burlesque performer will tell us, it’s always best not to reveal EVERYTHING… so I won’t reveal the show’s eleventh-hour climax, which happens shortly after Kenneth decides to have “sex reassignment” surgery and take on the name “Kate”.  I will say, however, that it sends a powerful message about the importance of “community” in the LGBTQ world, which is more essential than ever as we approach 2024.  Also in the spirit of any seasoned burlesque performer, it’s always necessary to leave the audience begging for more. Make Me Gorgeous! does indeed leave us begging for more.  Reportedly, there was much more that happened in Kenneth Marlowe’s life even after the events we see on stage in Make Me Gorgeous!  Could there be more on the horizon? (Hint, hint…) 

triangle productions! presents the New York premiere of Make Me Gorgeous!, The True Story of Kenneth “Mr. Madam” Marlowe, written and directed by Donald “Donnie” Horn, and starring Wade McCollum (Wicked on Broadway; It Happened In Key West in London’s West End), who also contributed additional material. The limited eight-week engagement plays through December 31, Off-Broadway at Playhouse 46 At St. Luke’s (308 W. 46th Street). For tickets and further information, visit GorgeousPlay.com. 

(Photos by Maria Baranova.)