210. Darius Rose, aka Jackie Cox, Off-Broadway's MAKE ME GORGEOUS

Darius Rose, also known by his drag persona Jackie Cox, made his off-Broadway debut earlier this month in  Triangle Productions’ ‘Make Me Gorgeous: The True Story of Kenneth “Mr. Madam” Marlowe’ and we are delighted to be joined by Darius to delve into his journey with the show, his television and drag career, and get into some Star Trek and Drag Race-related fan-submitted questions.

Dubbed “one of the season’s sleeper hits”, ‘Make Me Gorgeous’ follows the life of LGBTQ+ trailblazer Kenneth Marlowe, who underwent countless trials and tribulations throughout their life until they spent the final decade as their true self, Kate Marlowe. From dealing with their mother’s excessive alcohol use and working as a Christian missionary to surviving assault while in the military and performing drag and burlesque across the country, Marlowe’s story is a fascinating, emotional and captivating tale, one that Darius Rose performed brilliantly in the 90-minute one-man show.

“Wade [McCollum, who originated the role] was off to do Water for Elephants on Broadway, so he could no longer continue in the role. He’s good friend with Willam, who was also on Drag Race and was in Titanique off-Broadway, and I think Wade had reached out to Willam to see the play and maybe if they were interested in doing the play, but he wasn’t available to do it,” Darius shared. “Willam and I work with the same manager and asked if the producers would be willing to see me for the role, so I went to go see the play for the first time in December and I wasn’t sure if I could do it myself. I had a lovely lunch for a couple of hours with our playwright/director Donnie and he said ‘I think you could do this, also my husband loves watching you on Days of Our Lives’, so come do it!”

Born in Canada and having grown up all around the US due to their mother’s work as a  Medical Researcher, Darius went on to attend the University of California in Los Angeles where they earned their Bachelor of Arts degree. Soon moving to New York City, their sights were set on a career as an actor, it wasn’t until they performed the titular role in the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch that they would perform in drag for the first time. “My first time feeling the power of being in drag on a stage with a microphone and in heels was through that musical. Hedwig is a character that is so strong and powerful in her ability to use song and drag to convey her message, that was the first time that I felt the power of drag.”

During our listener-submitting Q&A portion of the show ‘Dear Darius’, fans asked which Star Trek character (as Darius is a huge Trekkie) they’d want to partner with for a drag makeover challenge, what the “wildest part” of working on Days of Our Lives is, and if they’d return to the Drag Race franchise for an All-Stars season.

Watch our full interview above, and be sure to see Darius Rose starring in Make Me Gorgeous, in performances in New York City until February 25th! 

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