'Legend of Georgia McBride': Lots of Sass, Sequins and Hardly a Drag

This high-energy production has plenty of 'sass and sequins.'

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Elvis has left the building. Permanently.

He actually left Cleo's, a small dive bar/club in the homophobic Panhandle town of Panama City Beach, Fla., where he was being impersonated by a young man named Casey. The problem? No one was paying to see the show. And so Casey is fired by club owner Eddie. Rent is due. Eviction is being threatened. His wife Jo is pregnant. Life is a drag.

Literally.

Enter Eddie's cousin, a lip-syncing drag queen who is billed as Miss Tracy Mills. Accompanying her is a second drag queen, Rexy, who preferred being known as Miss Anorexia Nervosa ("It's Italian," she says.) Rexy gets drunk, and faster than Edith Piaf can sing "Padam Padam," Miss Tracy Mills has convinced Casey to join her on stage ... in drag. Padding, pantyhose, bodice with breasts, a dress, lipstick and wig and pow!

"Every man has some femininity, you just need to know," Miss Tracy Mills tells Casey, who becomes the first Piaf impersonator in a long, long time. His initial take of the French chanteuse's 1951 hit "Padam Padam" is scary, but after a few tries, c'est magnifique. Money is pouring in, the rent is paid, the baby will have a good life. Life is looking even more divine than Harris Glenn Milstead. (For inquiring minds, Google him.)

Welcome to the gender-bending "Legend of Georgia McBride" (Casey's drag name is taken from the state in which his mother was born and the last name of the first girl he kissed.)

This jukebox musical, now playing at the Colonial Theatre through Aug. 16, is more than a drag show.  Mathew Lopez's script explores self-acceptance, reinvention, identity and true love ... and finding yourself in the most unexpected ways.

"Georgia McBride" doesn't have the compassion and originality of the landmark musical "La Cage aux Folles" — the script is predictable and as light as a false eyelash — but it is awfully funny and entertaining.

One of the funniest lines (and it has nothing to do with drag): "We are going to be the best parents since Joseph and Mary," Casey says.

"Yeah, but then their kid died," Jo snaps back.

There are sass and sequins, poignant moments and topical humor and a sentimentality that can't be dismissed. The cast is high-energy redefined. Kyle Taylor Parker illuminates the stage as Miss Tracy Mills, and he delivers the one-liners with perfection. As Casey/Georgia, Michael Wartella (almost) steals the show. He develops from twangy Elvis to drag queen extraordinaire with a few strokes of make-up and magic.

Isadora Wolfe's snappy direction and choreography keeps the camp and comedy coming at a fast (but not furious) pace. Amy Avila's costumes will make the fussiest drag queen swoon and croon. Just divine! The show's soundtrack features all the gay icons: Garland, Minnelli, Midler, Parton. And the lip-syncing? Good enough that perhaps RuPaul's girls need some lessons?

"The Legend of Georgia McBride" runs through Aug. 16. For tickets or more information, call 413-997-4444 or visit BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.

Dalton Fire District Faces Major Decision on Future of Station

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:36AM / Monday, September 07, 2026

Select Board Chair Robert Bishop brings up the potential of collaborating with the Fire District on a combined public safety building, which would solve both the fire and police station problems.

DALTON, Mass. — For several years, the Dalton Fire District has emphasized the fire station's space limitations, and a recent community and space needs analysis further demonstrated that significant decisions need to be made about the facility's future.

 

The district was established in 1884 after rapid growth strained the town's limited water supply for drinking and fire protection. After a fire destroyed seven paper mills, local leaders began searching for new water sources. Check out our story on the district's charter. 

 

MissionCIT (Critical Immersive Training) LLC was contracted by the district to conduct the needs assessment, with its findings presented during last Tuesday's Board of Water Commissioners meeting. View the full report here. 

 

Over the last century, the department has evolved alongside advances in firefighting technology and practices, with changes in staffing, training, equipment requirements, and call volume and types ultimately causing it to outgrow its facility, Mark Waters of Mission CIT said. 

 

The most recent change came in 2022, when the district assumed control of the ambulance service following the closure of the Dalton Ambulance and Rescue Association and added Advanced Life Support to its services.

 

The department now provides both Advanced and Basic Life Support services.

 

"The bottom line is that this building is being used for something today that it wasn't built for almost 70 years ago," Waters said.