Wayne Rogers first began dressing up as a woman about 20 years ago.
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“I performed in a musical where the character I was playing was dressed up,” Wayne, of Wallsend, said.
“From that I kept getting all these phone calls asking me to do luncheons, parties and entertainment.
“It developed from that. If you’d have told me that’s what I would be doing, I would have laughed at you.
“But that’s how it’s gone.”
Wayne is the star of a new show to be held every second month at East Cessnock Bowling Club.
He dresses up as Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn and sings their songs.
It’s called The Happy Hoedown Show.
Legendary producer Phil Mahoney ran the show for a decade in the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
“It was the longest running country music show in Newcastle’s history. It was always packed out,” Phil said.
Phil will produce and host the new show.
He said Wayne was an outstanding talent.
“Ever since he went into finals of Australia’s Got Talent in 2011, he’s never stopped working,” he said.
“I’ve never seen anyone get more standing ovations than Wayne.
“He’s a comic in a frock. That’s what we call him. He doesn’t like being called a drag queen.”
Wayne said there was nothing serious about him in a dress.
“I don’t really class myself as a drag queen, it’s just me in costumes that enhance what I do,” he said.
People often ask him his drag name.
“I don’t have one, it’s just me,” he said.
He’s often told that he’s brave to dress as a woman in public, but he’s not usually a cross-dresser.
“It’s just something I do as my act, it’s not what I do in my normal life,” he said.
“But it’s really funny because I get emails and people coming up to me all the time saying I’ve changed their view on the way they think about things.”
People that meet him say, “you’re much straighter than I thought you’d be”.
“I guess it’s because they’ve seen me in costume.
“I don’t consider my shows to be gay or straight, it’s just pure entertainment. Nothing is serious about it.
“But if I can change somebody’s mind about the way they think about things that are different, that’s a great thing.”
The show will be held at the bowling club on Sunday, May 7 at 1pm.
After that, it will be staged on the first Sunday of every second month.
Hey, Shut Your Face
We read yesterday that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's controversial plan to tighten citizenship laws has helped him gain ground in the latest Newspoll.
The new measures would mean migrants face a tougher citizenship test, which will assess their commitment to Australia and their attitudes to religious freedom and gender equality.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton denied the changes were aimed at Muslim migrants, amid concerns about violent extremism and terrorist group Islamic State.
“What I want is, frankly, for people to abide by our laws and adopt our values. I want them to send their kids to school. I want them working, not on welfare,” Mr Dutton said.
“I want people to become great Australians, which is the migrant story of our country.”
Reader Geoffrey Phelps has created his own version of an interaction between Turnbull and Dutton on the issue.
He sent us a helpful caption to accompany a recent story in the Herald.
Turnbull: “What's-a matter you? Hey! Gotta no respect. Why you look-a so sad? It's-a not so bad, it's-a nice-a place”.
Peter Dutton: “Ah, shaddap-a you face!”.
Annoying Things
Reader Troy says he gets annoyed by people who talk so quietly that he can’t hear them.
He says he’s noticed this happening lately among the younger generation (we’ve noticed this, too). He assures us he’s not going deaf. Of course, Seinfeld addressed this issue in the classic episode, The Low Talker.
- topics@theherald.com.au
