KC’s drag scene helped shape Chappell Roan. Meet the local queens joining her
It’s no secret that one of Chappell Roan’s biggest inspirations for her on-stage persona came from Kansas City. Her first time seeing a drag show live was at Hamburger Mary’s, where a mural dedicated to her now overlooks the restaurant.
Roan, who hails from Willard, Missouri, a 2-hour, 30-minute drive south of Kansas City, credits drag for her performance outfits that have garnered praise for their extravagant features, inspiring fans to don similar makeup and bodysuits for her concerts.
As Roan’s star rises, she hasn’t forgotten her roots — both Midwest and drag. At every show, she taps the local drag community, looking for queens to get the party started before the opening acts take the stage.
If you were one of the lucky 3,000 fans to see Roan at The Midland Theatre in April 2024, you may recognize one of the performers scheduled for Friday. Another performer, set to take the stage Saturday, is getting a second chance to perform after being unable to appear at that same concert.
Drag artists Minti Varieties and Jadoré Aimee are two of the six drag queens who will take the stage at Museum and Memorial Park. Each night brings three queens, which sees Minti Varieties, whose legal name is MarShawn Burnett, perform Friday and Jadoré Aimee, whose legal name is Roman Lucas, perform Saturday.
The Star talked to both the week of Sept. 22 to capture their excitement levels as they prepare for the biggest performance of their careers so far.
Loud and proud
Born in Coffeyville, Kansas, 24-year-old Minti Varieties is a frequent performer at Missie B’s and Hamburger Mary’s, both highlighted LGBTQ-friendly venues on Roan’s fan club city guide shared on social media. Minti Varieties got into drag during her college days at Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, after seeing the queens live at a bar.
After that, she said she went to Target immediately and bought the most basic makeup available and started to wear drag-style makeup at the same bar as a form of self-expression. It later turned into a gig, which she’s able to do full-time now.
Artists like Roan help her continue being able to express herself, especially as a queer person from the Midwest.
“What she gives me is that it’s OK to be loud and proud and expressive of my sexual orientation and just being myself,” Minti Varieties said. “It’s not a lot of queer artists that are out here being unapologetically queer, not hiding themselves and just being as open as they can be.”
Minti Varieties was one of three drag queens who opened for Chappell Roan during her sold-out show in 2024, and said that was the biggest crowd she’d performed for up until Friday. It reflected on her Instagram account, where she passed the 10,000 follower mark after the show.
Her role will be a little different this time around since she’ll be hosting. On top of dancing herself, she’ll introduce the other queens, like Karmella Uchawi, who also worked with Roan in 2024 and announced on social media she’s performing Friday.
No matter the role, Minti Varieties said she’s excited for the opportunity to once again work with Roan, this time in front of 30,000 fans.
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
While Minti Varieties has performed in front of Roan’s crowd before, Jadoré Aimee has not. She said Roan’s team reached out to her about performing in 2024 after submitting an application, but she was in Chicago with friends and couldn’t return to Kansas City in time for the show.
A year and six months later, Jadoré Aimee feels like everything has come full circle. The Lee’s Summit-born performer is fully healed from a surgical procedure and can dance the way she wants to.
“It’s a very humbling experience because, not that I don’t think that I deserve it, but it’s just like, ‘oh my gosh, me,’” Jadoré Aimee said. “Out of all the girls in the city, you pick me.”
Like Roan, Jadoré Aimee’s interest in drag performing also started after watching a show at Hamburger Mary’s. A combination of watching acts like Widow Von’Du and keeping with the reality competition TV series “RuPaul’s Drag Race” sparked her love for drag, and inspired her to give it a try.
At 28 years old, Jadoré Aimee remembers a time when calling something or someone “gay” as an insult was acceptable. It’s inspiring to her to see someone as open as Roan reach this level of stardom.
“To see her doing what she loves for so many people and being adored by so many, it gives me hope, not only for myself, but for the future,” Jadoré Aimee said. “It makes me feel like there’s a sense of empowerment for us and the future generations of LGBTQ+ people.”
There will be more people in the crowd than she has followers on Instagram (3,480 as of Thursday, Oct. 2). The moment hasn’t hit her yet and she doesn’t think it will until it’s showtime.
The remedy there? One shot of tequila. Then, it’s time to work.
