Her fans know Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova simply as Katya, one of the stars of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.’’ And they’re excited that she’ll be in Providence this weekend, taking the stage at Ego for a lip-synch show and meet-and-greet Saturday.

A native of Marlborough, Katya attended Boston University for a year before transferring to MassArt, and then taking her charm and talent to Jacque’s Cabaret, the Theatre District bar where she became resident queen. That eventually led to a spot on Season 7 of the “America’s Next Top Model’’-inspired reality show hosted by RuPaul.

“A lot of people were like ‘Who is she?’ ’’ said Katya, who was picked for her outrageous sense of humor that often incorporates Massachusetts signifiers. (“My first drag performance was in a sewer, underneath a Denny’s in Worcester,’’ Katya said in her “Meet the Queens’’ video on the show.)

After placing fifth in the competition — she was crowned “Miss Congeniality’’ by the fans — Katya came home well known enough to get noticed on the street.

“The only thing I don’t like is taking pictures. I’m a slob,’’ Katya said.

In addition to her appearances on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,’’ Katya has a YouTube channel, WeLoveKatya, which is an outlet for her alter-ego Trish, a girl from Quincy who lives variously in a dumpster, a halfway house, or at her cousin Marty’s place.

Perhaps more than comedy artists, Katya is also athletic, often doing cartwheels and splits. She promises a strenuous show at Ego.

“You can expect a riveting, entertaining, and provocative set of music,’’ Katya said, referring to Ego’s DJ Richie La Due. “Other than that, I can’t say, because I don’t know.’’

John Paul Stapleton can be reached at john.stapleton@globe.com.