Theater
Sir Andrew Gives Us a 48Hr Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to Try On for Size.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is giving us 48 hours to try on his Joseph to see if it fits, and boy does it ever. He’s helping us stay home safe and sound every Friday with these offerings as he gifts us with the opportunity to stream a few of his stage-to-screen musicals on the new YouTube channel: The Shows Must Go On for free, which is just so glorious. Go, go, go, Andrew! Last weekend on that page, I was able to find the beautifully filmed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Donny Osmond, that was the first of many to premiere on this awesome channel. But you have to be on top of your game because unlike the National Theatre’s own streaming-from-home presentations that are available for one week, these Andrew Lloyd Webber shows are free of charge for only 48 hours. So pay attention and schedule it in, so you don’t find yourself mimicking me, who forgot, and had to pay YouTube $4.99 CAN to watch it Sunday night when I discovered I had missed my chance. But I wasn’t going to let that get the best of me because Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, surprisingly, is a show I have heard about, basically forever (although more specifically when I saw the ALW compilation show, Unmasked at the Paper Mill Playhouse), but never seen live. Nor have I seen this well crafted filmed version. But after watching the clip below of Osmond and the glorious Maria Friedman singing “Any Dream Will Do“, I felt watching was a sorta must-see event. It’s a completely disarming and charming number winning me over quickly and easily, that if I wanted to continue calling myself a true theatre junkie, I better do what I needed to do. And seeing Joan Collins in a frumpy wig playing the piano is just an added bonus one has to indulge in. Big hug Alexis,
“If you think it, want it, dream it, then it’s real“, says the utterly sweet and feisty narrator, played beautifully by the engaging Friedman, glowing radiantly within its absolute charm. The deliciously rainbow cuteness of this filmed version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is infectious, much to my surprise. It is a simpler, more kid-friendly comedic musical when compared to that other biblical tale set to music, Jesus Christ Superstar (which will become available this coming Friday for 48 hours over Easter Weekend on the same YouTube channel), but that comparison doesn’t really seem fair. It’s a whole different bag of tricks, and with lyrics, once again, by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, this “coat of many colors” tells “the tale of a dreamer, like you“, following the optimistically joyful Joseph, played lovingly by the impressive Donny Osmond, straight from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. The large family photo of father Jacob, touchingly portrayed by Richard Attenborough, isn’t as mutually loving as he would like to believe. His other sons, all eleven of them, aren’t as pleased with Joseph as their father is, and when Jacob gives his favorite son, Joseph, that cloaking work of art, the totally amazing Technicolor coat, their goat, and ire, is got, and bad things happen to good people when jealousy reigns, shoving and selling Joseph far away from his loving father and not-so-loving family of son siblings.Powered by wordads.co

This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical that was actually performed publicly (their first collaboration, The Likes of Us, was written in 1965, but not performed until 2005). And in its innocence, we find the beauty of this fun simple piece of musical theatre, and the lessons to be learned. Watched over by an auditorium full of uniformed schoolchildren brandishing smiles, candles, and good cheer, the kids are thoroughly engaged, just like us, eagerly wanting to join in and bring youthful colorful excitement to a piece made just for them. There is a celebration, even in the grieving of the brothers, And when the rich Potiphar, played with glee by Ian McNeice, and his beautiful, but decadently evil wife, gloriously portrayed by the very game Joan Collins, find Joseph at their beck and call, Joseph’s good luck shifts from bad to good and back to bad once again. Things don’t go well for Joseph at the end of that seduction. He is locked up in a cell, caged (and looking pretty darn good) but finds the optimism to lovingly sing his sad pretty song beautifully. “Go, go, go, Joseph“, is what is he is cheered on by his fellow man, and utilizing his nack at dream reading, with or without his Dreamcoat, good fortune comes knocking once again in the form of the Butler, joyfully played by Alex Jennings. That Butler definitely did do it, and specifically for Joseph’s ultimate salvation. Sorry about that Baker though, played hilariously by Christopher Biggins. His opportunity cake is definitely not on the rise like Joseph’s.

When the perfect Robert Torti enters with an Elvis swagger and sting as the mighty Pharaoh, you better get down on your knees with joy. There’s a run of crazy dreams out there, and Joseph is asked to interpret gloriously in the “all shook up” “Song of the King” that rocks forth seven fat cows, seven skinny (and vile) cows, seven healthy ears of corn and seven dead ears of corn for our hip-swiveling pleasure. It’ll “flip your lid“, this number, particularly within Torti’s madcap deliciousness. So Joseph, here’s the punchline: that crazy dream’s meaning once again is the thing that elevates your luck up and beyond once again, but this time to the heights of what was first dreamt of at the beginning of this fun and sweet-natured musical tale. The whole candy flossed thing is guided by the wonderful Friedman narrator, bringing quirky flippant responses all the while sipping margaritas at Joseph’s side, to great comic effect.
“We read the book, and you come out on top“, she wisely tells us and him, and thanks to the eleven brothers’ newly found honesty and honor when things look bad for the sweet angelic Benjamin, played glowingly by Nick Holmes, the tide is turned and all is forgiven. The show actually has only a few spoken lines of dialogue and is almost entirely sung-through with glee, like a silly Magic Flute without all that messy opera to alienate the kids. The family-friendly story is graced with familiar and satisfying themes anchored by catchy music and lovely performances. It was first presented in 1968 as a 15-minute “pop cantata” at Colet Court School in London and recorded in an expanded form by Decca Records in 1969. But it was only after the success of Jesus Christ Superstar, the next Webber and Rice conceptual biblical piece, that Joseph was given the chance to secure its place in theatrical history through a number of staged amateur productions in the US starting in 1970. In 1972, it was given a professional veneer as a 35-minute musical at the Edinburgh International Festival by the Young Vic Theatre Company, directed by Frank Dunlop, paired with another, more talk heavy biblical tale. And even as it was undergoing major modifications and expansions, the musical premiered in the West End. Finally, Joseph was presented in its modern, final longer form at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester several times through 1978, pretty much never looking back. The musical was brought over to Broadway in 1982, garnering several major award nominations, just like it did every time it has been revived in the West End, which is many, unlike Broadway, which it has yet to revive since its first production.

This particular version, the 1999 direct-to-video film adaptation, directed with pleasure on his mind by David Mallet and based on Steven Pimlott’s 1991 London Palladium production, spins its many colors out with joyful childlike glee. I wasn’t prepared to like the filming so much, but going in with low expectations served it well. Completely fun and entertaining, the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat film brings us smiling out from our self-isolation and whisked me playfully into its heart and joy with ease.Powered by wordads.coSeen ad many timesNot relevantOffensiveCovers contentBroken

It brings with it so much fun, even though, I must admit, I am looking forward with much more excitement to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s next stage-to-screen release, Jesus Christ Superstar on The Shows Must Go On. YouTube channel this Friday for 48 hours over Easter Weekend. That show is one of my all-time favorites since I was a kid listening to the cast recording on my record player in my living room. Dancing and singing up a storm, without really understanding the biblical base. I guess I’ll be doing that again this weekend, as I hope to watch this version and the NBC live version that will be rebroadcasted on Easter Sunday night.

Continuing beyond this particular Superstar Friday, Andrew Lloyd Webber will be releasing a full-length musical each Friday, including the most important one (to ALW), his disaster musical, By Jeeves, a show he is very very fond of, and one I’m curious to see. And just for the record, it is there, for you and me to watch for free! So bravo ALW! I know where I will be on Friday or Saturday this and every week going isolating forward. “It won’t be easy. You think it’s strange. When I try to” squeeze in all the wonderful entries into this ever-expanding world of online theatre: the London National Theatre’s streaming of several of their NT Livetitles on their YouTube channel including Jane Eyre (April 9), Treasure Island (April 16), and Twelfth Night (April 23); Feinstein’s/54 Below’s launch of its concert streaming series #54BelowAtHome; the live-streaming of Melissa Errico’s Sondheim Sublime concert at Guild Hall; Seth Rudetsky & James Wesley phenomenal fun support of The Actors Fund with the Stars in the House play reading every Saturday (and Wednesday which I can’t do-I’m working, silly) at 2pm (along with their now-staple show every single (wow!) day at 2 and 8pm); and the upcoming Friday night screening of the new musical, Pride and Prejudice on Streaming Musicals, all gloriously being presented on YouTube. (I’m sure I’m missing some things, so be good and inform me). It’s a theatrical streaming feast, and I’m gonna eat big and happy during my self-isolation. But please, #StayHome #StaySafe #StaySane and, more importantly, #StayEntertained.

For more, go to frontmezzjunkies.com
Off Broadway
Off Broadway Girl Talk Madwomen of the West

Right now at the Actors Temple Theatre, 339 West 47th Street is the New York premier of Sandra Tsing Loh’s Madwomen of the West. The show in a way reminded me of the 1996 play Love, Loss, and What I Wore, where celebrities joined on stage. Here you have Caroline Aaron, Brooke Adams, Marilu Henner, and Melanie Mayron, all actors who have performed on film, TV and stage. They are like long lost friends, they are so familiar.
The four have gathered together for Claudia’s (Mayron) birthday. It is being thrown at the Brentwood home of Jules (Adams) and Marilyn (Aaron) has decorated. Enter the long lost Zoey (Henner) and what you think you know about these friends, isn’t what it seems. As a matter of fact, this birthday brunch is about to turn into the brunch from hell. These Baby Boomers, are also feminists admiring Hilary Clinton and Gloria Steinem, though not always on the same side. They break the 4th wall, as they banter back and forth to themselves and to us, the audience. They confront, encourage, justify and talk about transgender, health, the horror of Trump and those “pussy hats”, sex and so much more. Think “girl-talk” to the max.
They sit on couches, as a backdrop of palm trees, and a lone piñata take center stage, thanks to set designer Christian Fleming. The play has no money, so the production is bare bones…. so they say. Everything about this show is tongue and check and is well directed by Thomas Caruso.
Each actor here shines and in an out of the way aside, each has pieces of their real selves written into the roles they play. Not having seen Aaron on stage before, I was impressed by her vocal quality and humor. Adams brings sophistication and Mayron adds that knowing, we are all in the same messed up boat. Henner will make you want that body and her sex appeal.
These women knocked down doors for the women to come, but I was surprised that the one issue they missed out on was that women are still not equal in this country. It takes 1, count it 1 state to approve this and yet plays about feminism leave this vital information out.
The show ends with “The Bitch is Back.” they sing in glee. I guess it is ok when we call ourselves that.
Madwomen of the West: The Actors Temple Theatre, 339 West 47th Street through December 31.
Off Broadway
“Stereophonic” at Playwrights Horizons Sings Solidly

It’s July 1976, in a recording studio in Sausalito, CA and we are being invited into a space that only a select few get to visit, let alone witness. This is art in the making, pure and simple, with ego and love, getting mixed and faded in through the process most musically. In Playwrights Horizons‘s magnificent new play, Stereophonic, written most delicately by David Adjmi (The Blind King Parts I and II), a band on the cusp of greatness has assembled, and they are tasked, casually and with great intent, to something magnificent and meaningful, a lasting piece of musical art, to follow up their last album that has become, over the timeframe, a breakout hit.

Andrew R. Butler, Sarah Pidgeon, Chris Stack, and Juliana Canfield in Playwrights Horizons’s Stereophonic. Photo by Chelice Parry.
The play is exceptionally well framed and constructed; both musical and meandering, in the best of all possible ways, yet somewhere inside Adjmi’s engaging Stereophonicand its three-hour running time, a deeper level of contextual art formulation is unpacked quite beautifully. It saunters forward, with a complicated level of exhaustion, angst, and inspiration, unearthing something that almost defies expectations and compartmentalization. It’s a 1970s rock saga, clearly modeled on the legendary Fleetwood Mac and their dynamic backstage friction, that leans into and plays with the problematic relationships within this unnamed band as they try to create magic behind a glass wall, while also trying to fulfill their emotional needs in the confines of the studio and real life.
It’s all emotional breakups and reconciliations, with a layer of bored and sleep-deprived banter; around a broken coffee machine and the annoying reverberations of (not only) the drum. It’s electric and conflictual, playing havoc on every one of these characters’ insecure hearts, while offering up no grand solutions or final product. Stereophonic is all about the tiny details and the little frustrations that grow and become emotional cannonballs bent on destruction, leveled and defused out of an undercurrent of love and need for creation. It is incandescent in its artful construction, displaying and writing about a realm few of us can understand. It’s the agony and ecstasy that lives and sings inside the magnificent creative process of musicians, arts, singers, and writers, who hear aspects that most of us can’t understand, let alone hear or comprehend. And we have been invited in, to bear witness to its creation, in all its meticulously dull and exhausting detail. Giving light to the darkness of the process, and how art can both create and destroy those involved in its coming to life.
The unnamed Stereophonic band before us seemingly has a hit album that is climbing the charts as they start recording, and their record label is becoming more and more generous as they become more and more famous. All the actors find their fantastically unique space within that iconic construct, with the two couples taking center stage, along with nods to those around them. It’s a compelling narrative, with their body language giving off the boredom and exhaustion that comes with all the late-night partying and endless recording and re-recording. Dominated by an American guitarist and singer, the aggressive Peter, played strongly by Tom Pecinka (TFANA’s He Brought Her Heart Back..), and his insecure songwriting girlfriend, Diana, beautifully portrayed by Sarah Pidgeon (Hulu’s “Tiny Beautiful Things“), they act out a dynamic that is as raw and rocky as one would imagine when two artists collide, both with faltering egos and needs. The cling to one another in desperate need, while also mistreating and hurting one another endlessly. It’s electric and disturbing, while being entirely believable and dynamic.
Staying firmly on the control side of the glass, we are also given a peek inside those who live in the background; the young sound engineer Grover, meticulously unpacked by Eli Gelb (RTC’s Skintight), and his hilariously well-constructed assistant, Charlie, wonderfully played by Andrew R. Butler (Ars Nova’s Rags Parkland Sings…). Their drive and infatuation with the band and their creative power play strong and true, especially at the beginning, but as the mystique of the band’s unity begins to unravel and explode into chaos and compulsion, their determined connection to the musicians shifts from worship to irritation as the weeks turn into months and years. Or does it, in the end?
The creative energy and compounded exhaustion that live inside every brilliantly performed song cause Stereophonic to sing, most magnetically and is clearly as real and authentic as one could hope for, drenched in authentic swagger, courtesy of the costuming by Enver Chakartash (Broadway’s A Doll’s House). Even as the clock ticks forward, for them and for us, the pitfalls of collaboration and the art of creation mingle and mix like only musicians can, hurting one another while also elevating their craft in order to create that piece of art that makes all of us sit back in wonderment. They riff and talk rough to one another, accessing imagery of the hotness of Donald Sutherland and the bonding of artists, regardless of gender. The music in the background soars, thanks to the beautiful songwriting work done by Arcade Fire’s Butler, but it’s more in the magical interpersonal dynamics that elevate this experience into something special, powerful, and utterly unique. Aggressiveness and control hit hard against love, creation, and connection, playing with loyalties and solo careers in a way that unlocks chaotic relationship complications that echo far beyond the room. Sudden fame does wonders to the energy within, and in Stereophonic, we are gifted with the fly-on-the-wall syndrome, watching magic develop out of thin air and focused minds, even when clouded by love, pain, and that big bag of white powder.
For more go to frontmezzjunkies.com
Book Reviews
Countdown to Christmas: For The Dancer and Theatre Lover Chita Rivera

2o days to go! Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.
There are a lot of books out there this year but we highly recommend Chita: A Memoir , the critically-acclaimed book is written by the legendary Broadway icon Chita Rivera with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco. Chita takes fans behind-the-scenes of all her shows and cabaret acts, she shares candid stories of her many colleagues, friends, and lovers. She speaks with empathy and hindsight of her deep associations with complicated geniuses like Fosse and Robbins, as well as with the mega-talent Liza Minnelli, with whom she co-starred in The Rink. She openly discusses her affair with Sammy Davis, Jr. as well as her marriage to Tony Mordente and her subsequent off-the-radar relationships. Chita revisits the terrible car accident that threatened to end her career as a dancer forever. Center stage to Chita’s story are John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriters and dear friends indelibly tied to her career through some of her most enduring work: Chicago, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Visit.
Chita’s love of performing began as a child in Washington, D.C., when her mother enrolled her in a local ballet school to channel her boundless energy. Still a teenager, she moved to New York to attend the School of American Ballet after an audition for George Balanchine himself and winning a scholarship. But Broadway beckoned, and by twenty she was appearing in the choruses of Golden Age shows like Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. In the latter, she received special encouragement from its star Gwen Verdon, forging a personal and professional friendship that would help shape her career. The groundbreaking West Side Story brought her into the orbit of Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, and Stephen Sondheim. After Bye Bye Birdie further burnished her rising star, she reunited with Verdon and her then-husband Bob Fosse to work on the film version of Sweet Charity and the celebrated original Broadway production of Chicago.
Chita: A Memoir was published in English and Spanish and the English audio version of the Memoir was recorded by Chita. A Spanish audio version is also available.
“Chita Rivera blazed a trail where none existed so the rest of us could see a path forward. She has been part of some of the greatest musicals in the history of the form, from Anita in the trailblazing West Side Story through Claire Zachanassian in the underrated masterpiece The Visit, over 60 years later. She is a Puerto Rican Broadway icon and the original ‘triple threat.’ We’re so lucky to be alive in the same timeline as Chita Rivera.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“A frank and fascinating memoir from one of the truly great artists of the American Theater. Lots of stories … Lots of insight … and quite a few caustic statements from Chita’s alter ego, Dolores. An illuminating history and a guaranteed pleasure!” — John Kander
Broadway legend and national treasure Chita Rivera, multi-Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – has taken no prisoners on stage or screen for seven decades. From her trailblazing performance as the original Anita in West Side Story—for which she tapped her own Puerto Rican roots—to her haunting 2015 star turn in The Visit. Chita has proven to be much more than just a captivating dancer, singer, and actress beloved by audiences and casts alike. In her equally captivating and one-of-a-kind memoir, Written with Patrick Pacheco, the woman born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero shares an incomparable life, both on stage and behind the curtain.
By the way this Memoir has won a Gold Medal for “Best Autobiography – English” at the 2023 International Latino Book Awards. https://www.latinobookawards.org/
Click here to buy your copy.
Off Broadway
Vineyard’s “Scene Partners” Gets Stuck Between Floors

“This is exactly how it happened “ we are told, followed by a big wide screen opening that descends upon us, but it does not quite land where it, and our leading lady’s character, most likely intended it too. Finally escaping the 11th floor on a folding chair and faulty pulley system, Meryl Kowalski, as portrayed as only the magnificently gifted Dianne Wiest (Broadway’s All My Sons; “Purple Rose of Cairo“) could, finds flight and falter inside this fascinating exploration of some sort of demented dream. Giving the “correct response“ to abstract questions and assignments, Wiest delivers a befuddled and determined performance that elevates a play that fractures realities every chance it gets. As written with a wild wandering spirit by John J. Caswell, JR. (Wet Brain), the play is an absurdity of utter invigorating complexity, playing with and sometimes delivering itself forward in a fascinating but distancing dementia. Is it a post-traumatic disassociation of epic proportions or a fractured descent into grief and mental illness, played for a laugh or a tug at the heart? Or is it something quite else that was lost on this avid fan of this Oscar-winning actress? And I don’t even know if there is a clear correct answer to this. But that is half the fun in this half-fun exercise in abstractionism and determination.
It’s big on ‘concept’, directed with a strong forward vision by Rachel Chavkin (Broadway’s Hadestown), obviously enjoying the ride and the wandering with glee. The visuals ride and slide in and about, thanks to the incredibly detailed and smooth work of video and projection design by David Bengali (Broadway’s The Thanksgiving Play), lighting designer Alan C. Edwards (Vineyard’s Harry Clarke), and scenic designer Riccardo Hernández (Broadway’s Indecent), giving depth and clarity to this otherwise meander into fractured and fantastical thinking. Supported by clever extravagances by costume designer Brenda Abbandandolo (Broadway’s The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window), the effect is a fevered dive into the mind of a woman beaten down hard to the ground by a now-dead husband whose death has freed her to her desire; her dream and determination to be a big famous movie star, and she’ll point the barrel at anyone who might stand in her way or say otherwise.
Scene Partners feels anything but safe and secure, as we join Wiest’s 75-year-old widow from the Midwest as she steadily abandons her needy mess of a daughter, played with clever calculations by Kristen Sieh (Broadway’s The Band’s Visit), to jet, train, or sled herself off to Hollywood to become a big gloriously famous movie star even before her now-dead violent abusive husband has been buried six feet under. The framing is slanted, with efforts to keep us off balance. Finding a flavor in its madness and splitting. The name of Wiest’s woman is Meryl Kowalski, and she’s not to be ignored. She is told quite clearly and quickly that she must change it if she really wants to be an actress, as that first name of hers has already been taken by that other, already famous and award-winning actress with the same first name that we all know and love. But this Meryl holds firm, inside and out of her first acting class somewhere out there in Los Angeles. It’s there, when confronted by her over-the-top acting teacher, played with wild abandonment by the perfect Josh Hamilton (Broadway’s The Real Thing), that she reveals another level of strong abstractionism. This particularly twisted Meryl’s dead husband was named Stanley Kowalski, and her Streetcar husband made Tennessee Williams’s character seem like quite the gentle nice guy.
At this point, the play stands shakily in some abstract parallels that are fun, clever, complicated, and a bit distancing, playing with fragments of trauma and grief that don’t fully come together. It pulls and pushes at about the same level of conflicted engagement, until Johanna Day (Broadway/MTC’s How I Learned to Drive) as Meryl’s half-sister comes into play, shifting the formula with a centered grounding that makes us sit back and question what’s really going on. When a doctor also enters the picture, played well by Eric Berryman (RT’s Primary Trust), a medical diagnosis once again adds a different framework that could alter the whole process. Where are we with these two half-sisters and their shared knowledge of a non-collaborated trauma of abuse? Especially after a (pre-recorded) interview with a very well-positioned Sieh asking pertinent questions that illicit praise from Hamilton’s pompous character and a disappearing act of a half-sister who might never been. It plays with the head, in both an engaging and disassociating manner that works, and doesn’t.
Scene Partners doesn’t play easy with our unpacking, leading us down blind endless alleyways decorated with an abundance of movie imagery that either leads us to brick walls or bottomless pits to fall into. Wiest’s Meryl has necessarily immersed herself in these vintage cinematic panoramas, probably to unconsciously avoid the abusive reality she found herself trapped in, and in that trauma response, Wiest has found the perfect embodiment for Mrs. Kowalski, bringing feisty and forceful complexities to the forefront as she shuffles and stabs herself into frame. And even if it doesn’t, in the end, add up to much, this Vineyard Theatre production is flavorful in its twisted construction and projections. The “Doctor Zhivago” impressions and pop-culture references overwhelm, not just our heroine, but also our connections to emotional clarity and authenticity, leaving us hanging halfway down and in between floors waiting for something to fully make an impact.

For more go to frontmezzjunkies.com
Off Broadway
Make Me Gorgeous Tells Of One Man’s Authenticity

Make Me Gorgeous! playing at Playhouse 46 in a nut shell is about the life and times of LGBTQ+ trailblazer Kenneth Marlow. Embodying Marlow is Wade McCollum, who tells us how he was born in 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa, and how he became a hustler, private hairdresser, stripped in mob-controlled nightclubs, became a female impersonator, a madam of a gay prostitution ring, until in the 70’s when he became Kate, throwing a “Ball to End all Balls” to fund gender-affirming surgery. We learn how she documented her life in books. In between he was a private in the U.S. Army; a Christian missionary; a mortuary cosmetologist and a newspaper columnist.
In a sense Marlow was raised to be who he was dressed in girls clothes as a child, then became drawn to feminine clothes and his female relatives encouraged him. In high school he ran around in drag. in Iowa in the 30’s took some kind of guts. His father never showed him love and left, his mother was a raging alcoholic. He took to the cinemas populated by men to find what was missing in life, then to the church. When he is shipped off to California, he meets and hangs out with the transgender prostitutes finding feeling at home. He ends up with a sugar daddy who is unattractive, ends up in Chicago, ends up as a hairdresser and then a stripper in Calumet City as “Mr. Keni Marlo, Exotic Queen of the Boys” and that takes us to the 40’s.
In the end he ended up becoming the hairstylist to Phyllis Diller, Lucille Ball, and Gypsy Rose Lee, among others. His side job need up being documented in Mr. Madam: Confessions of a Male Madam, Cathouse Mother, Male Oral Love, and Around the World with Kenneth Marlowe.
I have loved McCollum’s work ever since Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. This man is a consummate actor, whose rich voice and glamours gams make him perfect to tell this story. He brings everyone he is talking about to life. You feel as if you know each character. McCollum’ has oodles of charisma, so the tawdry tale he is telling comes off less crass. With lines like “I liked that men paid to have sex with me. And those who appealed to me usually didn’t have any money…so I did a lotta pro-bono work” if you are not exactly open this may not appeal to you. A couple walked out the night I went. McCollum is a natural with Sally Rand’s Fan Dance and glorious performing a song Marlow wrote with jazz pianist Reggie DuValle. The most pignut part of the story comes when he is drafted and is raped by 14 men. There is however a disconnect as on a book cover he wrote “He was raped by fourteen men in his barracks — and enjoyed it!”
The theater is styled like a cabaret, with velvet curtains and bistro tables. Black and white photographs of drag queens hang on the walls. On the stage Walt Spangler’s set looks like a cross between Barbie’s house and cotton candy. I really want the black dress designed by Jeffrey Hinshaw and the lighting by Jamie Roderick’s and sound by Ien DeNio’s really help to enjoy the evening
Smartly directed and written by Donald Horn, I was on the edge of my seat the whole performance and definitely learned a thing or two or three about this culture.
Make Me Gorgeous! Playhouse 46, 308 W 46th Street, through Dec. 31st.
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