An all time low in a lifetime of theatre going....

A mis-leading title perhaps, but I can't pass up using a movie quote from "Six Degrees". The last few months have been a cavalcade of theatre shows, and me, row E center. I do enjoy theatre and over the years have seen a lot of shows. When I was first moving to New Orleans I noticed that Le Petit was doing "Falsettos" which I had never seen. I was in town looking for an apartment and a job before re-locating. Before I left to go home and spend the holidays with my family and then move south, I bought tickets to that show. Occasionally after that I would see something that caught my eye, but then I met Jeff. Jeff the now roommate-former boyfriend Loyola educated musician. Jeff is a piano player and before we met he had done musical direction of shows but had burned out on it and taken other musical jobs. In the last year or so he has returned to this former career and has been go go go ever since. It's because of him and the others that I know who are local actors that I have seen so many shows of late...but let's talk about them one at a time...

Oh Coward! was back in May, a life and legacy of Noel Coward. It starred Ricky Graham, Lara Grice and Sean Patterson. It's a nice little show, the lyrics quick and sharp, the acting superb. Ricky Graham is genius, a timing that is impeccable and a dry sardonic edge that suits me just fine. I had heard of him for a long time before ever seeing him perform and have had the pleasure of seeing him many times since in various shows. Jeff's musical direction (and trust me when I tell you of the hours he spends hunched over the computer working on his Finale program) was wonderful..The music for the show was difficult, fast changing, but he managed it quite nicely without any flaw.

Next up was the beginning of the Tulane Summer Lyric series. Candide was the first show and one in which Jeff appeared onstage as a member of the chorus. I had never seen the show before and it's a strange experience, brought stranger by the costuming and sometimes silliness of the music. Ricky Graham starred in this one too, as Voltaire and absolutely stole the show. I wish I could remember all the cast but I seem to have mis-placed my playbill. Remember this name though; Simon Pfiel. It comes in handy later.

Second up for Summer Lyrics season was West Side Story. Now I really didn't understand why they chose to do this show. It's over-done by every high school and bake-sale-money-for the-rectory-half-brained-church theatre group. Seriously and once you've seen it done once, you've seen it done every time. Some of the performers were great and once again, mis-placed playbills prevent me from mentioning too many names. Joseph Aiken played Tony, the peace keeping "I've grown out of this gang phase" Jet. He has a wonderful voice but I think dancing isn't his strong point. In a show full of leaping cracko-jacko dancing boys he stuck out like a sore, swollen thumb but his voice was great. The young lady who played Maria also had a beautiful voice but when she spoke I swear she picked up her Puerto Rican accent from an eastern bloc country. It was very heavy, more Prague than Puerto Rico, more Slovakia than San Juan. The highlight of the show for me was Chase Kamata, who played Anita. Not only does she have a great voice but she's a wonderful comic and a great dancer. Now I have to say something else about this show in particular but any "dancing" show. Perhaps I am being too critical, but the "vaseline on the teeth" smiles on the dancing boys was just too much, not to mention that they all looked more queer than a pig at a Passover sader. I mean really, you're supposed to be gang members, not trying out for the male lead at Disney. It's the middle of a fight scene which has to be difficult choreography, so why the shit-eating grin? I was delighted in the midst of all this to see Simon Pfiel again playing a jet named Arab. I'll get to why this is important later.

Meanwhile, back in the French Quarter, Le Petit was staging "Pageant." I knew it was coming up and had been excited about it for a while. Pageant is a beauty contest and all her contestants are boys in drag. I was thrilled to see the show because I know practically the entire (albeit small) cast. Roy Haylock, (Miss Industrial NorthEast) a.k.a Bianca Del Rio along with her boyfriend/partner/co-hort Matthew Ragas (Miss Deep South) and Patrick Mendelson (Miss TEXAS!) all star with Ricky Graham (Frankie Cavalier) along with Jesse Quigley (Miss West Coast) and Bryan Wagar (Miss Bible Belt). I have seen this show twice actually and hope to see it once again before they close. It's been held over twice now and hopefully will continue a few more weeks so everyone reading this can go see the show as well. It is an absolute RIOT. By the end of the show (which is different depending on the judges vote) you aren't sure who to watch, the winner, the losers, last years winner (a surprise appearance) or Frankie the M.C. I have to say that Matthew Ragas is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful in this show. His accent stayed with me for a full day, a deep south Valdosta accent. It's fun watching Ricky and Roy battle it out (a comment that got me in trouble with Roy) for center stage and attention but it's a fun fight to watch. Patrick as Miss Texas is superb, his talent act exceeded only by his gracious loss the two times I saw the show. If you get the chance to see this show with this cast then by all means do catch it, you won't be sorry. Regretfully Simon Pfiel was not in this show.

Last but not least was Wonderful Town, the third in the Tulane summer lyric series. I had never seen this show before but was looking forward to great lyrics written by Comden and Green. This show is based on a play called "My Sister Eileen" and there was a film version at some point. Elizabeth Argus and Lisa Anzelmo were the two leads and both were fantastic. My favorite song was easily "One Hundred Ways to Lose a Man." Great song. Simon Pfiel was in the cast again, I was so surprised and enthralled....Let me first say that I do not know Mr. Pfiel, we've never met or anything...I just saw him for the first time in Candide and was smitten by him. I think he's quite beautiful...I wish I had a photo of him to put up here....And when I saw him in West Side Story it was so obvious that they had to paint sideburns on him...awww...So it's nothing too involved...just my standard swooning for a cute boy...

So that's the theatre update....Stay tuned for tales of "Oh What A Drag," the pubs turn-about show this Monday. Me in drag, again...Ciao Baby!