Spotlight Sizzles

I've been an aficionado of drag shows for over thirty years.  There was a time when "drag king" shows were little more than women painting on false mustaches, wearing grunge clothing, and WALKING around a stage.  Freddy Prinze Charming's "Spotlight Sizzles" show highlighted just how far the art form has come. 

The production value of these presentations is nothing short of amazing for a local production.  Each show is different and more spectacular (there is no other word for it) than the previous offering.  Even the costuming is totally different from show to show. 

There were some false starts.  Some of the performers seemed unaware that drag is an essentially visual art form akin to pantomime and dance.  If you're not actually singing, you just can't get away with strutting across the stage collecting tips. 

But in general the acts were fresh and exciting.  Mssr. Charming himself nearly brought the house down when he channeled Jerry Lee to do "Great balls of fire." 

Victoria Bacon's adorable queen acts demonstrated that size is no hindrance to providing quality entertainment .  I was so charmed by her routines that I could forgive her lack of a vagina. 

Ayden Lane's first number was so electrifying that I was completely distracted from the inadvertent video of JT dancing with naked women right over his head.

Of special note was Eddie C. Broadway.  Over the last year I've seen this performer go from terrified novice to true artist.  A good drag act should either be based on sex, spectacle, or humor.  Mr. Broadway somehow manages to combine all three.  His stage presence is phenomenal.  His male-illusion skills can't be beat.  And his "nose candy" routine was utterly hilarious. 

If I were to be critical at all, I would say that the show was a bit too long.  By the time of the finale, both the performers and the audience were showing signs of exhaustion. Had the performers done a single round of acts, no one would have felt cheated.  I was reminded of Gypsy Rose Lee's mother advice to her stripper daughter,  "get the audience begging for more, then don't give it to them."

The "Spotlight Sizzles" show was not just the best drag show I've seen.  It was in fact the best non-theatrical show I was ever honored to witness.  I can't wait to see what Charming and company comes up with next.