Several weeks ago I reported on what seemed to be an
evolution in an art of gender illusion away from the olio format and towards
something approaching theater. Last
night I witnessed the next step in that evolution with the Halloween show
presented by “Sisterzz Twisted.”
Traditional drag shows (both kings and queens) consist of
individual lip syncing acts in which the performers collect tips from the
audience in the middle of their performances.
There might or might not be a finale in which all the performers lip sync
to an ensemble piece. Last night’s Sisterzz Twisted show on the
other hand consisted of four vignettes (single
scenes) in which most if not all the troupe participated. There
was the obligatory lip-syncing to popular songs, but the individual songs
became part of a larger story. Instead of interrupting the performance to
collect tips, the audience was encouraged to wad up their dollar bills and
throw them on stage.
True to the burlesque roots of all drag shows, the acts had
plenty of sex and comedy. The humor in
particular was fresh and innovative. I
loved the way they played with gender roles, be it male monsters in Beyoncé
like stockings and heels singing “Single Ladies” or a trio of women portraying
fabulously effeminate male dancers. At
one point a quartet sang lovingly to what can only be described as a bizarre
Jabba the Hutt like creature. No one
ever explained what this thing was or why it had such an appetite for members
of the quartet, but we didn’t really need an explanation. We were all too busy laughing.
A callout to Peter Steele . His world weary Devil, the only re-occurring character
of the night, was delightful. Not only
did Mr. Steele perform live (no lip syncing) but in one of the rock and roll acts,
he demonstrated his considerable skill at the drums.
I was troubled by the length of time taken between
acts. They called these intermissions “dance
breaks” and as Cash Inn Country is primarily a dance club, I suppose that the
down time could be excused. Still, fifteen minute entr’actes seemed a bit long, especially with the stage
hands going about their work to change
the sets so lackadaisically.
This is a great show and at the price of absolutely nothing
(other than the completely voluntary and aforementioned tips) it is well worth
the price. The good news is that they
are having an encore performance tonight at 8pm. You will not be seeing the creative costumes
of the Halloween audience, like Quailman, Max in his wolf suit, and a sexy
vampire time lord, but If you’re not busy this All Hallows Day, you should
treat yourself to see this show. You
will not be disappointed.
P.S. I told one of the performers after the show that
if I got the phone number of the Scotsman I’ve had a crush on for some time, I
would give the show a good review. Never
got that number, but here’s the review anyway.
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