From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2, Column 67, A Review: "The Legend of Georgia McBride" (TheaterWorks/Hartford)

By James V. Ruocco

A straight man becomes a drag queen at a Florida bar called Cleo's.
That is the premise for Matthew Lopez's bitchy, delightfully sassy comedy "The Legend of Georgia McBride," a sweet and silly confection for theatergoers who love to laugh, scream, stand up and cheer and work themselves up into an emotional frenzy all for the sake of entertainment.

Wicked.
Amusing.
Flamboyant.
Diverting.
Kind-hearted.
Crazy.

This is a show that rocks the house from start to finish. It is also a production that shows theatergoers that drag is so much more than putting on lipstick and shimmying into a dress. It is an art form that demands and commands respect for its artistry, its candor, its musicality, its cultural history and its theatrical illusion.

Case in point: The newly mounted production of Lopez's celebrated work at TheaterWorks/ Hartford.

In the more than capable hands of director Rob Ruggiero, "The Legend of Georgia McBride" is first-rate entertainment, gift wrapped in cotton candy, glittering rainbow colors, garish wigs, wicked, acerbic Bette Davis-like banter and alternately wacky drag costuming that's fresh, authentic and outrageous.

What's especially nice about this production is that the comedy....no matter how crazy or over the top it gets ...never once veers out of control or makes mincemeat out of the material, the conceit, the characters or the sub plots. Instead, Ruggiero's directorial stokes are keenly observed, spontaneous and rife with a marvelous sense of wit, whimsy and pathos. Yes, this is a play about a heterosexual country boy who makes a living as a drag queen, but it is never once becomes vulgar, one-note or condescending to the drag art form, its populace or the world of dress up and let's pretend. Instead, it is a very real, very observant, very cheeky entertainment.

From an actor's standpoint, "The Legend of Georgia McBride" is a veritable feast of acting styles, acting ranges, mood swings and personas, all rolled up into one requiring someone of Ruggiero's stature to glue things together without any form of calculation or hesitation. He does this effortlessly, of course, and handles all of the plot machinations, both comic and dramatic, with the honestly and verve that categorizes all of his work at TheaterWorks/Hartford, Goodspeed Musicals, and far beyond the state of Connecticut.

He loves theater. He loves actors. He loves directing.  He loves "live" performance. He loves a challenge. And he always gives 110 per cent.

That said, there's an awful lot of things going on here before the inevitable happy resolution. Pacing, of course, means everything and Ruggiero keeps this intermission-less comedy rolling happily along at breakneck speed. Set changes are quick and seamless. The scenes themselves are fast, fun and furious. The musical numbers are deliciously wicked with plenty of snap, crackle and pop. And in between it all, you get an honest, heartfelt story that brings a smile to your face, a tear or two and lots and lots of well-orchestrated laughter.

 

Austin Thomas is an engaging young actor chock full of charm, personality, dash, handsomeness and appeal. As Casey, a fifth-rate Elvis impersonator with a combined audience of two or four, the actor plays his down-on-his-luck character with unbridled optimism. At the same time, we also feel his pain when he can't pay his rent, his rent check bounces, he faces eviction and his wife suddenly announces she's pregnant.

"We are going to be the best parents since Joseph and Mary,” Casey tells his wife Jo.
“Yeah, but then their kid died,” cries Jo.

Not to worry, though. Before you can say Gypsy Rose Lee, Miss Mazeppa or Tessie Tura, boyish Casey is donning sequins, make-up, wigs, stockings and girlish attire as Cleo's new drag star Miss Georgia McBride. It's an awkward transition similar to that of the one depicted in the hit Broadway musical "Gypsy," but this time, it's a boy (and not a girl) who becomes an overnight female star.

The transformation itself is one that Thomas plays quite innocently and awkwardly at first, as dictated by the script and director Ruggiero. But once the actor masters the art of lip-syncing and actual drag performance, he offers a dazzling, energetic, comic and musical performance that would make RuPaul and Hedda Lettuce green with envy. It's a creative process that the actor builds and nurtures splendidly and one that displays a remarkable range as both performer and entertainer.

The role of Miss Tracy Mills, the kindly, outspoken drag queen who shows Casey the ropes, seems tailor-made for Jamison Stern, a very charismatic actor who connects with both character and audience the moment he appears on stage. It's an award-winning performance you're not likely to forget for quite some time and one that the actor plays to the hilt so incredibly. His catty, often bitchy repartee is absolutely contagious. He gets lots and lots of clever one-liners and pop culture barbs that produce huge belly laughs. He also gets a show-stopping drag solo ("I Enjoy Being a Girl") that has him playing everyone from Baby Jane Hudson to Margo Channing. It's so much fun, you want to shout "Encore!" over and over again.

The wonderfully animated Nik Alexander actually doubles as fiery drag queen extraordinaire Rexy and Casey's best buddy and landlord Jason. It's a spontaneous performance rife with wit, spark, imagination and pulse. As Rexy, the actor is garish, condescending, crazed, heated, hellish and a drag diva in every sense of the word. Then, he does a complete 360-turn and reemerges as Jason. It's the same actor, yes. But there are times, when you shake your head and ask yourself, "Is that really Alexander playing both roles?" It is a shocking revelation, indeed. But that's how convincing the actor's drag queen/landlord duality is.

J. Tucker Smith, as Eddie, the desperate, money-hungry owner of Cleo's, a straight bar that becomes a very successful drag show haven in a very short time, looks and acts as if was plucked right out of some sleazy Florida club and dropped head first into the glittery world of Miss Georgia McBride and company. From the moment he appears on stage, he's the real deal. He's got the moves, the persona, the body language and the line delivery of someone who has spent a lifetime behind the bar or in a club dedicated to some very questionable talent. Samaria Nixon-Fleming is honest and warmly real as Casey's pregnant wife Jo, the last one to know what her husband is really up on the stage of Cleo's. She eventually does find out, of course, in one of the play's very poignant moments, laced with a bit of choice comic timing, banter and surprise.

"The Legend of Georgia McBride" is one of the funniest plays to be showcased at TheaterWorks/Hartford since the yuletide hit "Christmas on the Rocks." It delivers laugh after laugh. The five-member cast is undeniably first-rate. Leon Dobkowski's colorful costumes create the right illusion. The story itself is happily contagious.

So grab yourself a ticket, drink in the language and sit back and enjoy. You might even be back for a second or third viewing like so many other theatergoers before you.

"The Legend of Georgia McBride" is being staged at TheaterWorks (233 Pearl St., Hartford, CT), now through April 29.

For tickets or more information, call (860) 527-7838

website: theaterworkshartford.org.