DRAG QUEEN MAGIC – Written by Ian August; Directed by M. Graham Smith. Produced by Local Theatre Company (Presented at the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut, Boulder and Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 South Dahlia, Denver) through November 1. Tickets available at localtheatreco.org.
DRAG QUEEN MAGIC is not exactly about a Queen with a magic wand. It’s not a Queen on stage performing lip sync. It’s not a Queen pulling a rabbit out of a hat. It’s about a hard-working Queen working kid parties and musical gigs, getting thrown into a Groundhog Day situation on her way to the next performance all because she tried to help someone. And it’s an Uproarious, Outrageously hysterical mind-blowing performance by Steven Burge and his two cohorts in crime, Cicely Galm and Mary Quinn. With a little bit of Cinderella thrown in for good measure.
Nancy (Cicely) has had a fight with her jerky boyfriend (Mary Quinn in a backwards hat). She has nowhere to go and doesn’t know what to do. She bumps into Letta Celebrate (Steven) in full Queen gear at the bus stop, and the fun begins. With the tiniest of beginnings, the situation spirals into utter and absolute chaos as multiple “helpful” solutions are explored, only to prove unhelpful. The bench at the bus stop becomes their jumping-off point for each possible scenario as the newest potential outcome becomes another dud. Despite attempts by Letta to pull herself out of this chaos, her kind heart and nurturing spirit keep her trying to the end.
You have to understand how talented these three are. Mary Quinn, in addition to the vacant (in every sense of the word) boyfriend, plays Everyone Else – which includes a plethora of characters with only a change of costume. Her versatility is amazing; her ability to handle whatever strange thing is going on with appropriate grimaces and ad-libs is phenomenal. She has an elastic face and a facile body language that transmits character immediately. She walks on the stage in new gear, and you know immediately the caricature of character she has moved into.
Mary’s partner in crime, Cicely Galm, is equally ready for this journey. Her ability to keep a straight face (most of the time), considering all this foolishness going on around her, and contribute to the silliness in an innocent and charming manner dazzles. Her “poor little girl” persona, amazed by the good fortune of finding a fairy godmother when she needed one, is off the charts.
Then throw in Steven Burge, who expands his real-life charm, joy, and dry humor to fit Letta’s voluptuous body and joie de vivre. Starting as only mildly concerned about Nancy, he becomes more involved as the circumstances escalate, revealing Nancy’s true naivete. Affection grows and concern mounts. Then the true magic happens. Fairy godmothers do exist. Especially when we laugh loudly. This role took such incredible moxie to make it real, sweet, and funny all at the same time. Mr. Burge, you represented for Queens the world over. Good on you!!
A simple set designed by Maya Linke did all it should have done to keep this fast-paced piece rolling along. Susan Rahmsdorff-Terry must have had fun tricking Letta out in her unbelievable costume and supplying the quick-change tricks for Everyone Else. The director, M. Graham Smith, understood the need for speed, the beauty of quiet moments, and how to make this chaotic comic creation work. Ian August’s website suggests that this is his 19th play. I think we need to see more of this gifted playwright’s works in future seasons.
You can always count on Local Theatre Company to make you laugh, pause, or ponder with their productions. This one does all three.
A WOW factor of 9!!