Theatre
& Stage
reviews by SalsaChicago.com critic Al Bresloff
Diva Diaries
The Musical (thru January 2, 2005)
Described
as a cross between "The Birdcage" and " A
Chorus Line", Diva Diaries, a sassy new musical
with BIG hair is making its Midwest Premiere
at Chicago's Lakeshore Theater (a charming
theater on Broadway and Belmont). Diva Diaries
tells the story of three dynamic drag queens,
Damsel (the very talented Alexandra Billings
who's comic timing is pure perfection); Cleareen
(the powerful Honey West) and Randee ( Berwick
Haynes). On this particular night they are
on the verge of nervous breakdowns as they
prepare for their final night at the club
"Pandora's Box" where they have performed
for three decades.As they reminisce about
their pasts and ponder their future, we are
taken on a journey through flashbacks to the
younger versions of each of them. Jay L. Johnson
(Young Damsel); Ty Perry (Young Randee) and
the powerful Paul Tomak (Young Cleareen) make
a ton of costume changes as they take us through
the music of the 70's, 80's and 90's with
a score by award winning composer John Mercurio.
Director Andrew Kato who also co-wrote the
book uses the tiny stage to its fullest and
Marlo Hunter's choreography while limited
due to the size of the stage, works perfectly.
The set by
Robert Andrew Kovach takes us backstage amid
all of the costumes from the decades that
are depicted. We can see the memories as each
scene unfolds and the lighting by Gregory
Bloxham along with Nathaniel Hare's sound
makes the picture very easy to watch and hear.
Fritz Masten's costumes are what one would
expect in this story and they are just right.
This is a story that digs deep into the lives
of these drag queens dealing with aging, faded
beauty, long time friendships and dealing
with life's uncertainties. While it is a fun
filled evening there are moments when you
will definitely feel sorry for these characters
and this cast is able to create the drama
as well as the comedy. This is an eye popping
spectacular evening of music and dance with
a powerful story that will leave you with
a good feeling.
Diva Diaries
will run through January 2, 2005 with performances
as follows:
