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| Cherdonna and Lou Photo by Kevin Kauer |
Review: “It’s a Salon!” conceived and performed by Jody Kuehner and Ricki Mason, aka, “Cherdonna” and “Lou”. Now through October 16 in the East Hall/Century Ballroom at the Oddfellows Building.
It’s not what I expected. I was led to believe that “Cherdonna and Lou” the drag king duo of Jody Kuehner and Ricki Mason, were performers of the schticky, campy cabaret school of performance, a winky ode/parody of Sonny and Cher or even a riff on “Kiki and Herb” with the emphasis on the comedic aspects of two women impersonating a tacky show business duo. Maybe that’s been the case with many of their previous performances, but Cherdonna and Lou’s new show, “It’s a Salon!” is definitely less Re-bar style burlesque and much more “Art School Confidential” performance art piece. It is frequently funny, sometimes disturbing and shocking, and occasionally a bit too precious and “arty”. Ms Kuehner and Ms Mason are both talented trained dancers and this piece reflects that; “It’s a Salon!” is a modern dance performance art piece disguised as a hipster, campfest which is not necessarily a bad thing, but don’t go expecting an evening of lip synced parodies of “I’ve Got You, Babe” or “These Boots are Made for Walking”. You’ll be disappointed.
“It’s a Salon!” is an apt title that pretty much describes the format of this show. The lanky and determined hostess Cherdonna and her cocky little stud of a partner Lou enter and welcome us to their “salon”. Cherdonna graciously invites us to share in some liquid refreshments but things quickly go downhill; she drops the bottle of champagne on the hard wood floor and it shatters. Things quickly get bloody, (blood is a recurring theme in the piece). The audience gasps since Cherdonna is barefoot, not to mention mortified but she is determined not to show it and after a long pause, quietly sweeps the mess under a rug. The theme of the night has shockingly been established; despite the best intentions, things seldom turn out the way you hope them to and disaster lurks around every corner. Lou’s magic act never quite succeeds, (but the nonchalant Lou doesn’t seem to mind). Cherdonna not only has issues with serving her guests cocktails, she fumbles with the canapes and disastrously attempts a little mood lighting. Tensions mount as the evening progresses, and Cherdonna and Lou have a (very) long standoff over Lou’s inconsiderate insistence
on playing his bass guitar while Cherdonna is attempting to engage one of her salon guests. It’s a classic battle of the sexes and like most battles, it goes on longer that it should….repetition is also a (repeated) theme of the evening’s entertainment. We also get a lot dance moments, some lip-syncing, some flag desecration, a prolonged sequence of having to see way too much of Cherdonna’s thrusting pelvis and a stagehand dressed as an eggplant. Yes, you read that right…an eggplant.
I did like an awful lot of “It’s a Salon!” but the artier moments sometimes felt a little forced and self-indulgent. (I’m looking at you, Eggplant Stagehand). Cherdonna and Lou themselves are a brilliant creation. Did Ms Kuehner and Ms Mason have an epiphany when they met and simultaneously realized, “Ohmigod, we’d make a perfect team!” The lanky, awkwardly graceful Kuehner/Cherdonna and the petite, but macho perkiness of Mason/Lou contrast and complement each other beautifully; it’s a match made in art/comedy heaven. Both are accomplished performers and dancers, with Ms Kuehner especially able to demonstrate her talent for contorting her ridiculously long and slender torso, limbs and neck into impossible to conceive shapes and configurations. Both artists are very gifted and “Cherdonna and Lou” are a creation that must be encouraged and supported. But, I’d also like to see about 20% less “art” in their shows and 30% more artily conceived comedy, and a teensy bit more camp. A little more camp never hurt anyone…unless you’re a teenager at Camp Crystal Lake on one of Jason’s “bad days”.
Who’s this for? The arty crowd who appreciate performance art pieces and modern dance with a slice of hipster/drag kingery on the side. If you’re looking for traditional retro/parody/cabaret/campy/schtick, then you’ll probably be disappointed.
-Michael Strangeways
