REVIEW: Homo for the Holidays/The Dina Martina Christmas Show/The Judy Garland Christmas Special

The Cast of “Homo for the Holidays” Photo: Kevin Kauer/NARK

Performing Arts organizations LOVE the holiday season because it’s a chance for them to rake in some much needed money with beloved, perennial favorites they can perform every year. They can use the same sets and costumes and it saves them a bundle of money and since people are desperate to experience some holiday cheer it’s easy to lure them in with a well loved chestnut like “A Christmas Carol” at ACT, or The Nutcracker at PNB, or Intiman’s Black Nativity. But, why should the BIG arts orgs get all the glory and the cash? Small groups want to make some money, too, and frankly not everyone needs or wants to see the same old shows year after year. In the spirit of the season, I went to three fringe holiday offerings in the space of three days, two of them relatively recent additions to the seasonal calendar, and one of them has been around since the Ford Administration. Despite tripping on tryptophan and cairprinhas, I managed to make it through Thanksgiving weekend alive and in one piece. I’ll cover them in the order of appearance, starting with:

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Review: Homo for the Holidays. Conceived, directed and presented by Ben DeLaCreme. With Ben DeLaCreme, Fuschia Foxxx, Cherdonna and Lou, Paris Original, Ilvs Strauss and Guest Star Jinkx Monsoon. Playing various nights through Dec 24 at West Hall, Oddfellows Bldg.

Ben DeLaCreme, center, goes a little “Gaga” at Christmas. Photo: Keven Kauer/NARK

I went to this opening night, which was Thanksgiving night, and frankly, that’s the last time I do that…it was sort of nice that the streets were so quiet and deserted and peaceful, but the audience was small and groggy from a day of eating and drinking and it was tough to get into the show with such a small, quiet audience. I know since then that “Homo for the Holidays” has played to large, enthusiastic crowds, but my advice to them is to rethink the whole, “let’s do a show on Thanksgiving” thing.

That being said, “Homo for the Holidays” is a surprisingly sophisticated evening of entertainment with excellent production values and stage craft. The sets, props and costumes were all lovingly designed and executed with a high degree of professionalism. I’m pretty sure they don’t have a huge budget, but Ms DeLaCreme and company are obviously very gifted when it comes to whipping up elaborate, beautifully made costumes, talking Snowman puppets, and scary Ghosts of Past, Present and Future. I wish other companies had their talents to liven up their production departments, (more on that later).

Content wise, it’s a well put together variety show nicely framed and hosted by the talented Ben DeLaCreme, who invites us in to enjoy a holiday party with his other guests, the comedy/dance team of Cherdonna & Lou, burlesque star Fuschia Foxx, boylesque star Paris Original, and  “Jesus” played by drag king performer, Ilvs Strauss. (Yes, you need to leave your Fundamentalist friends and family home for this show…but, did you really want to party with them, anyway?) There’s also a different guest star for every night; opening night featured Jinkx Monsoon and other guests will include, Sylvia O’Stayformore, Sarah Rudinoff & Nick Garrison and the Shanghai Pearl.

The show features sketches, musical and dance numbers (including an inspired reinterpretation of  Lady Gaga for the holidays), a rather lovely bit from “A Christmas Carol” that needed to be longer, and best of all, an evil, homophobic, right wing, Fox News watching Frosty the Snowman that got riled up when Ben DeLaCreme wished him “Happy Holidays”.  It was a funny bit but I’m hoping that the Snowman doesn’t get a Fox News show out of it…they’ll hire anyone.

It’s an entertaining night of fringe/drag/hipster/burlesque humor and pathos with excellent production values and a lot of heart. I warmly recommend going “Homo for the Holidays”. Just don’t take your Bible thumping cousin visiting from Idaho.

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Review: The Dina Martina Christmas Show. Written and performed by Dina Martina, (aka Grady West.) With Chris Jeffries on keyboards. Now through December 31 at Re-bar.

Our Queen.

It’s rather pointless to review a Dina Martina show mainly because it’s impossible to describe it without sounding ridiculous. A hirsute, “full-figured” man in bad drag tells long bizarre stories, gives out “jifts”, heckles hecklers, and sings familiar songs with very different lyrics for two hours accompanied by a silent, deadpan keyboard player. It doesn’t sound like much, but Ms Martina/Mr West has elevated the banal into the brilliant by creating a living, fully embodied comic character that has as much resonance and iconography as Pee Wee Herman, Dame Edna Everage and Miss Piggy. Combine that with a wicked sense of comic timing and razor sharp improv skills, and you have a wickedly funny evening of entertainment. And, you might also leave the Re-bar with a giant pair of underpants or some Cheetos flavored lip balm if Miss Dina decides to “jift” you.

What can you expect from the 42nd installment of the Dina Martina Christmas Show? Uh, I don’t really remember too many specifics, (due to intense laughter and several cocktails) but she does reprise her fabulous  Louie Armstrong impression and we also get her special take on Bauhaus’s 80’s classic, “Bela Lugosi is Dead”. Sadly, there wasn’t any video for this show, (some years she does and some she doesn’t) but we did get some anecdotes about her daughter “Pho-ebe”, but no appearance from said daughter. And, always keep an eye on the brilliant Chris Jeffries…occasionally he almost breaks character and cracks a smile…that probably means that Dina is improvising something not in the script. Is this the best Dina Martina show ever? Well, no, that was about three years ago, for what I like to call the “sad” Dina show, where she presented us a brilliant home movie featuring Dina as a child, but “Dina Xmas 2010” is a solid installment in the series. The Stranger’s Brendan Kiley is probably going to moan that she’s not doing anything “fresh” but I’m not sure I want to see Dina tackling Hedda Gabler….or, maybe I do?

Who’s it for? The Dina Martina Fan in everyone. Lovers of fringe comedy. If you’re looking for a traditional “drag” show, this isn’t for you….Dina isn’t drag; she’s a force of nature.

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Review: The Judy Garland Christmas Special based on the original 1963 television show. Directed by Ron Sandahl. With Troy Mink as Judy Garland, Craig Trolli as Liza Minnelli, Margaretta Lantz as Lorna Luft, Collin Schreiber as Joey Luft. Now through December 18 at Open Circle Theatre.

Troy Mink as “Judy Garland” Photo: Ron Sandahl/Open Circle Theatre

Finally, my long weekend of Xmas Fringe drew to a close with the opening of Open Circle’s “The Judy Garland Christmas Special”, now in its 47th year and starring Troy Mink as the original gay icon, Judy Garland in a travesty based on the original Judy Garland Christmas show that aired as part of her 1963/64 CBS television series. The premise of this production: it’s December 8, 1963 (yep, it’s only a couple weeks AFTER the JFK assassination, though it’s not mentioned in this show) and it’s the disastrous dress rehersal before the taping of the TV show and Judy is not quite ready to face the cameras or her evening’s guests which consists of her three kids, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft, and special appearances by Mel Tormé, (her musical director on the show, who was fired a few episodes later), popular in his time crooner Jack Jones, (best known to us, as the singer of The Love Boat theme song) and a nobody named Tracy Everitt who plays Liza’s singing/prancing boyfriend in the show. It’s a corny, Christmasy good time, or, it would be, if Judy wasn’t battling some demons…

I’d heard of this show and I knew it got the hipster seal of approval from The Stranger in past years, so I had high hopes for it. Also, it didn’t hurt that it had Troy Mink in the lead role, as Judy, and I’ve raved on here more than once about the talented Mr Mink and his beloved “Carlotta Sue Philpott” character best known for a series of fringe variety shows, known as  “Carlotta’s Wing Ding”. I’ve also seen and admired the original TV show; it’s kitschy, corny fun. AND, I’m a Judy fan, though not a crazed one…how can you not love that enormously talented but troubled woman? She’s Dorothy, for god’s sake!

But, I did have some issues with this show, some BIG issues to start with, mainly that this is not a loving tribute to Judy Garland. Mr Mink’s Judy is a drunken/drugged mess that stumbles around the stage, muttering and ranting and raving and creating havoc and generally being a monster. It’s not pretty and it’s not really relevant to the actual period of Judy’s life when she was working on the TV show; she was in good shape for that year, (she had to be, to make 26 hours of variety show television), though she did have a rough time AFTER the show was over and died five years later. So, at first, the show did NOT sit well with me. It was too mean and too disrespectful and too inaccurate. It rankled me.

Then, I realized a couple of things. Mr Mink isn’t making much of an effort to sound, or look like Judy Garland. The voice was nothing like Judy’s, (unless Judy is a Southern drag queen) and the hair/make-up didn’t resemble her at all. Once I divorced myself from thinking that this character was “Judy Garland” and started looking at it as a funny performance from Troy Mink as this drunken monster, then I could enjoy the show. And, it IS a funny performance, though hard to understand at times. Mr Mink snarls, and mutters, and throws his lines away as he stumbles around the stage wrecking havoc with the production and you have to listen closely at times to hear some of the best asides.

The show is VERY broad and about as subtle as Rip Taylor on The Gong Show, but it gets some good laughs in, and has some nice performances from the supporting cast. Craig Trolli seems to be having a good time channeling his inner Liza, as the young, coltish ingenue eager to please “Mama” and make a good impression on television and you wish that the character had a bit more to do in the show. Liza’s little sister and brother are also front and center, and both young actors make the most of their roles. Margaretta Lantz was awkwardly ingratiating as the little diva to be, Lorna Luft, and Collin Schreiber as the very gawky and musically ungifted Joey Luft had a field day playing the over eager and anxious to please youngster with inappropriate crushes on his male, adult co-stars.

Technically, this show is very low rent…it could use a little pizazz. The set is dull and cheap, the costumes are a little basic, and the effects were underdeveloped. Remember in my “Homo for the Holidays” review up above where I praised their design/stagecraft? Open Circle needs to lure Ben DeLaCreme and Company to whip up some tasty props and set pieces for this show. It’s a little threadbare and could use a little sparkle.

Like the TV show, this is a short night of theater; a bit over an hour, but you also get the added bonus of watching the ORIGINAL TV show with commentary from Troy Mink, in character as “Judy”. Even though I’ve seen the TV show, I enjoyed Mr Mink’s funny, snarky commentary as much as I enjoyed the actual live show. It’s worth hanging around for.

Who’s this for? Fans of snarky, hipster fringe theater.

Who’s this NOT for? Die hard Judy fans who might not be amused.

– Michael Strangeways