By Sheila Barth
BOX INFO: Greater Boston Stage Company presents the Boston premiere of multi-award winning playwright Matthew Lopez’s 100-minute, one-act, musical comedy through May 20: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m. 395 Main St., Stoneham. Includes adult language and content. $45-$55; seniors,$40-$50; students with valid ID, $20. 395 Main St., Stoneham. greaterbostonstage.org, 781-279-2200.
Directed and choreographed by Russell Garrett, Matthew Lopez’s one-act play, “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” currently at Greater Boston Stage Company, brought last Wednesday afternoon’s audience to its feet, applauding enthusiastically.
Although the play is classified as a musical comedy, the actors primarily lip-synch, excluding co-star Jared Reinfeldt’s strumming an acoustic guitar and singing his original love song to his fiancé Jo. For me, though, seeing the show was a little bittersweet, especially after learning Boston iconic actor-director Tommy Derrah originally was supposed to helm this show. Unfortunately, he died after a brief illness on Oct. 5, 2017, at Mt. Auburn Hospital, Cambridge.
For versatility and theatrical excellence, Derrah had few rivals. And nobody could equal his performances in drag. He was the consummate actor and director, who made every role his own, regardless of whether it was in a comedy, musical, drama, biographical one-man performance or Shakespearean play.
However, Russell Garrett did a fine job replacing Derrah. It’s just tough to let go of a legend.
That said, “The Legend of Georgia McBride” is an entertaining one-act, 100-minute escape from today’s tumultuous world. It’s also a strong statement about people finding themselves – their real selves – and doing what makes them happy.
That’s the case with handsome Elvis impersonator Casey, whom Jared Reinfeldt portrays with a tender combination of embarrassment and initial awkwardness when he’s thrown into portraying a lip-synching drag queen. Casey’s no homosexual, he declares, and he’s all male. Watching veteran drag queen Miss Tracy Mills (terrific Rick Park) push and pull the young performer into a padded bra, waist cincher, panty hose, and dress, slap a wig on Casey’s head, then thrusting him on stage, is reminiscent of Gypsy Rose Lee’s mother in the musical “Gypsy,” pushing her young daughter into a shameful career too soon, yet earning young Gypsy international fame and fortune throughout her lifetime.
Miss Tracy, who’s really a drag queen, big Bobby, club manager Eddie’s cousin, creates a booming, big-busted, robust presence on stage. But on Sundays, Bobby leads the church choir.
As Casey settles into his stage role as Georgia McBride, he and Miss Tracy perform super duets, drawing laughter and applause.
Casey, who’s engaged to his live-in, pragmatic fiancé , Jo (Jade Guerra), doesn’t exactly achieve Gypsy’s meteoric rise to stardom, but does, indeed, become star of the show in his new headlining persona – shapely drag queen Georgia. His costumes become increasingly more bedecked in glittery glitz and sequins, (kudos, designer Gail Astrid Buckley), and he loves it. He’s also “pretty” enough to make it work successfully.
Casey was into that glitz stuff anyway, as an Elvis impersonator, but his transition wasn’t easy. It was tough for him to let Jo know about his new job, which was earning some real money for him, the club- Cleo’s – in the Florida Panhandle, where Casey works for manager Eddie (veteran performer Ed Peed). So he didn’t tell her.
Jo’s revelation after showing up at the club to surprise Casey and seeing him backstage in drag garb is classic. She’s horrified, but not so much about his “job”, she’s angry to him for lying to her.
What does this mean? Is Casey gay? Jo is very pregnant. Where will she go? What will she do?
All ends happily, successfully, with some little surprises in this sassy show.
Rounding out the cast is Alex Pollock in dual roles Jason and petulant drag queen, Rexy.
Scenic designers Cristina Todesco and Jeff Adelberg handsomely divide the stage into two seamless sets, one at Casey and Jo’s apartment and the other at club Cleo’s dressing room and stage.
