DIE, MOMMIE, DIE!

By Charles Busch

(Regional Premiere)

Uptown Players

REVIEWED 04/13/07 PERFORMANCE

Directed by Andi Allen

Scenic Design by Wade Giampa

Costume Design by Suzi Shankle

Lighting Design by Michael Campbell

CAST:
Angela Arden................Coy Covington
Sol Sussman................Jim Johnson
Tony Parker.................Cameron McElyea
Edith Sussman..............Leslie Patrick
Lance Sussman............Chad Peterson
Bootsie.........................Nancy Sherrard
 

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A famous movie star chanteuse whose shining stardom is now but a flicker tries to find her voice again. She has two children. One a son who dabbles in drugs and who was recently cast as "Ado Annie" in a college production of OKLAHOMA. The other a daughter who despises her mother, but loves her father... maybe a little too much. This once well-known star also has a gigolo lover who apparently has the Loch Ness monster between his legs. Finally she is married to a man who heads a movie studio and has bad constipation. Oh yea, and he cannot stand her.

No, I'm not talking about Brittney Spears future. These are the characters that come to life in the comedy DIE, MOMMIE, DIE!, written by Charles Busch and now having its regional premiere with Uptown Players.

The play actually was supposed to premiere a few seasons ago at Uptown, but due to some unresolved legal issues surrounding the release of the movie version of the play, they had to pull the rights away from any theater company to

 produce it.

Busch is one of the most celebrated playwrights living today. But what sets him apart from the likes of Tony Kushner, Richard Greenberg, Neil Simon, and others is that he usually plays the leading role in his plays. Oh, and these roles are all female. His career started off Broadway with several hits, including VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM, which ran for five years and became one of the longest running hits in Off Broadway history. Busch is not a drag queen at all. He completely turns himself into the heroines or dames in distress that he portrays in his plays. Busch would have his Broadway success with his play, TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE, which earned him a Tony Award nomination.

DMD takes us into the world of Angela Arden, a once famous movie star singer who is slowly regaining her voice and confidence to try singing in public again. She has two children, Lance and Edith. The son adores his mother while the daughter cannot stand her. Angela is married to a very angry and bitter man-Sol Sussman-who runs a movie studio that
keeps churning out flops. Circling around Angela's world as well is a male lover named Tony Parker and a religious fanatic for a maid whose name is Bootsie.

In this play there is murder, drugs, sex, betrayal, backstabbing, rumors, a cracked singing voice, and one hell of a hemorrhoid medication. As you can see, not your basic paint by number play here.

 

Director Andi Allen certainly did her homework with this production. She must have watched allot of those old movies from the period to get the vibe, mood, and tone just right for this piece. You can see where she added careful detail to make us feel as though we are watching one of those classic films, but with camp thrown in. She wisely has her cast emoting and posing just like those movies. From a long walk to a chair and then simply just pose there, to the quick double takes out into the audience as though the camera was set there. The staging and blocking created by Ms. Allen for this comedy is perfection.

One of the funniest staging pieces is that concerning Tony Parker, played by Cameron McElyea. He is shorter than Coy Covington (Angela) and Jim Johnson (Sol). So when it came to scenes involving lovemaking or confrontation, Allen constantly had McElyea blocked on the upper level to do these scenes, allowing him to be face to face with them. This resulted in some loud laughter in the audience. Ms. Allen has directed all of Mr. Busch's plays at Uptown, each one a major success. She can add this one as well to that glowing list. She clearly understands Busch's voice, themes, and subtext. She knows when to reel in the camp to keep it real. Ms. Allen's direction here is again highly impressive.

The production elements for this production are just outstanding.

Wade Giampa's scenic design screams 60s/70s chic. He has designed for the Sussman house the look of those long ago kitschy Beverly Hills mansions. It has rock walls, a protruding maple wood centerpiece, and the sunken living room space. There is even a curved staircase that is covered in white shag carpeting for that added touch. The set is so believable in period, you half expect Charles Nelson Riley and Brett Summers to come over and join Angela for a cocktail after taping MATCH GAME.

Suzi Shankle must have raided the closets of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS for her fantastic costumes. She has found

 materials and fabrics that fit the period like a glove. There are loud prints, short mini skirts, lace, chiffon, and polyester galore! The costumes created for Angela are in particular ravishing to look at. There are some gorgeous frocks here! There is a black gown of crepe and velvet sprinkled with rhinestones, a beautiful opening scene costume that would make Auntie Mame jealous, and a hilarious surprise for the funeral costume. Shankle also has created a light blue gown of chiffon that I swore I saw on one of the survivors from the 1972 version of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. Ms. Shankle knows costuming, and with this production she indeed shows her amazing gift, skill, and knowledge.

Michael Campbell's lighting design once again proves that this guy knows how to light a play brilliantly. I first saw his talents with AN AMERICAN DAUGHTER at ICT, and here again he shows his vast scope of talent. He avoids dull, beige lighting, and instead floods the set with vibrant, rich color. Watch the magic he creates for the hallucination scene. But what I really do admire about his lighting is how he can focus and use light to single out a moment, a facial expression, or emotion. He also designed some marvelous lightening and the flashbulbs of paparazzi. His attention to detail here is faultless.

Coy Covington heads the cast as "Angela Arden", the once famous movie star singer who is slowly regaining her voice back. She seems to struggle with a key change that makes her sound like a frog getting an enema. Covington commands the stage with dazzling stage presence this is wrapped in sublime comedic timing, pace, and delivery. He can say the simplest line and have the audience rolling in laughter. You cannot teach subtext comedy like that folks; it's a gift, which
Covington has in abundance.

This is not a "drag" role by any means. Any man can put on a dress and be funny, it takes a damn good actor to make the audience forget he's a man and truly believe in him as a woman. That is Covington from beginning to end in this performance. He's more woman than some other actual women I've seen on stage! You honestly forget he's a male with
his carefully detailed work. His walk, gestures, facial expressions, voice, & mannerisms all carry a delicate feminine overtone. Covington brings into his characterization components of such Hollywood divas as Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, Susan Hayward, Faye Dunaway, and Bette Davis. Hell, he even throws in a little Mama Rose to boot! Mr. Covington provides a comedic tour de force performance here.

Jim Johnson easily delivers the funniest performance I have seen him give in a long time. He has fashioned on him a nose that looks like he ripped it off a Toucan and a horrifying comb over that would make Donald Trump lend him one of his back up pieces to cover it up. Now add some Buddy Holly glasses, a booming bass voice, a Jewish dialect,
and some hilarious facial expressions and you have a scene stealing performance coming from this immensely talented actor.
 

Johnson portrays "Sol", a Jewish man who owns a decaying movie studio and who has such awful constipation you're surprised he doesn't come on stage with a porcelain toilet attached to his rear end. Johnson uses his comedic tools to build a solid, satisfying, and hysterical performance.

Also providing major laughs within the evening is Cameron McElyea as the seducing stud with the huge qua-qua, "Tony Parker". Is it just me or does McElyea sort of look like a young Robert De Niro in CAPE FEAR in this production? McElyea has a smoldering aura that is topped off with seductive facial expressions that resemble a porn star's come hitherto. There is much discussion and reference to his character's . um. "hoo-hoo" that McElyea uses to hysterical effect. His comic timing, pace, delivery, and facial expressions are in complete sync with his acting craft that create a rip roaring performance.

Rounding out the cast of whackos who also provide terrific performances are Chad Peterson as "Lance Sussman"; Leslie Patrick as "Edith Sussman"; and Nancy Sherrard as "Bootsie".

Peterson's character is the stoned hippie son who adores his mother but loathes his father. Oh and he's gay, which doesn't sit well with his hook for a nose father. Peterson bounces with zany, frenzied energy and keeps his character floating on a pot swirling cloud resulting in a mirth provoking performance.

Ms. Patrick is the sex kitten daughter of the Sussmans. She loves her daddy (but maybe in the wrong way!) and purrs whenever he's the room. For added fun, the actress teeters on some rhinestone-incrusted heels that you know came from Cha-Cha Di Gregorio, who is the best dancer at St. Bernadette's.

As "Bootsie", Nancy Sherrard creates an amalgamation of Margaret White (Carrie's mom), Mrs. Garrett from FACTS OF LIFE, and Rosemary Ackerman from SERIAL MOM. In fact, She actually does sort of resemble Mary Jo Catlett, the actress who played Rosemary in the film. Sherrard throws out religious quotes from out of thin air, as though she was

 flinging out confetti from a Billy Graham grocery bag.

As for problems in the production, there were minuscule at best. A few flubbed lines and some pace issues in the second act, but that comes with opening night jitters, which will be long gone by their next round of performances.

Uptown Players has yet to produce a flat out failure in their short six-year history. I've yet to walk away from a show produced there being completely disappointed or bored with. They bring the best talent in actors, directors, and designers, and so on to mount superb, thoroughly entertaining theater. This production is no exception.

DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! will have you grabbing your sides from laughing so much that I strongly suggest you stretch before entering the theater. But hurry and get your tickets, because this show will easily become another smash sold out hit for Uptown!

Who knows, maybe Angela Arden might even autograph her Christmas album for you personally!

GRADE: A+

EDITOR'S NOTE: Charles Busch will be in Dallas Sunday April 22, 2007 as part of the USA Film Festival. His directorial film debut A VERY SERIOUS PERSON will be presented at 7:00 p.m. They will be presenting "An Evening with Charles Busch" at the Angelika Theatre, which includes a screening of this film and a talk back with Mr. Busch himself!

For tickets & info go to: www.thecolumnonline.com

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DIE MOMMIE DIE! By Charles Busch (REGIONAL PREMIERE)
Uptown Players
Through May 6, 2007

Show times are at 8 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and at 2pm on Sundays. There is an added performance on Wednesday, May 2 at 8pm. All shows take place at the Kim Dawson Theater in the Trinity River Arts Center (2600 Stemmons Freeway; I-35 at Motor Street). Tickets are $22-25 and can be purchased online at www.uptownplayers.org or by phone at 214-219-2718.
 

John F. Garcia, Jr.

Executive Director/Producer, "THE COLUMN ONLINE"; Theatre Awards Editor & Founder of THE COLUMN ONLINE; Texas Regional Theater Critic for talkinbroadway.com