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dirty BLONDE dirty BLONDE by Claudia Shear National Touring Company Majestic Theater, Dallas Directed by James Lapine *CAST* Sally Mayes, Tom Riis Farrell, Bob Stillman *REVIEWED 02-12-02
~dirty BLONDE~ "I've been on more laps than a napkin"-Mae West "Beulah, peel me a grape."-Mae West
The Platinum goddess. The blonde bombshell. That woman who has a body and sexual aura that has men falling to their knees and kissing the pumps of these sexy broads, while some women show seething distaste and restrain the urge in them to throw a bucket of holy water at these big bosom broads.
If you think about it, every generation has a blonde icon to worship or hate. Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Anna Nicole Smith, Pamela Lee Anderson, and of course Madonna. I think Mae West could be the first official blonde who started the trend of the woman who did not take no crap from any man. She had her own set of rules, and demanded things her way, period both in business and in the bed. Claudia Shear's dirty BLONDE debuted on broadway in 2000, which resulted in TONY nominations for BEST PLAY and acting nods for all three performers in the production.
The play involves "Jo" (Sally Mayes) and "Charlie" (Tom Riis Farrell), two devoted fans of Mae who meet by accident at the mausoleum where West is entombed. It is from there that the audience is transported into two different time periods. The present, and then into 1920's & 30's to peek into the life and career of Mae West (also played by Mayes).
Mae West was born on August 17, 1893, in Brooklyn, New York. She was a promising child star in Vaudeville who had one hell of a backstage mother-way before Mamma Rose screeched, "Sing out Louse!". Later in West's life the persona, comedic techniques, and campy sexual humor was taught to Mae by the flamboyant gay men in her life. As she grew older, she began writing plays of her own, one of which is notable for the scandal surrounding it (she was arrested) as well as for the time in which it was made. After all, how often do you hear of a play called "SEX" running in 1926. But this was typical audacity for Mae West.
Her film career began in 1932 when she played what was considered a bit part in Night After Night. Apparently she was unhappy with the role so she instructed the actress playing the coat check girl to feed her the line, "Oh my goodness!" as the girl admired West dripping in diamonds. Mae replied back, "oh. goodness had nothing to do with it!". As a result, West stole the show in every scene she was in even though the film was originally made as a vehicle for George Raft
Being knee deep in the Depression, American filmgoers found in Mae West a risqué, independent woman, draped in jewels and enjoying life. The political and religious climate of the times, however, saw her open sexuality as pornographic and tried at every turn to censor her subsequent films. Will Hays, who had begun to enforce the Production Code, which was abandoned decades later in favor of the MPAA Ratings System, saw her as a major threat to the morality of the nation. Her first starring role was in 1933's She Done Him Wrong, based on her highly successful play, Diamond Lil, thankfully withstood such censorship.
The film grossed $3 million, an incredible sum for those days. This was her second second film for Paramount, for which she chose the then unknown Cary Grant to be her leading man.
It is generally considered one of her best. However, each film thereafter was attacked more and more. As a result, her racy style of comedy became increasingly diluted and eventually, Miss West decided to abandon the cinema as a creative outlet.
After her film career began to wane, she agreed to star in "My Little Chickadee" with the alcoholic W.C. Fields. It is Hollywood legend that these two despised each other, but in a catch-22 needed each other since both of their film careers could use a hit. Fields tended to arrive drunk on the set, which caused West to explode into heated arguments with Fields. Oddly enough, the film did become a major hit for both stars.
By the time she retreated from the silver screen, she had made nine movies. Of those, she had writers credit for five of them. Her popularity had also raised enough capital to bring the near bankrupt studio, Paramount, into the black.
She was even called by William Wyler in asking West to star as "Norma Desmond" in his film, SUNSET BLVD., but she declined. Can you imagine West coming down the staircase saying those immortal lines, "Ohhh! I'm ready for my Close up!".
She returned to film briefly to play "Leticia" in Myra Breckinridge, a gender-bender based on the book by Gore Vidal. Typically, she agreed to do the film on the condition that she had creative control over her part, which included rewriting all of her dialogue. The film also starred Rex Reed and Raquel Welch. The film was hated by both critics and audiences alike.
Her last film, and probably her worst, was Sextette, released in 1978 when she was 85 years old and suffering from assorted maladies which were worked around as much as possible during shooting. One of the worst problems was memory loss which made all of her dialogue seem stilted. The sad thing is that her delivery had always been the most compelling and hilarious facet of her film persona. West died on November 22, 1980, of natural causes.
Shear's Dirty BLONDE has written within it, many of the above mentioned career highs and lows, but also Mae's personal life, which include her marriages, affairs, and work ethics. This play is like a sparkling, diamond encrusted necklace that you would love to observe both in its glittery images and the gaudiness of it as well, just like Mae's life.
The piece is deliciously hysterical with its broad campy humor of sex, love, money, and men,. I just could not stop laughing. There are scenes that are written like perfectly cut gems that truly bring West to life, both the good and bad of this woman's life. This play is just an uproarious evening of divine comedy. But there are also the tragic and sad moments of Mae's life. Such as her decaying years where she lived in seclusion .
The play also shows us the progression of Jo and Charlie's relationship, which takes some pretty odd twists and turns, but provides a subplot that has Mae West in the center of their relationship.
The minute you enter the Majestic theater, Mae is already watching you! The set is a forced perspective design that focus directly to a backdrop of those eyes that belong to the blonde icon. The walls are designed like slick, white tiles on which lighting designer David Lander designs an array of glorious colors, gobos, and gels to splash on them.
Lander will take you from a chinese restaurant to the palm trees of Hollywood with just the right gobo or gel.
But what makes the design (by Douglas Stein) of the set work superbly is its use of just little pieces. The cast uses two chairs, a folding table, and a piano for furniture. The back walls will use various drapes, curtains, wall units, etc. to take us from an old Vaudeville theater in 1920 directly into a New York apartment in 2002.
Both the light and set design (which I have learned is exactly from its broadway production) is just brilliance in its conception. James Lapine's direction is perfect, period. The pace is flawless, the piece has no intermission, and while the play clocks in a little under two hours, you honestly don't feel it. You are so wrapped and involved in the play that you just don't notice how the time goes by, its that good folks!
But its those small details that will just win you over in his direction. The blocking and the way the piece transcends from one century directly into the present day is just amazing to watch. Sally Mayes channels Mae West so perfectly, you almost think its really the diamond blonde come back to life on that stage! Mayes has perfected West's vocal cadence, right down to her "oh's!". But its the way she molds and contorts her body and face to become West that is just rapturous to watch. You are observing a performance that metroplex audiences can only see on broadway, but now have a chance to see it here in Dallas! Mayes has to transform from New York Jo to Mae West in seconds-in one scene that will astound you in particular.
But she brings the decaying of Mae's body to full realization that will break your heart.
Oh, then there are those hilarious songs! Sprinkled throughout the evening Mayes as West warbles some downright bawdy numbers that will have you begging for more! There's the duet with her husband "Frank" to the side splitting finale number, "dirty blonde" that had me laughing so hard I needed oxygen! Mayes comedic tour de force performance will have you begging the usher for depends, but also she will touch your heart and soul with the sad and deep, personal moments of both Jo's and Mae's lives. She is resplendent.
Bob Stillman is the only member of the original broadway cast who is repeating his performance on tour. His work in this play did earn him a 2000 TONY nomination as well. Stillman has an actor's dream set before him. He portrays an array of men in both women's' lives. He has "Frank", the vaudeville song & dance man who Mae married, there's the gambling old man who is Mae's only friend in her last years, also there's the flamboyant personal assistant to Mae who taught her all about camp, bawdy humor, and the walk! Stillman uses various accents and dialects to bring his characters to astonishing life. He uses his facial expressions to full advantage. He will have you in fits of laughter from his supreme gift of comic timing and pace (Which in fact, all three performers have in bushels!). He is marvelous.
Tom Riis Farrell-like Stillman-also has a cornucopia of characters to bring to life on stage, and succeeding in every single one of them. As "Charlie", he is a shy and lonely man who just wants to find love and acceptance, this character will move you deeply all due to Farrell's sympathetic and moving performance in the role. But then Farrell will have you guffawing on the floor from his comic characters as well. From his "dumb as a box of rocks" sailor, to the brain dead boxer, to the flaming drag queen who is one of Mae's backstage pals. Farrell also brings to life "W.C. Fields". Wait till you see Mayes's "West" and Farrell's "Fields" scene-it is the bitchest cat fight and just a riot to watch these two screen stars go at each other's throats with their razor sharp comebacks. Farrell is extraordinary.
It should also be noted that both Stillman and Farrell play the piano the various characters throughout the evening, talk about triple threat talents!
The finale number, "dirty blonde" is Mayes as West in her much later years in life doing her Las Vegas act with two muscle bound men (Stillman and Farrell). This number will have you laughing way past the curtain call! The facial expressions of both men, and Mayes as West always a step behind on the choreography, will have you wiping tears from your eyes because you are laughing so hard! Kudos also the comic choreography created for this and the other numbers .
I STRONGLY urge each and every single one of you to haul down to the Majestic theater and go see dirty BLONDE! This city is so fortunate to have this production stop here. Plays from broadway hardly get national tours anymore-and here we have one! Sometimes you just need to experience a new, fresh, and unseen production to open your horizons. This play is it!
The cast, direction, and design elements bring to its audience a rollicking and jubilant evening of theatre that you will be so glad you watched.
As the platinum haired, diamond wearing, sex bomb herself would say, "Come up and see me some time!", and believe me-YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
RATING: A++ |
