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PAGE 16 T Q-Notes T January 24, 1998 Lesbians and Lypsinka by Brian D. Holcomb Q-Notes Staff DeLaria’s Broadway debut delayed Lesbian comedienne Lea DeLaria received rave reviews for her performance as a lusty fe male cab driver in the 1997 outdoor produc tion of On The Town. The transfer of the show to Broadway has been delayed, however, due to a disagreement between director George C. Wolfe and choreographer Christopher d’Amboise. Scheduled to begin previews April 7 at the St. James Thatre, the production is now postponed until the fall of 1998, pending se lection of a new choreographer. On The Town has been plagued with cho reographic problems since its debut in 1944. The show began as a ballet sequence that was expanded to an entire evening, requiring that almost the entire show be danced. Therefore, replacing the choreographer is a major setback, requiring a toal re-thinking of the production. The Central Park production, .in which DeLaria appeared, had major choreographic problems, and the choreographer dropped out of the Broadway transfer, being replaced with d’Amboise. No names have been mentioned as replacements yet, nor is there confirmation that DeLaria will still be available in fall 1998. Pirates of Lesbos in Seattle Vixen Productions, the award-winning al ternative theatre company, premiered Jeff Resta’s new comedy Pirates of Lesbos in Seattle on Janu ary 16. The campy adventure begins with a young English woman’s voyage across the Medi terranean on her father’s ship, the H.M.S. Ti- tania. The ship is attacked by female pirates, led by Cutthroat Catherine, the Vipress of Cy press. Our young heroine is “awakened” by the Theatre pirates and changes the course of her life. Lypsinka is back Everyone’s favorite show queen, Lypsinka, proved to the world (or at least the theatres full of queens) that she could do more than lipsynch this summer. On February 8, she is going to give audiences another chance to find out for themselves. Lypsinka is Harriet returns to Mother (that’s the name of the theatre) for a second engagement after twice extending its initial run at that location. Lypsinka said in a statement, “I’ve received so many cards and letters from broken-hearted fans who were unable to procure tickets to our little entertainment. They’ve asked — nay, begged — me to reassemble our tattered troupe and tell our tale once more. Who am I to ar gue?” The obviously humble Lypsinka based her oeuvre upon Harriet Craig, a 1950 film star ring Joan Crawford. The play follows a ruth less wife and her quest for a clean house and a well-run life. Fellow drag artist Varla Jean Merman plays Harriet’s younger cousin Claire. Both Lypsinka and Merman appeared recently in HBO’s special Dragtime. The show is cur rently playing through March 8. ▼ Music Dance Film Correction One line was accidentally omitted from 'The Drag Rag" in the last issue of Q-Notes. The following information should have been included: The 1st runner-up at the Newcomer Pageant at Oleen’s was Deanna Nicole and the Miss Castle At-Large in Greenville, SC was won by Sasha and her RU was Porche DeParis. We regret the error. D ^^Beinq Stranded at Stanton^s Garage h the Ultimate Trip ff January 15-18, 22-25, 29 through February 1 $12-$17 • 7:30 pm Thurs/Sun. 8pm Fri/Sat • Sun Feb 2pm only 0^ by Joan Ackerman iJiiiiiiifHnfl) ■p directed by Gary Robbins At Spirit Square Duke Power Theatre Tickets available at NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Founders Hall *120 N. Tryon St. 1000 M///A Style has a bit of substance by Brian D. Holcomb Q-Notes Staff CBS has a hot new show on Monday eve nings. Style and Substance is a witty mid-season filler that might just have enough steam to carry it through until next season. The show is by no means flawless, but the premise is promising and the leads are well cast. At least six episodes have been ordered, which is pretty standard for • a show that debuts after November sweeps, and there is reason to believe it will make it through May. Jean Smart, formerly of Designing Women and the short-lived sendup of Absolutely Fabu lous that co-started Mary McDonnell (the name escapes me), stars as Chelsea Stevens, a woman who is the absolute word on style, taste and homemade muffins. She is more Martha than Martha Stewart. She has not quite worked the deal that Martha has, however, because her magazine is owned by someone else...someone with a bit more of a corporate mentality than Chelsea has. And they have sent an office man ager-type to look after her, played by Facts Of veteran Nancy McKeon. First Mrs. Garrett, now Chelsea Stevens. No longer the tough girl Jo Polniczek from the Bronx, McKeon now plays a goody-goody from Omaha who is out to prove that she can make it in the corporate world, even when that means taming the self-centered and insensitive Chelsea. Although Ms. Stevens has her public life in order, she is hiding the insecurities that everybody secredy hopes dog Martha Stewart. She doesn’t sleep (it is rumored that she hangs upside down in a bam every few days), she milks her own goats, kills her own chickens, and makes scones for her staff to celebrate her di vorce. It’s a sham, though...her husband kept all of their friends and she realized that she has none. Cue the violins. The show is full of jabs at Stewart, whose show also airs on CBS...one wonders what the politics of that deal are. Her groundsman is slowly driving her crazy by leaving a lace doily askew on a coffee table...because details are ev erything. Currendy, the show focuses almost entirely upon the charaaers payed by Smart and McKeon. Although hilarious, the show will have to open up a bit if it is not to become stale. Some other characters have been intro duced, including the nelliest interior designer on earth, but they are only names and stereo types right now. Hopefully in future episodes they will be given a bit more time. With new television shows dying off almost daily, it is good to see that something worthwile is ready to replace them. This show has its flaws, but has great promise. Give it a try. It’s a good thing. ▼ Critics and public praise Ttip Dogs by Brian D. Holcomb Q-Notcs Staff Riding on the wave of popularity of STOMP!, a new group of urban dancers is tour ing the globe. There are those who would say that Tap Dogs has certain...“advantages” over that other group. Where STOMP! is a bunch of grungy boys and girls (talented, yes, but none too clean). Tap Dogs is all men. Sexy Austra lian men in shorts and boots, no less. Need I say more? ' The show has already opened, and plays only two more nights 0an. 24 and 25) at Charlotte’s Ovens Auditorium. Tickets are available at TicketMaster at (704) 522-6500. You can also order tickets (and see some really great photos) at the official Tap Dogs website, http:// www.tapdogs.com. T’s top twenty The Carolinas hottest dance music by DJ Instant T Q-Notes Staff 1 .Never Gonna Fall - Lisa Stansfield (Arista) 2.Together i^ain - Janet Jackson (Virgin) 3.1t’s Raining Men...(The Sequel) - Martha Wash feat. RuPaul (Logic) 4. Carry On - Martha Wash (Delirious [UK Import]) 5. Do I - Gifted (Perfecto [UK Import]) 6. Hey Girl - Bizzy Lizz (Progressive High) 7. Turn It Out (Turn To Sugar) - Kathy Brown (Strictly Rhythm) 8. My Love Is Alive - 3rd Party (DV8/A&M) 9. Breaking All The Rules - She Moves (Geffen) 10.A11 Cried Out r Allure (Crave) 11 .Don’t Go - Le Click (Logic) 12. Dirty Cash (Remixes) - Adventures of Stevie V (Clubtools [German Import]) 13. Much Better - Club 69 (Twisted) 14. Respect - Aretha Franklin (White Label) 15. Breakaway (Eddie Baez Remixes) - France Joli (Popular) 16. Carnival - S. Cabar (Azuli [UK Import]) 17. Been Around The World - Puff Daddy (Bad Boy) 18.1t’s Over Love - Todd Terry feat. Shannon (Manifesto [UK Import]) 19. Dreams (Artful Dodger Remix) - Gabrielle (White Label) 20. Miracle - Olive (RCA [UK Import]) y by Brian D. Holcomb Q-Notes Staff Tap Dogs is the creation of Aussie tapper Dein Perry, who began dancing at age four, and spent six years as an industrial machine me chanic (hence the construction-site set) before moving to Sydney, a la Gene KeUey to break into show business. He found feirly continu ous work in Sydney theatre and formed a men’s tap group from among his friends before mov ing to London to choreograph the musical Hot Shoe Shuffle. After winning the Olivier (Britain’s highest theatre award), he remrned to Austra lia where he created Tap Dogs with director/ designer Nigel Triffitt and composer Andrew Wilkie. In addition to winning Perry a second Olivier, Tap Dogs has played to massive critical and popular success around the world. Don’t miss this chance. V There is a lot of the atre happening in the next few weeks. Here are a few sug gestions: To Kill a Mock ingbird: one of the few great novels that translates well into film and stage. The Childrens’ Theatre of Char lotte (not just for kids) presents a restaging of its hit production from she years ago. Jill Bloede, one of the sharpest and underappreciated the atrical talents in town, will direct. The cast in cludes Alan Poindexter, Steve Umberger, Kevin Campbell and Sidney Honon. The produaion opens January 30 and runs through February 8. Tickets and info at (704 )333-8983. The Floatplane Notebooks: based upon a novel by much-loved NC author Clyde Edgerton premiered at Charlone Repertory Theatre’s 1996 Charlotte Festival/New Plays in America. Directed by Alan Poindexter, the cast includes Jill Bloede [set Mockingbirdsk>o'f€},]vccL Gloster, Barbi Vanschaick (the angel from An gels In America), and Gina Stewart. Doubting Thomas, a band led by Stewart, will provide original music for the production. Performances Feb 4-15. Tickets and info at (704) 372-1000. An Ideal Husband: Theatre Charlotte con tinues to dissolve the “community theatre” image by attempting a show outside the usual realm of amateur groups. Oscar Wilde is tr^ chic just now due to the success of Gross Inde cency, a play detailing Wilde’s trial for “crimes against nature” that is thrilling audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Wilde’s usual witti cisms about art, politics, and the intellectual life are surprisingly apropos today. The cast, including Catherine Smith (a personal favor ite), Polly Adkins and Mark Farmer, make it a sure bet. Performances are Feb. 5-22. Tickets and info at (704) 334-9128. V
Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 24, 1998, edition 1
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