By Michael Seidel and Patti Smithson
Arriving at the Oddfellows Building on Black Friday, audience members ushered in the holiday season with some alternative fa la la fun. With a fully stocked Tin Table wassail bowl in the back of the hall, decorations that put Macy’s to shame, and frivolity all around, the holiday joy was palpable.
As the hostess for the evening, Ben DeLaCreme arrived to introduce her “family of choice,” a talented cast of colorful characters to ring in Holiday Season 2010 with song, dance, and enough naughtiness to fill several coal cars.
After a prelude from the tippy-toed Paris Original, the lusciously lip-smacking Fuschia Foxxx set the audience’s Yule logs aflame. Her tasty burlesque number gave new meaning to decorating cookies. With the prancing Paris as her able sous chef, she was strategically slathered in whipped cream and sprinkles. As the resident pastry chef, Michael said, “Huh… I’ve been doing it wrong all these years.”
The über-talented Cherdonna and Lou Henry Hoover showcased their zany dance abilities as reindeer ushering in a most terrifying Santa Claus/Weeble Wobble hybrid. And of course they can’t just let that image be. Oh no. It naturally has to be taken one step further…
The highlight of the evening came at the end of the first act when DeLaCreme showed up in a dress made of ornaments and, as Michael said, “That stuff… you know… schach from the top of my sukkah.” (Patti informed him this it is really called garland.) Attendees were then launched into an absolutely brilliant Lady Gaga Christmas album medley, with the whole cast as back-up dancers. Really, really funny.
In the second act, Ilvs Strauss has a sacrilegiously funny scene as our tattooed Birthday Boy on the phone with his omnipotent father. Paris Original and Lou Henry Hoover got a chance to showcase their more serious dance ability in a piece inspired by A Christmas Carol. An honestly hilarious Hanukkah moment represented for the Chosen Few in the audience. Fuschia Foxxx returned with an icy belly dance number that had enough gyrations to power a fleet of snow plows. Finally, an alternative holiday evening such as this would not have been complete without the chance to laugh at a Teabagger snowman effigy.
Each night of Homo for the Holidays brings a different special guest, so each show is guaranteed to be different. On Black Friday, audiences were blessed with humorist pianist Victor Janusz, who performed some clever reworkings of classics and had some of his own.
When the other cloying holiday offerings in town have got you down, this is the show to see. Remaining shows are happening Hanukkah weekend (one can only imagine what this troupe will have cooked up for that) and Christmas Eve. Check out BenDeLaCreme.com for ticket information and the other special celebrity guests appearing each night.
