A Hilarious Production of
Pageant at the NCTC

Also see Richard's review of Beggar's Holiday

Alvy Holloway, Trauma Flintstone and Justin Weatherby

The New Conservatory Theatre Center continues its 10th Pride Season with Albert Evans, Bill Russell, Frank Kelley’s Pageant at the newly remodeled Decker Theatre at the NCTC.

I first saw this hilarious “put on” at the Blue Angel in New York in 1991, and later I was one of the investors in the San Francisco run some time ago. The 90-minute travesty has been revived in almost every state in this country, plus a great revival at the King’s Head in London in 2000 directed by Bill Russell. The musical was such a hit at the small theatre that is was moved to the larger Vaudeville on the Strand. The production received two Olivier Award nominations.

Director Dyan McBride has put together six great drag queens and a Las Vegas lounge Master of Ceremonies. This a glamour pageant to end all glamour spectacles, put on by the Glamouresse Corporation of Boca Raton, Florida. The “lovely beauties” give wild and wonderful commercials on products to make every woman alluring and beautiful: hairspray with ozone repair, a very funny smooth facial spackle to clean up those pores on your face, and solar rollers presented by the Spanish/English speaking queen Miss Industrial Northwest (Patrick O Sanchez). It's 90 minutes of pure camp with no holds barred, going a wee bit over the top at times.

Pageant is an audience-friendly show and it certainly satirizes every beauty contest that I seen over the years. The clever and witty dialogue as they try to be serious is a real hoot, thanks to the genius of Bill Russell and Frank Kelly. This dialogue holds up after all these years, thanks to the wonderful put on by all of the talented drag queens.

Pageant's evening gown competition has some of the most tacky gowns in creation. The talent contest is a scream and the swim suit contest is not to be believed. You have not lived until you hear Miss Deep South (Justin Weatherby) sing “Oh Susannah!” and “Camptown Ladies” with male and female dummies on either knee, and using several voices for the dummies. It is so bad, it is uproarious.

Kudos to Patrick Michael Dukeman, who is really marvelous as Miss Bible Belt. He is fabulous in his walk, movements and his asides to the Lord. It is a tour de force for this very talented actor, and his song, “I’m Banking on Jesus,” is a real hoot. Patrick O. Sanchez almost steals the show with his wonderful imitation of a mixture of Spanish and English and an accent that sounds like Charo on speed. His “talent act” of coming out on stage in roller skates and playing an accordion is priceless. He is also great as Miss Glamouresse of 2004. The ex-beauty queen thanks all of those people who gave her lunches, brunches, and dinner this past year and her shape looks it.

Trauma Flintstone is super as the nauseatingly abortive Miss Texas, an heiress to an oil fortune. Trama gets the greatest laughs throughout the 90 minute romp. The over the top tap dance number, singing about the Lone Star state, goes beyond funny to pure hysterical. It was fun to watch Miss Texas lose to Miss Deep South (the night we saw the review). Her barely controlled wrath and fake passion were pure delight. Daniel Howard as Miss West Coast is very funny giving an interpretive dance of the Seven Ages of Me. This graduate of the EST movement is completely spaced out through the performance.

Tomas Theriot as Miss Great Plains is personable as a farm girl doing the dramatic monologue illustrating the “raping” of America’s soil and eating the “dirt.” Alvy Holloway as the emcee in his Las Vegas tux, looking and acting a lot like Wayne Newton, is silly, smooth and snappy. Hhis insincerity is there for all to see.

Each night, six audience members are judges (I have been told that Miss Deep South, Miss Bible Belt or Miss Texas usually wins the crown). Each pagaent particpant has a crazy ending, depending on who wins. Designer Cat Stevans has covered the stage with a satin type material that makes the set very opulent.

Pageant plays through October 17 at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco. Tickets are available through the NCTC box office at 415-861-8972 or on line at www.nctcsf.org.

Photo: Lois Tema

Cheers - and be sure to Check the lineup of great shows this season in the San Francisco area

- Richard Connema