THE GOLDEN GIRLS CHRISTMAS

Those campy “girls” of “The Golden Girls Christmas” are back playing in a larger theatre in the Mission District of San Francisco. This is the sixth annual drag re-enactment of two classic holiday episodes starring some of the Bay’s Area’s most prominent performers. It’s definitely a San Francisco event not to mention the most family-friendly drag show you will ever find.

This was the first time I experience this phenomena of four guys dressed as gals playing Rose, Sophia, Dorothy and Blanche. Opening night at the Victoria was like an adult frat party that was full of either fans of the 80’s television series or fans of the drag artists performing the role. The audience even knew the lyrics of the theme song that was played at the beginning of the show. It was one wild night with the audience whooping it up and laughing at every line these artists spoke.

There was something unreal watching Rose (D’Arcy Drollinger filling in for Pollo Del Mar who is recovering from pneumonia), Sophia (Cookie Dough), Dorothy (Heklina) and Blanche (Matthew Martin) performing two 30 minute holiday episodes with the “girls” implementing the episodes with their own special brand of humor.

“Isn’t It Romantic” was about Dorothy’s lesbian friend Jean (Manuel Caneri) coming for a Christmas visit where she falls in love with naïve Rose. Its high camp especially the bright eyed and somewhat air head Rose not knowing what to do with this strange romance.

The second 30 minute scene was “Sister of the Bride”. Blanche’s gay brother Clayton (Laurie Bushman) stays with The Girls over the Christmas Holiday and “surprises” Blanche with the news that he plans to marry his boyfriend Diego (Manuel Caneri). All of the actors shined in this fast pace comedy.
“Golden Girls Christmas” is pure camp and the acting is over the top in many scenes however this cast is having a damn good time up on the Victoria stage. It transfers the good vibes to the audience.

On opening night there were empty blackout scenes in the first act where television commercial should have been place as in the second act. The second act commericals were straight from the 80's such as The Clapper commercial.( a gadget where you could just clap and the house lights would go off and on) or that wonderful cat commerical with the fury beast singing "Meow,meow" waiting for his dinner.

Matthew Martin who looked like a combination of Ros Russell and Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall was wonderful as Blanche. Heklina looked striking like Bea Arthur and even having her speaking voice. It was fine-tuned performance. Cookie Dough looked like Cliff Gorman in drag who played Emory in “Boys In the Band” gave a great comic performance. D’Arcy Drollinger looked like Carol Channing and even sounding like her was first rate as the naïve Rose. Manuel Caneri was properly hammy as Jean and Laurie Buchman was fun as Clayton.

Nathan Rapport designed a nice living room set with a Christmas tree for the Victoria Stage. Costumes by Van Hedwall are excellent and in line with what the original Golden Girls would wear in the 80’s.

“The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes” plays through December 23rd at the Victoria Theatre, 2961 Street, San Francisco. For tickets go to www.ticktfly.com/venue/2161. More information on the show on www.trannshack.com