Review: 'The Legend of Geogia McBride' at Seven Angels Theatre

Dedicated to the always fabulous Summer Orlando

Waterbury, CT - THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE is running at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, an Equity Professional Theatre located in Hamilton Park in Waterbury. Seven Angels is in the midst of their 29th Mainstage season and will be celebrating their 30th anniversary on Oct. 17, 2020. Save the date.

Artistic Director Semina De Laurentis mentioned during her curtain speech that this talented group of actors worked with their director/choreographer Russell Garrett (HONKEY TONK LAUNDRY at 7A, JOSEPH/DREAMCOAT in Sharon, CT) and the production team for a mere two and a half weeks to put together this very funny play with music that has plenty of heart. The quick costume changes and drag performances required by this script written by Matthew Lopez (THE WHIPPING MAN) makes the short rehearsal period even more impressive.

In THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE, the main character Casey is a young Elvis impersonator working in a Florida bar who is about to become a first-time father. Then Eddie the bar owner brings in a drag show (in an effort to draw crowds larger than seven patrons to the venue,) and Elvis must leave the building. So “The King” transforms into an all-out queen with the help of some colorful new friends. The playwright wrote the play as a valentine to the drag queens who helped mentor him through his coming out as gay while growing up in Florida.

In her director’s letter in the program, Ms. De Laurentis explains why she was drawn to this play, which she describes as one of the most produced plays around the country. While I had never even heard this title before learning that 7A planned to produce it, I can certainly understand its popularity after attended a performance on their famed Cavallo’s Night. By the way, if you are looking for a Thursday performance at Seven Angels, I would recommend the second Thursday of the run as a comfortable night that features an inviting spread of delicious deli sandwiches served by friendly theatre volunteers.

Ms. De Laurentis explains that “the three characters in our show who transform themselves through drag do it for very different reasons. The older, more experienced Miss Tracy, uses it to exaggerate her on-stage persona to have playful fun impersonating iconic female stars. The younger, volatile Rexy uses drag, in her own words, as a “protest, a raised fist in a sequined glove” that validates her place in the world as someone who was born to do this and give her life purpose. And Casey? He finds in his persona, Georgia, not only a way to make a quick buck, but an unexpected means of self-expression that allows him to be a successful, better performer. And ultimately a better person.”

Don’t let this description of the three main characters give you the impression that the storyline of the drag queens overwhelms the comedy of this piece; rather, it dovetails with the humor that I felt would appeal to a wide variety of audiences. I got lost in the entertainment value of the drag performances as easily as the surprisingly heartwarming story.

Jared Reinfeldt leads the cast in the role of Casey. The actor had such a natural stage presence in drag, in street clothes, and everything in between. He played acoustic guitar and sang aloud in addition to many convincing lip synced performances. Mr. Reinfeldt, an Equity member, graduated from Boston College and trained at Circle in the Square. The song “Lost and Found” was written by Joe Tippett with lyrics by Matthew Lopez.

Brittany-Laurelle, an Equity candidate, made her debut at Seven Angels in the role of Casey’s lovely wife Jo, a character with an impressive arc that the actress mastered. Equity member John Salvatore (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, HELLO, DOLLY!, and A CHORUS LINE on Broadway) was a standout in the role of Miss Tracey Mills, a drag queen with a talent for thinking up hysterical drag queen names. Mr. Salvatore portrayed a wide variety of superstars in drag, but perhaps the most memorable scene he performed was in a simple dressing gown outside the character’s front door.

Equity member Eddie Shields was convincing in two roles. He did very well as the drag queen Rexy, where he ably delivered some of the sassiest lines, and then played Casey and Jo’s landlord/friend Jason. Mr. Shields earned an MFA from Brandeis University.

I was so pleased to see Scott Kealey in the role of the owner of the rundown bar named Eddie, the character that appears first on stage to announce the Elvis impersonator. Mr. Kealey appeared in Seven Angels’ THE WIZARD OF OZ this past summer and works with the up and coming talent in the Seven Angels Theatre Camp. Mr. Kealey has performed at Long Wharf, Hartford Stage, Yale Rep and Huntington Theater, but unfortunately I did not have the chance to see any of those performances. He was the perfect choice for this fun role and he seemed to be having a tremendous time bringing it to life, right up to performing in the closing number.

The scenic design of Kyle Dixon includes the modern day apartment of Casey and his wife in Panama City, Florida at stage right and the less-than-luxury dressing room backstage at the bar stage left, as well as the requisite gold Mylar curtain. Lighting design by Doug Macur added to the ambience and kudos to Matt Martin for covering the sound design with plenty of songs for lip-synching. Katrina Paul served as the busy technical director and Tesia Childs must have had to move quickly indeed for her duties as Production Stage Manager.

Special mention to the costume design of Lloyd Hall that included as long line of ensembles that would be the envy of any drag queen. This show marks his first show with Seven Angels, and what a debut it is. Not only did they flatter the performers who wore them, they allowed several of the performers to change into them easily on stage. Wig design by Joel Silvestro of Joel’s of Kensington appeared to be perfectly matched to the genre and were managed beautifully by the performers.

I recommend the second show of the Seven Angels season as a fun, fast-paced and most entertaining piece performed by a very talented cast of hardworking Equity performers. THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE is presented without intermission and runs for almost two hours. The show runs through Dec. 1, 2019; a silent auction that fills most of the 7A lobby also runs before and after the show. Use code “Elvis” to get $10 off for any evening show this week.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

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