SHIT AND CHAMPAGNE

Both have an intoxicating, unmistakable odor and both are bubbly--well, when you have diarrhea! But isn't that a horrid way to begin a review of a delightful new play called SHIT AND CHAMPAGNE? There are only 2 more shows to catch--this Friday May 5th and May 12th--and I highly recommend that you do not miss it! It's unlikely to ever be remounted, since from the looks of it, the stars are all about to be institutionalized. I hope I'm in the same loony bin cuz these nuts are a hoot and a half! It's very reminiscent of the Theatre Couture productions of the 90's in that the plot and style is derivative of nostalgic film classics, with tons of drags and cheap gags. Less production value than Theatre Couture and perhaps less polished writing, but with much more scenery-chewing from this energetic cast. If you don't believe me, here's what some other reviewers have had to say.



“Funny, fast moving and furious![It’s] Showgirls meets Kill Bill.”
Mark O’Donnell – Hairspray the Musical

"Exciting and refreshing to see people being ridiculous again."
Everett Quinton - The Ridiculous Theatrical Company

"In the true spirit of Ridiculous Theater, Shit & Champagne is a scatological, totally hilarious comedy."
Tom Murrin - Paper Magazine

"Gutsy, glamorous and gloriously gonzo."
Robert Richards


When I walked into the Slipper room and the curtains opened to reveal a blonde-wigged (with roots), ditzy, gutter-mouthed drag queen just brimming with personailty and cheesy dance moves, I leapt to my feet with my hands in the air shouting "That bitch stole my act!" The only difference between us is that, Darcy Drollinger, the effervescent tranvestite star, is thin and well-rehearsed. And she wrote this "Shit." Billed as a "Whitesploitation Comedy With Dance", the 2 hour laughfest is meant to be ridiculous with no opportunity for a cheap gag missed. Or shit joke. Or sound effect. As someone who is no stranger to cornball sound effects within my own cheesy act, I was impressed. Not only did a crackling sound effect accompany each time an arm was twisted, or fingers were manipulated in concentration, they even had a different crackling effect for when balls were grabbed and squeezed in (my one gripe) the one too many fight scenes. And not just fart sounds and lotsa shit-stained underwear, but they actually included one sound effect to unerscore falling and sliding in shit. Any excuse for a schmaltzy love scene is thrown in as well, and the whole show is scored with excellent dramatic music, some as pointlessly entertaining as a 5 second dance to MC HAMMER's CAN'T TOUCH THIS when detective Hammer is introduced.



The whole cast sparkles in that eager to please hambone tradition of which I never tire. There are costume amd wig changes galore and an intricate plot involving Darcy/Champagne, a stripper, who must avoid the mob to enact her boyfriend's dying wishes, and safeguard the dvd he gives her before he pops off. The dvd is coveted by a hilarious villainess in a completely ridiculous ensemble. She reminds me of the frog-faced villainess in COFFY, who acts and dresses as if she's a fox, but who was clearly designed to repulse the primarily black audiences as a fine example of a easy-to-hate, ugly, cruel small-tittied white woman. Coffy's villainess is one of my all-time fav screen characters, and Anne Gaynor as Dixie Stamped does her total justice in this show.

Beloved scenester Brandon Oleson appears in a variety of ridiculous roles which he plays with aplomb, from Champagne's lesbian calf-model roomie to haggy waitress to Walmart supervisor. Kat Ventura also triples up on her roles and excels as a trashy, over-it stripper, a tragi-comic drag king, and best of all, perky announcer who sets each scene with a cheap placard to denote each new location since there ain't no sets. But The Slipper Room is a very attractive, slightly decayed old world lower east side dive bar turned trendy. And what hasn't turned trendy down there that didn't turn high end?



Like Barbara Patterson Lloyd's (Google her) act, most of the jokes are groaners. Some are groaners which are funny enough to make you laugh, some just make you groan. And some just make you shake your head and think "Y'all asses just wrong!", all of which is intentional. (I think.) But any holes in the script are quickly patched up with the actors' zippy timing and tight direction from Greg Ayres and intentionally silly choreography by John Paolilo.

Check out their website: SHITANDCHAMPAGNE

The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard St. @ Stanton, NYC
Every Friday @ 8pm beginning April 21st

ONLY TWO SHOWS LEFT, Y'ALL! AND ONLY $15!