The Legend of Georgia McBride (review)

Spoilers ahoy! 

I enjoyed this show immensely.  Even the concept alone grabbed my attention.  Imagine of you will a struggling Elvis impersonator (Taubert Nadalini) in Panama City (which is on the Florida Gulf Coast--I grew up across the bay from it in real life) with a loving wife (Karese Frizell).  The owner (Tom Trudgeon) of the bar decides to try hiring a drag show in hopes of bringing in customers, headlining his cousin (Jeff Sumner) and her friend (Donzell Lewis), the latter of whom drinks a bit too much.  One night, said drinking makes a performance impossible.  Our lead ends up having to go on instead, in a panic but with a theatre background that says The Show Must Go On!

And in the process, he finds out not only does he have a huge talent in this direction, he also loves it very much.  To his own personal shock, btw.  Amidst his panic, he also makes a big mistake--namely, not telling his wife the complete truth of where all this extra income is coming from.  Which in turn blows up in his face, big time.

But all that is just an outline.  As promising as that outline looks, what counts is the execution--which was great!  I had such a delicious time my only real regret was being alone so I had someone to gush with about the show on my way home!  Yes, the performances were all good (including a bunch of truly delightful lip-sync drag numbers, of ever-increasing energy and power), but what I loved most was the execution of this story.  Each character had their own arc, their own moments to shine, their own understandable motives as well as revelations.  My one worry early on was that the show might simply exploit this cultural element that is drag, but by the middle of the second act that worry had vanished in a puff of sparkling smoke.  The Legend of Georgia McBride is more than a flamboyant show that uses drag, it respects and appreciates it, without demanding we share one specific point of view on the subject.

Which helps make this one of the best pieces of theatre I've seen all year!  Strongly recommended not only to tickle your funny bone, but touch your heart, open your mind, and put a grin on your face.

The Legend of Georgia McBride plays Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm until June 26, 2022 at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 330 East Seaside Way Long Beach, CA 90802.