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BUZZ'IN
by Lee "The Hat Guy" Hartgrave for the San
Francisco Spectrum
FAMILY VALUES! -- ‘BREAKFAST
WITH SCOT’
"Breakfast with Scot" is the World Premiere of Michael
Downing’s new play, based on his novel of the same name. The
story is about two gay men who are lovers. They seem to have had
a pretty usual kind of life working and being a two-person family
— when suddenly they end-up with a kid. This kid did not just
walk in to their lives — but was turned over to the lovers
by the brother of one of the men. It seems that the brother is selfish
and irresponsible. The kid’s mother has died from a drug overdose
— so daddy went off to find meaning to life.
This story is about adjusting. But, how does a happy twosome adjust
to a young boy — who has a penchant to wearing pink, perfumes,
makeup and outrageous costumes to school? Yes, the other boys pick
on him and call him names. The kid is a sissy — and one of
the lovers just doesn’t know how to deal with this. Not that
he is that straight himself — he also is a bit of a swish.
I think that this is where the play veers from it’s original
intent. Maybe the only swish in the play was meant to be the kid.
That is where the conflict would really take on more meaning. However,
someone has decided to make one of the lovers "The Camp of
the family" — you know, the one who has all the good bitchy
remarks that are guaranteed to get a laugh. And laugh they did.
I usually don’t care for plays with children in them. They
somehow seem like little robots to me. As a matter of fact, I agreed
with the one lover in the play — about how disagreeable children
are to have around. I have always said that they should be frozen
and thawed out when they reach thirty-five. However the kid in this
play — (Sam Garber) does actually surpass the snotty little
brat image and fleshes out the character quite nicely. The lovers
are Ed — Javier Galito-Cava (he’s the one with all the
good lines) and Sam — Scott Cox. Both actors give convincing
roles. Cox plays the more sure-footed one in the house, while Galito-Cava
is the frayed, over the edge housewife type who is always fretting.
Turning in a marvelous performance is Elias Escobedo who amazingly
plays the black sheep brother Billy/a Guard at the museum/and a
customer. Also excellent is Stephanie Temple who plays the boys
mother and brother Billy’s new love interest who is a southern
bell. I thought she was swell, except for a moment when she slipped
into her Mae West role from an earlier play "Dirty Blonde"
that she starred in. This play is a reality based fairy tale that
turns out to be exceptional entertainment. It’s a cup full
of sugar with a hint of enchantment. It’s all you can ask for
to end the summer with! At The New Conservatory Theater Center.
RATING: FOUR GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE. The Lee Hartgrave Fame Awards
go to Javier Galito-Cava and Elias Escobedo for acting and Ed Decker
for directing.
You won’t want to miss this: The
musical comedy "Pageant" that had a long run here several
years ago with take the runway at the New Conservatory in September.
It’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen. Pageant
is a spoof on Beauty Pageants — and is more fun than you deserve
at the theater. Get ready for the swimsuit competition.
DAME EDNA — THE INTERVIEW!
Or as Godzilla, the Guv, Might say: An Interview with a GirlieBoy.
It was swell it was great…it was grand! The splashy landing
of Dame Edna was at the elegant, fabulant, exoticlant Ritz Carlton.
This hotel is so unique that you have to go up to go down. For instance,
when you want the 3rd floor after arriving at what you
would think was the main Vfloor — you are directed to the elevator
and instructed to push button three. Ok…no problem, except
three takes you to the basement. Oh, it’s a plush basement
to be sure. The waiting room was furnished in a style befitting
Dame Edna… with just the right touches that you would expect
from a Ritz Carlton. Silver glittered everywhere — holding
mellow coffee, rare teas — and of course, someone running over
to pick up every sugar wrapper — left on the table. I agree
with them — I just hate seeing sugar wrappers sitting around.
How un-Ritz. In the waiting room were the usual suspects. There
was a guy from "Where Magazine"…Channel Five was
there and the TV Reporter was wearing a strange combo of clothes
that must have sent Dame Edna to the eye doc to get new glasses.
And of course, who swept in? You guessed it…the "Hat
Lady" — Of course we all heard her voice before she even
got to the basement. "Hi — I’m Jan Wahl she said":
She’s met me a million times before, but always pretends it’s
the first time. And yes, I let her use me to get her name out there
one more time.
Enough of the intriguing atmosphere people (as they say on the
movie set). Bring the atmosphere in. In the room were all these
doors, and people kept coming and going somewhere. It was like an
English farce. Could I have stumbled onto the set of "Noises
Off" and not realized it? Suddenly — without much fanfare,
we were summended down the hall to another room — with folding
seats neatly lined up in front of a stage. The T.V. station took
tests to get just the right lighting. One of the crewmen sat on
the throne like chair that was there for The Dame. Trying to get
his moment of fame…he quipped: "Hello all you Possums
out there." No one seemed to laugh — so I guess he’ll
have to stick to being behind the Camera — not in front.
And then it happened — the Ritz Manager Christophe, introduced
the Dame. Something about we are so pleased to have this great international
star here at the Ritz Carlton. "I now give you Dame Edna. Well,
I have to tell you — she had on more diamonds than they have
at Tiffany’s. It was blinding. Between the winged diamond glasses
and her purple hair…I was becoming psych-a-delic. "I wore
the cheapest dress I had" she said. "The reason I did
that — is because it’s the kind of dress that even a San
Francisco Housewife could make."
Singer Shawn Ryan is part singer and part comic. A great deal of
his show is comedy, mostly based on his experiences, his life and
how he got to where he is today. Maybe that’s why he starts
the show with "Feelin’ Good" from ‘Roar of the
Greasepaint’. It seems to fit his mood and his new slimmed
down body. "If you saw me last time I was here — you probably
remember that I was forty-five pounds heavier!" — he said.
Ryan sang a lot of songs that are familiar like Moon River (Great),
and "Getting to Know You", but what I really liked most
about his show this time was the addition of some current things
like "Popular" from the musical Wicked. It was delicious.
He should consider doing more current stuff. Even songs from the
50’s would be a welcome change from all the things from the
30’s and 40’s that everyone else always sings. Also good
was his "New York Medley". Then there is the special material
in the show, such as David Friedman’s "Rich, Famous and
Powerful", a song about how to make it in showbiz or not make
it in showbiz. They don’t come any funnier than that, and Ryan
really gave it all the nuances to make it something that stays in
your mind. To me, that is the sign of a really good entertainer,
when they leave you with something that you will remember them for
months and months. Well, maybe weeks.
I’ve heard "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Follies
many times, but never quite as touching as Ryan’s version.
I could say that it was an erotic evening, but I won’t. Instead
— I’ll just say that this is what a Cabaret performance
should be. It’s smooth and touching with some knockout versions
of familiar songs. For a great San Francisco Night out — see
Shawn Ryan at the Empire Plush Room. You’ll emerge exhilarated.
RATING: FOUR GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE!!!! The Lee
Hartgrave Fame Award goes to Shawn Ryan for all-around entertainer.
NEXT WEEK: AN INTERVIEW WITH DAME EDNA WHO OPENS AT
THE CURRAN THEATER IN SEPTEMBER.
It’s phone buzz time: Send Love Notes, Hate Letters and tips
to buzztatler@aol.com.
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