Darren Stewart-Jones
This musical, set during the prohibition era, is a very important piece of theatre. The Pansy Craze actually has queer, trans and non-binary actors playing queer, trans and non-binary characters, something even Hollywood has yet to aspire to. And they're good. They're very good.
Devin Herbert is a definite standout as Jeanie, a transgender female in an era when the word transgender itself didn't even exist. Jeanie wants to live her life as a woman while almost everyone around her wants her to deny her true self. This is familiar territory for many in the LGBTQ community, even today - almost 100 years later.
The Pansy Craze is reminiscent of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret, or even Chicago, with its (sometimes) dark subject matter being expressed through Vaudevillian style song and dance numbers. Avery Jean Brennan, who I assume to be the heart and soul of this production, has performed her double duties of writer and music director admirably. I would have liked to have seen her incorporated into the action more obviously as a piano player is certainly not out of place in most of the play's locales.
This is an important piece of queer theatre performed well by an exuberant young cast. Check it out.
Tickets and info for all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
This musical, set during the prohibition era, is a very important piece of theatre. The Pansy Craze actually has queer, trans and non-binary actors playing queer, trans and non-binary characters, something even Hollywood has yet to aspire to. And they're good. They're very good.
Devin Herbert is a definite standout as Jeanie, a transgender female in an era when the word transgender itself didn't even exist. Jeanie wants to live her life as a woman while almost everyone around her wants her to deny her true self. This is familiar territory for many in the LGBTQ community, even today - almost 100 years later.
The Pansy Craze is reminiscent of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret, or even Chicago, with its (sometimes) dark subject matter being expressed through Vaudevillian style song and dance numbers. Avery Jean Brennan, who I assume to be the heart and soul of this production, has performed her double duties of writer and music director admirably. I would have liked to have seen her incorporated into the action more obviously as a piano player is certainly not out of place in most of the play's locales.
This is an important piece of queer theatre performed well by an exuberant young cast. Check it out.
Tickets and info for all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
No comments:
Post a Comment