When you think about Mae West, the words warm, sweet and touching don’t usually come to mind—yet they aptly describe of CVRep’s current offering, Claudia Shear’s Dirty Blonde.
The play opened on Broadway May 1, 2000, and went on to earn five Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Play. It follows the story of two Mae West fans: Jo, a boisterous office temp and part-time actress, and Charlie, a shy, nerdy movie archivist at the New York Public Library. They meet at West’s grave on the anniversary of her death, and they strike up a friendship.
The unfolding of their relationship is intertwined with West’s own story—from her early days in vaudeville, to her arrest on obscenity charges after staging her play Sex on Broadway, to her subsequent movie career, including She Done Him Wrong with Cary Grant, and I’m No Angel.
The stories mesh quite well. Each of the three actors in the cast plays multiple characters, and they segue effortlessly between personas.
With a small ensemble cast like this, it’s imperative to have strong actors onstage. You can’t afford a weak link—and luckily, that’s not a problem in this production.
Broadway veteran Cady Huffman is fabulous as both Jo and Mae West herself. Big, buxom and bawdy, she’s great fun to watch. Her Jo is a chatty extrovert, yet also charmingly vulnerable. The idea of spending an evening with her shooting the breeze over a bottle of wine is appealing. Huffman’s portrayal of West is quite good. She captures the legend’s sexual swagger and rebelliousness, while also giving us a glimpse of the humanity underneath it all. She’s got the curves, the voice and the attitude.
Joshua Morgan is tremendous as the timid Charlie. He’s quiet and low-key in most areas of his life, but his passion is clear when it comes to Mae West. As his connection with Jo grows, a romantic side he might not have known he had begins to emerge. After the two have a spat, the pain of his bruised ego is palpable. Morgan’s acting is superb, and his handling of multiple roles is quite impressive.
Rounding out this stellar cast is another Broadway vet, William Ryall. He is spot-on as West’s song-and-dance-partner-turned husband, Frank Wallace: “It makes ‘em crazy that she sins … and she wins.” He also plays Ed Hearn, a gay actor West cast in her controversial play The Drag, with relish. Ryall has exceptional stage presence; you can’t take your eyes off him. He’s witty, urbane and a hoot.
Ably putting his actors through their paces is director Philip Wm. McKinley. McKinley has impressive credits, including directing the Tony-nominated Broadway musical The Boy From Oz starring Hugh Jackman. He demonstrates his magic touch with this production, eliciting outstanding performances from his cast.
The musical numbers scattered throughout this production are great fun. Most notable are “Cuddle Up and Cling to Me,” “Oh My, How We Pose” and Bob Stillman’s original tune “Dirty Blonde.” Kudos to musical director Michael Reno.
The set here is sparse; it consists mostly of a desk and a few chairs that are moved around from scene to scene to depict Charlie’s office, Mae’s New York apartment, and so on. That might be problematic on a stage as large as CVRep’s, but what makes it work are the multiple slides shown on a giant screen upstage. They make us believe we are at Cypress Hills Cemetery, on a Hollywood movie set, or in Mae West’s opulent penthouse apartment. Set designer Jimmy Cuomo once again show he knows his stuff.
Joshua Adams (sound design) and Moira Wilkie (lighting design) create just the right ambience.
Any play about Mae West needs to have impressive costuming, and Frank Cazares and Emma Bibo deliver, big-time. The gowns are stunning. Hair and makeup (Lynda Shaeps) are top-notch as well.
This production runs about one hour and 45 minutes, and there is no intermission. Going that long without a break can be a risky proposition, but it works here. The show is entertaining enough that I never once looked at my watch.
Dirty Blonde is not just another rehashing of Mae West’s life and career. It gives us some insight into what she was like behind all the platinum wigs and the vamping. We’re reminded once again that stardom may not be all it’s cracked up to be—and the companion story of Jo and Charlie shows us that there might occasionally be a positive side to star worship. Sometimes it brings people to together in unexpected ways.
CVRep’s Dirty Blonde is funny, bawdy and poignant. Go see it.
Dirty Blonde will be performed at 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, Jan. 29, at the CVRep Playhouse, 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City. Tickets are $63. For tickets or more information, call 760-296-2966, or visit www.cvrep.org.
Behind the Wigs: CVRep’s Star-Studded Production of ‘Dirty Blonde’ Tells Two Intertwined Stories Involving Mae West is a story from Coachella Valley Independent, the Coachella Valley’s alternative news source.