Dirty Blonde

J. Fred Shiffman as Mae's soon to be ex-husband Frank Wallace wondering: Was it something I said?

Fresh back from the Tony Awards, where the Signature was the 2009 recipient for regional theater, the area's premier musical venue has launched its current season with a flamboyant production of Dirty Blonde (to 10/4), written by Claudia Shear. Signature, which has turned the transfer of big shows into small spaces into an art form, succeeds again. The last time the play (then it was lower-case dirty) passed this way at the Kennedy Center, with two-thirds of the original Broadway cast, including Ms. Shear, I was in nosebleed heaven and had a problem connecting with the performance. I had no problem this time around; neither will you.

The direction by Jeremy Skidmore is more considerate of the narrative elements in this production - it felt more rushed at the Kennedy Center - and the show proceeds at a more leisurely pace. Combined with the musical direction and staging of Gabriel Mangiante and Matthew Gardiner, respectively, Dirty Blonde has a focused flow. When the characters break into the old soft shoe you'll have no trouble grasping the meaning. The music is nicely integrated into the show. "Oh My, How We Pose," a geriatric "Dirty Blonde," and "A Guy What Takes His Time" were particularly well choreographed (and hilarious), the last showcasing the transformative moment, in split-time, when, like magic, Mae and Jo both realized their idealized selves.

Billed as a play with music, Dirty Blonde is a biopic on the life of Mae West which is interwoven with the relationship of two idolizing fans, Jo and Charlie, who seek fulfillment in the star's persona. A pair of misfits, she is a temp and small time actress, while he is a film archivist with a quirky secret. It features the classic Mae West quips, double entendres, and one-liners. If the play is a meditation on icons and divas, it's also one of fandom. Dirty Blonde's tale unfolds in a parallel universe where past and present worlds play out and converge. Performed by three actors - the female in dual roles with Jo and Mae at a number of ages and the two males assaying a half dozen unique and distinct characters each from the actress's life - it's the eternal triangle drawn upward by the eternal feminine.

Starring the talented Emily Skinner as Mae - from 1911 Vaudeville to the 1930s silver screen and late 1970s - and the present day Jo, the actress is mightily impressive for quick changing the characters along with the costumes as she moves back and forth in time and age. Ms. Skinner is physically closer in appearance to Mae than Ms. Shear, and has got the diction down, but it seemed to work at odds with her vocalization, at the loss of some of the lyrics, particularly with the aged actress. However, she is captivating whenever and whoever she is playing and her bravura performance while portraying Mae is easily matched by her vivacity as Jo.

Hugh Nees gives a sympathetic portrayal of a fan's fan who has had his own transformative moment early in life. This central conceit is a bit of a stretch and didn't quite work for me, but the audience seemed to love it. He is Midwest nice as Charlie, but when he's bad, as in beaten, he's positively whipped. Mr. Nees shows great range with his characterization of the Duchess and W.C. Fields. Three-time Helen Hayes Award Winner Fred Shiffman is incapable of a bad performance, and always a delight, whether sashaying as the Outloud Ed Hearn or giving direction with gusto as Edward Elsner.

The show's visual elements are total eye candy. Scenic design by Daniel Conway features a dual-framed functional set, emblematic of the alternate realities, sliding brocade-stenciled screens, and lavender/gold color palette expertly captured by the lighting of Dan Covey who also advances the storyline with the use of audiovisuals against the backdrop wall. Costumes by Helen Huang are a splashy marvel of colors, feathers, and sequins on Ms. Skinner while the period-piece styling and flourish for the men would work at Minsky's or the Copacabana. Sound by Matt Rowe effectively accompanied the dance routines and accentuated the scenes.

Ms. West had a Diane Arbus kind of attraction to society's outliers, taking all she could from them to flesh out her role of a lifetime. Was she seeing a reflection of herself here or just plain opportunity? Was she trapped in her mantle of celebrity or were we? Why doncha come up and see!

Sound check: Low to moderate but reaches extremely high levels (vibrations can be felt) during disco scene and at finale

Program notes: Good, would have benefited from director and/or dramaturgy notes as well as a song list

Applause meter: Recommended, 3+ hands

Runtime: 1 hour and 40 minutes without an intermission

Photo credits: Scott Suchman