"Queenie was a blonde and her age stood still
And she danced twice a day in the vaudeville
Gray eyes
Lips like coals aglow
Her face was a tinted mask of snow"
So begins Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party--a musical that debuted a few years back in New York. It's set in a roaring '20s not often considered in popular culture. The show concerns two vaudeville performers: the aforementioned Quuenie (a showgirl) and Burrs--a clown. They seem like the perfect match. He likes sleaze. She likes sleaze. He likes kink. She likes kink. So they move in together in an apartment in Manhattan.
Things get complicated, so Queenie throws a party in an attempt to embarrass Burrs. Included in the guest list is a prizefighter, a pair of flamboyant incestuous brothers, a theatre producer, a hooker and a lesbian madam among others. Might be the usual crowd. Might not be. Sounds like fun in any case. And thanks to a Paul Suozzi-directed UWM production opening next week, you can join them. The show features choreography by Darci Brown Wutz and musical direction by Kerry Hart.
The show runs February 8th -10th at the Helen Bader Concert Hall at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts on 2419 East Kenwood Boulevard. For ticker reservations, visit UWM online.
