🚀 go-pugleaf

Phillip R. Ford's DOLLS
On Broadway Theatre in SF
435 Broadway between Kearny and Montgomery

Performances Wed-Sat 8:30pm through mid March

Tickets $12-18 Call Life on Water at 415/776-8999 or BASS at 510/762-BASS


Phillip R. Ford has taken a moldy old Chestnut, 60's cult film classic VALLEY
OF THE DOLLS, and with an alchemists deft touch has created pure Gold! A
combination of equity, and legitimate Bay Area actors team with underground
drag stars of world class talent to produce your guilty-treat-must-see of the
season.

But actress Connie Champagne *is* Neely O'Hare, and would *steal* the show, if
it weren't for some formidable competition by "Miss X" as Helen Lawson, and
"Flynn" and "Jade" in the Sharon Tate and Barbara Parkins roles, respectively.
Light-hearted, creative shoe-string staging is combined with about 9
side-splitting film sequences that capture some of the original film's giddier
moments.

The play opens with a dimly lit Connie Champagne, barely seen through the
gauze, singing the film's theme song, while Flynn's voice over about "it was
like climbing Mt.  Everest" is combined with ground-level shots of the trio
negotiating some boulders at Land's End... in their heels!

"Miss X" builds on her reputation established in Ford's sci-fi film "Planet
Vegas" ... she tosses off "Who the hell are you" coated in ice cubes. All
songs/vocals are "live" ... and my one complaint is that the film's tacky
mobile is missing from the "I'll Plant My Own Tree" number.  Ford adds one
extra song for Miss X, the goofy "two-faced" woman, drawn from "Torch Song,"
Joan Crawford's MGM 1953 comeback vehicle. The male back up dancers capture
every move from the original film, down to the on their knees hands to floor
slamming surrender.

Connie as Neely captures every nuance, and delivers her performance with almost
religious ferver. She even manages to make the famous inverse "m" with her
beads caught over each boob. Spend a little extra and fight for the front row
seats to capture her amazing hologram of Neely's "fall to her knees" final
performance. Her twitching fingers will engrave themselves in your memory,
along with Norma Desmond's final staircase descent in "Sunset Blvd."

Devotees of the original film will be able to anticipate wonderful send-ups and
come away as satisfiied as regular viewers of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show"
or "Mommy Dearest." Mainstream attendees who may be unfamiliar with the film
will find much of the humor and imagery irrestible.

Which ever camp you come from, you'll walk away whistling the tunes, and
feeling it's the best $12-18 you've spent in a long, long time. All of the
vocals are strong, (special notice to Steve Small as ailing nightclub
performer, "Tony Polar")


Public Transportation = 15 Third St. Bus, 30 Stockton or 83 Pacific


p.s. Trash art film distributor, TROMA, has picked up the distribution rights
to Ford's camp classic, the world's first, (and probably only) all drag queen
sci-fi film.  Filmed on a shoestring, it took Ford an incredible 8 years to
complete the film... which rivals John Water's epics with Divine for road-kill
fascination entertainment.  Don't miss it!


-- 
Max Hoffmann

The views expressed herein are strictly my own, and are 
not necessarily those of my employer.