Hey everybody. Guess what. Kiki and Herb are coming to the Kimmel Center this weekend, and Johnny Broad-Street couldn't be happier. This quirky show is exactly the kind of thing I enjoy seeing on the KC stages. I stand before you a straight man who enjoys the heck out of a good drag show. It's a scene I am fascinated by and as a theatre director I am constantly trying to pinpoint the appeal of. For some, it's a disarming shock-value type of thing, though I think that may be an antiquated response, and one that's waning daily. For others, it may be the appeal of having saucy characters like Kiki saying the things we only wish we could say from behind the veil of 3 quarters of a ton of MAC makeup and a fabulously tacky quaff. For me, I think it's just the beauty and tradition of a cabaret style which is constantly evolving, while maintaining just enough of it's soul to make the audience feel like they are truly part of something. Either way, Philadelphia has a great tradition of small cabaret drag performers, and it's so great to see a show like this taking the Kimmel Stage.
Ok...that's my little speach on the merits of drag shows....what sorts of things would you guys like to see at the Kimmel that maybe you haven't so far? This can be specific artists, genres or other types of events.
(Come on...you didn't actually think I was going to just comment on drag shows and not ask for a little audience participation, now did you?)
Bob & Barbara's meets the Kimmel! My only request is that Restaurant Associates would offer the same special as B & B's ;)
In all honestly though, now that we've had The Roots and drag to come...what else is there? Maybe a true crossover night, where The Roots come back in drag and Kiki & Herb enter the plaza with a brass band. Now that would take the cake.