Review: Ms. Blakk for President Is a Raucous Campaign Rally and Reminder of the AIDS Crisis
Legalize everything and tax the fuck out of it.
The Democratic National Convention is about to start in New York and campaign manager Mark (Patrick Andrews) wangles plane tickets and a place to stay for Ms. Blakk and the small crew. Even with press passes donated by Lenny (Molly Brennan), a gay publisher, the team can’t get into Madison Square Garden, so they find other ways to make an impact. And so they do, eventually prevailing on nominee Bill Clinton to mention the need for AIDS funding in his acceptance speech. [caption id="attachment_53177" align="alignright" width="425"] Sawyer Smith. Photo by Michael Brosilow.[/caption] That’s the plot line. The 100-minute spectacular takes place amidst music, dream sequences and a parade of fabulously costumed characters who strut, kick and parade on the zigzag runway that cuts through the theater space. Ms. Blakk for President is one part campaign rally, one part punk party and one part heartfelt plea for LGBTQ rights, AIDS funding and grief over the thousands of lives lost. The production approaches brilliance but the script needs another rewrite to smooth out the bumpy spots and enhance the main message. The six-member cast becomes a multitude of characters. The fabulous Sawyer Smith appears in several glorious costumes to dance and perform as Q and then as Marilyn Monroe and David Bowie, among others. Jon Hudson Odom plays Blakk’s supporter Glennda with swagger. Daniel Kyri is JJ, their New York host and videographer. David Zinn gets four stars for the way his scenic design creates an atmosphere. Rasean Davonte Johnson’s projection design, Heather Gilbert’s lighting and Lindsay Jones’ sound design and original music add exceptional style. And of course, Toni-Leslie James’ costumes and Penny Lane Studio’s wigs are stunningly camp. Finally, Brittany Powers, Hanna Wisner and Amanda Fields get big props as dressers and makeup consultants for dozens of quick changes. Tarell Alvin McCraney, who received a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant in 2013, is better known as a writer because of his screenplays for the Oscar-winning Moonlight and the Netflix film, High Flying Bird, and his script for the Tony-nominated play, Choir Boy, which closed in New York recently. His other plays include The Brother/Sister Plays Trilogy and Head of Passes. He is chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama. Terence Alan Smith, a Detroit native, lived in Chicago from the late ‘70s to the early ‘90s. He worked as an actor and drag performer at clubs like Berlin and Lower Links and was a founder of the Chicago chapter of Queer Nation. He lives in San Francisco now and worked with Landau and McCraney on the script about his life as Joan Jett Blakk. Ms. Blakk for President has been extended through July 21 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted. Tickets are $20-$94 for performances Tuesday-Friday. (The lower prices are rush and discount tickets.) You can choose from traditional seating or party-zone seating made up of cabaret tables, couches and other seating next to the stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Xs-ip7r2GYk#Joan Jett Blakk#Molly Brennan#Ms. Blakk for President#Patrick Andrews#Sawyer Smith#Steppenwolf Theatre#Tarell Alvin McCraney#Terence Alan Smith#tina landau
Nancy S Bishop
Nancy S. Bishop is publisher and Stages editor of Third Coast Review. She’s a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and a 2014 Fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. You can read her personal writing on pop culture at nancybishopsjournal.com, and follow her on Twitter @nsbishop. She also writes about film, books, art, architecture and design.