"The Broads' Way," written and directed the one and only Ginger Minj herself, is a frolicsome foray through well-known Broadway musicals, from “Hamilton” to “The Sound of Music” (yes, you read that right: what does a drag queen do about Maria?!). In fact, the first piece was Gidget Galore singing the title song before segueing into a side-splitting lampoon of "The Lonely Goatherd."
But I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let me introduce the show and the showgirlz first. Ginger Minj is perhaps best known (first known, any road) as a finalist on Season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, leading to appearances and engagements on both the little and the big screens. Gidget Galore got his start backstage, costuming shows and events in Central Florida. He’s been on the wardrobe team for Donna Summer, Diana DeGarmo, The Jacksons and, of course, Ginger Minj. In "The Broads' Way," Gidget abandoned his Singer to bedeck the stage with his own singin’ self. He was, naturally, responsible for the costumes in "The Broads' Way," and they were splendiferous! not to mention marvelously adapted to rapid – oftimes onstage – changes.
In the crew, Michael Burlow was Maestro Michael and Stage Manager, which must keep him mightily busy. Bob Silton was Production Manager; he has numerous Chicago theatre credits and has designed several restaurants along Chicago’s North Shore. Cee-Jay Russell, Producer and Tour Manager, keeps the company on course with his signature phrase “we will figure it out, we always do”. David Charpentier and Jacob Slane were also Producers.
Ginger and Gidget began the show with a rollicking introduction, laden with waggish double entendre, insinuation, amphiboly and equivoque. Ginger lamented, “One musician I auditioned said he couldn’t fit his organ into this tiny box”. Ginger then schooled us in “How to Be a Good Audience”, then frequently soliciting our participation all through the show. The audience was very much an auxiliary cast member in "The Broads' Way," and the gaiety [sic] of Saturday’s frolicsome fans made the show trebly enjoyable. Now don’t get me wrong – Ginger and Gidget are professionals and could have put on a good show for a house full of evangelical Republicans. But having a hundred people crooning along (obviously a showtune-savvy set) and roaring their approval at every turn – well, that’ll wring the best performance out of anyone.
Their sole musician abandoned his piano early in the show: (“It’s time for my Union break”), and none of Ginger & Gidget’s abject solicitations (the non-criminal type, mind) could restore their penis … oops, pianist. But Gidget’s Glamazon order arrived just in time: a Smart Speaker named Dyslexa. Once they learned how to properly operate the contrivance (Dyslexa does the opposite of whatever you command), the music was perfect – as should be, having been mixed by Ginger herself.
I’m not going to list all the songs they parodied (senior confession: I don’t remember them all!) but a couple stuck with me. Ginger’s performance of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” was brilliant, with the delicious final lagniappe, “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.” At the other end of the spectrum Gidget was hilarious in her droll burlesque of “The Lonely Goatherd”. Both are multi-talented, with rich, flexible voices, lavish acting talent, and the aptitude to appear daffy that’s so crucial to successful improv. They worked wonderfully together, performing the whimsical duet “Anything You Can Do”, with ribald absurdity.
Venus Cabaret was the perfect venue for "The Broads' Way". True, it was small, but its informal seating (it’s a cabaret, hello) and bar provided the relaxed, convivial atmosphere that’s picture-perfect for camp.
I have but one criticism: I was really hoping that Ginger’s brand new cookbook cum [ha!] memoir, Southern-Fried Sass, would be available to purchase – at the bar, say? I’d so much rather give the profit directly to Ginger than to Glamazon! [Though if you are, like me, an online shopper, they have it in stock at Semicolon, Chicago’s first black-woman-owned bookstore.]
But for unlettered entertainment you can’t beat "The Broads' Way," with Ginger Minj and Gidget Galore! Highly recommended.
