A hilarious musical, “Victor Victoria” touches on themes of gender, sexual orientation, and love. It’s a perfect pride month play. The wild tale begins with Toddy, an older gay man who just lost his job, encouraging his new friend, Victoria, to pretend to be a male drag queen in order to gain fame. After they succeed in fooling Paris, turmoil presents itself as certain people are out to prove “Victor” is indeed a girl. Throw in some unlikely romances and “Victor Victoria” becomes the light-hearted comedic romance that many know and love.
Amy Ginder, who plays Victoria, is phenomenal. Her singing was made for the stage and she also used a convincing British accent.
There were also a few dance numbers that were my favorite aspect of the play. Not only did Ginder perform excellently in these scenes, but so did several of the background dancers. Each dance number included extravagant costumes and interesting choreography and were entertaining to watch.
However, not all aspects of this play were enjoyable for me. The opening song, and several others performed by the character, Toddy, were not rehearsed well enough. It was obvious the lyrics weren’t memorized, and mumbling replaced what should’ve been the words. Also during the song performances, the actor’s face wasn’t expressive with the scene and seemed to be very focused on the specific song.
It’s a shame because, besides these song slip ups, Toddy was a fun character that brought a lot of laughs.
In a complete opposite fashion, Sophie Moeller put in extreme passion when it came to acting as Norma Cassidy. The sex-crazed mob daughter put it all out on the table. Whenever Norma would walk onto the stage, I was excited to know intense humor and awkward pick-up lines would ensue. Incredible job by Moeller.
Certain actors are what made the play enjoyable for me. There seemed to be an overall lack of detail when it came to the production. The time period was only really stated in the program and mentioned once towards the end of the play, which at that point I would just remove the time period and allow it to be for speculation.
There were certain plot holes and short-ended scenes that made the ending of the play feel rushed. If it wasn’t for the amazing on-stage talent and flawless live music there would be little to love.
If you’re willing to overlook the structural issues and enjoy the play for what it is, then I would recommend “Victor Victoria.”
The Details
- Web: http://www.bruka.org/
- Written by: Blake Edwards
- Directed by: Bill Ware
Dates
Evening Show Dates: 7/5, 7/6, 7/11, 7/12, 7/13, 7/17A, 7/18, 7/19, 7/20, 7/25, 7/26, 7/27 @ 7:30 PM
Matinee Show Dates: 6/30, 7/7* @ 2 PM
A = Artist Night $10 All Tickets
*Followed by a talk-back with the company
Tickets
$30 at the Door
$26 General Tickets
$24 Senior/Student/Military
Cast
- Michael Peters as Carole “Toddy” Todd
- Amy Ginder as Victoria Grant
- Jake Steinman as King Marchan
- Sophie Moeller as Norma Cassidy
- Jasper Unger as Henri Labisse
- Mark Taxer as Andre Cassell
- Robert Simpson as Richard Dinardo/ENS
- John Walmsley as Sal Andretti/ENS
- Chelsie Morgan as Cosmetic President/ENS
- Jayton Newbury as Gregor/Clam/ENS
- Robin Soli as Choreographer/ENS
- Paige Tatem as Miss Selmer/ENS
- Jennifer Flynn as Madame Roget/ENS
- Kyle Giboney as Squash Understudy/ENS
- Valerie Huston as Flower Girl/ENS
- Molly Stewart, Marti Creveling, and Bernadette Garcia as Rotating Flower Girls (various weeks)
