The January 21 opening night of Showgirls: An Unauthorized Musical Parody was a cupcake, Champagne and (diet) coke-fueled capsule of undeniable star power, side-splitting comedy and ... squirting. Here are three things about the play, loosely based on Paul Verhoeven's 1995 cult film, that left a long-lasting impression on us.
THE TALENT
The rivalrous, lesbian-coded chemistry between starry-eyed hot head Nomi Malone, played by Elaine Hayhurst, and reigning queen bee Cristal Conners, played by Kady Heard, gripped me and wouldn’t let go for the entirety of the 85-minute show. And Markeis Simon deserves an award for her dual portrayal of Nomi’s best friend (are they really just friends?) Molly and love interest/dance instructor James.
THE HUMOR
The punchlines just kept coming. Wouldn’t want to spoil them for you, but I’ll share my favorite: “Got a heart? Donate it to science. ... You don’t have to be good to be in the show. All you have to do is shake your tits.” Majestic’s artistic director Troy Heard’s book and lyrics play on the campiness of the movie and bring out the parts that made it a cult classic.
THE SPLASH ZONE
Get ready to get wet. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about—the infamous pool sex scene. At a climax, showgirls Nickel and Dime flank the stage armed with little squirt guns so everyone can get in on the slippery action. (The more the merrier, right?) Audiences can also experience a rain of French fries, potato chips and the uncontainable wrath of Nomi Malone.
SHOWGIRLS: AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY Thru March 8, Thursday-Sunday, 7 p.m., $53-$63. Majestic Repertory Theater, majesticrepertory.com
