Studio Theatre’s “Legends!” has a considerable history. James Kirkwood’s play was about two legendary Hollywood stars who are aging, falling on hard times and looking for a way to revivify their careers. First produced as a national tour starring Mary Martin and Carol Channing, the show famously fell apart when the leading ladies could no longer act like ladies. A second try starring Joan Collins and Linda Evans also fell apart, again because of infighting between the divas.
When John Epperson (also known as Lypsinka) found Kirkwood’s play, he decided to edit it, the biggest alteration being that the two stars are men in drag. The result is a raucous, raunchy, campy comedy that casts equal aspersion on Hollywood superstars and has-beens.
If you go
“Legends!”
Where: The Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7:30 p.m. June 29
Info: $50 to $71; 202-332-3300; studiotheatre.org
The play begins in the New York office of Theatre Producer Martin Klemmer (Tom Story) in late winter 2010. Klemmer has a script that he wants the stars Leatrice Monsee (Epperson/Lypsinka) and Sylvia Glenn (James Lecesne) to perform in, so he lies to get them into a room together, telling them Brad Pitt will also be in the show. Story is brilliant as he pretends to be Pitt calling from the jungle where he is making a movie, providing sounds of static on the telephone as well as the noises of monkeys and toucans. Sylvia is embarrassed by where she lives, so she approaches a maid, Aretha (the sensational Roz White), who is taking care of an elegant apartment whose owner is out of town. Aretha was about to hold a birthday party for her niece but she agrees to let Sylvia pretend the apartment is hers just for the meeting. When Leatrice arrives, with her massive sweep of stiff-with-hairspray, brilliant red hair, the insults come thick and fast, as do the catty comments about various younger female stars.
Both Lecesne and Epperson are extremely talented performers, and they trade barbed insults with wit and style. When they are surprised by a male stripper (Leo Christopher Sheridan) who has come to entertain at the birthday party, they exhibit an entertaining cascade of emotions, from mock horror to delight. Their de rigueur catfight (neatly choreographed by Robb Hunter) is spirited and inventive.
The apartment scene in Daniel Conway’s set has three doors to allow for the constant entrances and exits in this farce. Two identical sofas in black and white upholstery provide the thrones for the “Legends!” divas. Fabio Toblini’s costumes range from the stunning (Lypsinka’s purple dress and ankle-length fur coat) to the seedy (Sylvia’s black and silver gown).
Under Kirk Jackson’s careful direction, the simple script thankfully never gets too complicated. And the show is amusingly aware of itself. The stars continually step out of character when they refer to “the play” to clarify which play they’re talking about: the one they’re in or the one they’re considering doing.
Although there is a moment near the end where Sylvia and Leatrice sympathize with one another’s troubles, that cooperation feels like an afterthought in a play that doesn’t aim to be taken seriously. With its references to the world of Broadway and Hollywood, and its cherished notions of glamour and glitz, “Legends!” doesn’t pretend to be about real people, but real icons asking to be adored.
