By Ron Fassler . . .
Last October, 2nd Avenue’s Orpheum Theatre hosted The Big Gay Jamboree, a crazy spoof of Broadway musicals which I thought was a hoot and a half. Now, to challenge that level of “hootiness,” comes Ginger Twinsies to the tiny Orpheum stage, barely large enough to contain the supersized comedy from the mind of writer/director Kevin Zak. This is an anarchic ode to the 1998 Disney comedy The Parent Trap, which starred Lindsay Lohan as twins split apart at birth who are reunited at a summer camp in Maine. That film was itself an updated remake of Disney’s 1961 Parent Trap, which starred the oh-so-adorable Hayley Mills. On a personal note: my ex-wife thought the Mills version her favorite movie, so I watched it many times with her. By the time the remake came around, we had a seven-year-old daughter, who became obsessed with Lindsay Lohan, which accounts for uncountable viewings of it that I shared with her. All of this to say that I’m the perfect audience for a parody, making Ginger Twinsies a laugh-a-minute riot—for me. Your mileage may vary.
Many elements contribute to the show’s success, especially that it’s being acted by a team of well-equipped farceurs who cover every shape and size (and sex). The eight-person cast is 100% committed (and maybe a few of them should be committed), which makes the seriousness they bring to the madness so freaking funny. A spoof like this needs extraordinary pace to work, provided by Zak with precision timing. It also boasts a funky and functional unit set complete with doors and windows to slam with abandon by the eminent Beowulf Boritt, whose 34 Broadway credits make him more than qualified to dabble off-Broadway for a change. Wilberth Gonzalez’s costumes look pulled from people’s closets, perfect for the purposes of the play, while Bradley King’s lighting has its own devilish humor about it.
Zak and company are very careful about the line they have to tread not recreating any of the Parent Trap‘s screenplay onstage, otherwise a lawsuit from Disney could come at any minute. It’s not an official adaptation but is billed as “a parody (legally speaking).” Hopefully, this keeps things safe for the time being. The series of scenes allude to the film’s plot, mimicking a lot of it and paraphrasing dialogue, while simultaneously going off on wild tangents. At an 80-minute length, it manages to keep all its spinning plates in the air continuously, much like Oh, Mary!, another manic 80-minute comedy that never flags.
Without trick photography to help them, the Ginger Twinsies are played here by Russell Daniels (as the London-bred Annie) and Anessa Folds (as the Nappa Valley Hallie) in two of the worst red wigs you’ve ever seen. Folds is Black, which makes the identical-twin mix-up that much more ridiculous. Both actors are larger than life, donning plus-size outfits that show off their ample flesh, and parading around as eleven-year-olds. They make a formidable team. The half-dozen actors who play numerous roles include Grace Reiter (hilarious as an overzealous camp counsellor and as Chessy, whose wardrobe—and jokes on said wardrobe—killed), Lakisha May, turning Natasha Richardson’s British mother into a cocaine sniffing madwoman, Matthew Wilkas as a gay version of Dennis Quaid’s handsome and clueless dad, and especially Phillip Taratula, extremely comfortable and extremely funny in drag as Meredith, the horrible stepmother-to-be, whose entrance will not be spoiled here except to say it provides one of the best laughs in the show (of which there are many).
Mitch Wood has a field day with his many parts and Jimmy Ray Bennett, who must have more multiple transformations than anybody, truly astounds. Not only does he expertly recreate Polly Holiday’s senior camp counsellor from the 1998 film, but also Martin, the butler, memorably played by Simon Kunz. Bennett dazzles with his quick changes, vocal dexterity, and deadpan delivery, garnering some of the best laughs of the night.
As for whether you might still have a good time at Ginger Twinsies if you’ve never seen The Parent Trap, the official website deals with it under their “frequently asked questions,” stating: “You don’t have to have seen the hit 1988 Nancy Meyers/Lindsay Lohan classic to enjoy Ginger Twinsies. With hilarious send ups to all your favorite 90s movies, you’ll still have a blast.”
Well, I had a blast. I also busted a gut.
Ginger Twinsies is playing at the Orpheum Theatre in the East Village, 126 Second Avenue, NYC. For ticket information, please visit: https://gingertwinsies.com
Photos by Matthew Murphy.
Headline Photo: Russell Daniels and Aneesa Folds.
