first night: wendy, darling @ the midtown hotel

Wendy, Darling @ The Midtown Hotel
Review by Todd Perley

“Where you’re seated, there’s a chance you may get splattered with blood. Is that okay?”

I feel that any event where I don’t go home splattered with blood is a night wasted. My friend MJ whispered, “Is this Gallagher on crack?” We nodded assent with big, stupid grins and were handed airline- sized bottles of 'Jack’s Red Rum', and that, plus the sanguinary caveat, had already created an immersive experience even before getting to the pool where much of the action of the play would be...well...immersed.

We begin with the ensemble gathering in 1920s togs as Midnight and the Stars and You is played by The Bomb Pulse, our live band for the evening. If you know Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation, this melody is the quickest and most effective way to set the scene. Champagne and ballroom dancing, and a quick dip in the pool for our first water ballet. The audience howls, hoots, whistles, laughs, and applauds, turning the space into an all-inclusive party.

Set in the Underglance Hotel in New Orleans, the Torrance family was warned, before the hotel closes for the season, “Are you sure you want to be here through the summer? It can get very lonely and isolating.” (No lie!) And so begins the tale-as-old-as-time story of Stephen King’s 'The Shining' wrapped in a tortilla of snarky parody.

Psychic son Danny (Riley Elise) is college-aged, and mom Wendy (Rebecca Poole) knows to use the they/them pronouns, while self-absorbed, frustrated Jack Torrance (Cody Keech) never catches on and obtusely sticks with he/him. This is a subtle detail that both brings the story into the 21st
century, and establishes Jack as the asshole, with succinctness.

Danny is visited by their childhood ‘imaginary friend’ Tony (dressed as a cartoonish tiger, natch) and is warned of the dangers of the Underglance Hotel for those who shine. Dick Hallorann, the hotel’s resident drag queen chef, also warns Danny telepathically, but assures them what they see can’t hurt them. Yah, right.

Most of the scenes are punctuated with a water ballet sequence set to contemporary music expertly played by The Bomb Pulse. Throw in a little pole dancing from the Grady Twins (why not!), and a wet hedge maze constructed of leaf-adorned paddle boards just for funsies, and the Torrance’s season of turmoil has never been so hilarious. Keech’s Jack is genuinely frightening amidst the camp of the rest of the performances, which adds a touch of danger and tension. Danny’s complicated relationship with Tony the Tiger illustrates how alone they’ve been throughout a life spent with the shining talent.

I’m not too concerned with spoiling the plot of The Shining. IYKYK, after all. But I’ll refrain from any further spoilers of how Aquamob and especially the deft direction of Lizzy Collins skewers these well known plot points. It’s best to go into this as blind as possible. Let each irreverent moment surprise you. And they will.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Wendy, Darling is the atmosphere the company and band manage to create. No polite clapping at the end of each ballet scene. Screams and whistles are encouraged, more akin to a rock concert. During intermission (through which the band plays some rockin’ good tunes), my friend MJ was regaled by the woman seated next to them about the eight seasons of Aquamob plays she had seen, as she vowed she would never, ever miss a production by this company.

I looked around during intermission and saw everyone talking to everyone, friends and strangers alike, and the whole courtyard felt like a Mardi Gras parade with that New-Orleans-specific sense of community and bonhomie. I can’t say I’ve ever been to a play that evoked this special feeling that only our city can understand. I don’t know the precise recipe to create this world, but Aquamob thankfully does. You leave the show just feeling so connected and damned good!

Although I left without a drop of blood on me, the night was most certainly not a waste. A bloody good time. You may have 'Midnight and the Stars and You' stuck as an earworm for the next few days, but it’s an acceptable price to pay. I’m with MJ’s neighbor -- a new convert, I will henceforth be at every year’s Aquamob production. Absolutely do not miss Wendy, Darling!

Wendy, Darling plays at the Midtown Hotel through October 11th, click here for more information and ticketing

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR LIZZY AND AQUAMOB FOUNDER ALAYNE
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