BWW Reviews: CHICO'S ANGELS 3: CHICAS IN CHAINS Hold Ju Captive for Two-Hours of Side-Splitting Hilarity
Chico's Angels 3: Chicas in Chains/by Kurt Koehler & Kay Sedia/directed by Kurt Koehler/ Cavern Club Celebrity Theater @ Casita Del Campo/thru September 6, 2015
The best scripted comedy drag troupe in Los Angeles, Chico's Angels lives up to its stellar reputation with Chico's Angels 3: Chicas in Chains. From the crazy, lightning-quick minds of Kurt Koehler and Kay Sedia, Chico's Angels' third episode mashes up high school mean girls with tough prison bitches. Chico's Angels aficionados will easily recognize the synchronized, seasoned comic timing of this hilarious trio of Kay Sedia, Chita Parol and Frieda Laye. These tres amigas revel in their biting drag queen snaps, their fine-tuned double takes, their trademark spanglish banter (barely PC at times), and Chita Parol's hysterical lip quivers. But through all the ribbing and bull-eyed insults, these senoritas will go through thick (references to Kay's buxom shape) and thin for each other -- or in this particular installment, through handcuffs, prison strip-downs, jail bars, and helicopter hangs.
Chico's Angels 3: Chicas in Chains begins with the murder of Cinnamon, a high school hooker as witnessed by Roxy, another teenage Lady of the Evening. Roxy ran from the scene of the crime before police arrived leaving behind her math study sheet in a futile attempt to plug up Cinnamon's bleeding. Detective Lingus (a fun and commanding Daran Norris) assigned to this case need some 18-year-olds to go undercover in Cinnamon's high school to find the elusive witness. Naturally, Lingus goes to the not-quite-ageless Angels.
As tradition with every Chico's Angels episode; one good-looking, well-built hunk gets his total sexual objectification. The charismatic Josh Martin gets that honor as the handsome high school pimp soooo in love with himself.
Chico's disembodied voice over the phone speaker belongs to the talented Mr. Dan who, fortuitously for the audience, very entertainingly instruct pre-show on their emergency exits, their cellphone turn-offs and their familiarity with the dungeons of the Casita Del Campo.
Shelley Hennig kills as the street-talking street walker Cinnamon before she gets quickly killed. But in classic soap opera fashion, re-appears as Cinnamon's sweet twin Spice. Hennig's Spice has a fabulous Angels' version of "Cellblock Tango" with the three Angels. Hennig also plays Kelly, mean girl personified, with Cher Ferreyra as Becky, her partner in meanness. Hennig and Ferreyra have their laidback Valley Girl spiel down way pat.
Natalie Lander's perfectly day and night in her dual roles as innocent hooker/witness Roxy and sadistic, above-the-law Warden Cox. Lander's Roxy grabs her moment to shine in her talent show selection "Flashdance (Got a Feeling)." Franticly uproarious!!!
As Bossman, the intermediary between Chico and his Angels, Alex Patino takes every opportunity to display his comedic chops, this time in semi-drag with a totally, purposely unconvincing falsetto. Glen Alen's humongous wigs outdo all his previous Chico's Angels productions with much volume and such exaggeration. Koehler, as usual, expertly directs his uproarious cast with just the right mix of too funny sight gags, cute dance numbers, clever song lyric re-adaptations and, of course, the three Angels.
Check their website for future dates of upcoming episodes.
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