Review: CHICO'S ANGELS IN FELIZ NAVIDIVAS - A Most Wonderfully Riotous Show to Jump Start Your Holiday Spirits

CHICO'S ANGELS IN FELIZ NAVIDIVAS/by Kurt Koehler & Oscar Quintero/directed by Kurt Koehler/Cavern Club Celebrity Theater @ Casita Del Campo/thru November 28, 2017

This new and expanded edition of the 2015 FELIZ NAVIDIVA, (performed by the hysterical Kay Sedia as the solo Diva) showcases the hilarious comic stylings and tight-knitted teamwork of Kay Sedia, with her fellow Chico's Angels, Frieda Laye and Chita Parol, as well as, sturdy support from their Boss Man. Director Kurt Koehler spoofs (with co-spoofer Kay Sedia's alter-ego Oscar Quintero) a number of Christmasy and non-Christmasy songs, slickly weaving the tunes into a cohesive (and funny) behind-the-scenes, most entertaining battle of a Christmas drag revue. Koehler knows the talents he's worked with for so long, making maximum use of their collective talents.

So used to performing her Christmas show alone, Kay ever-so-begrudgingly agrees to share her stage with Frieda and Chita. Results present ample opportunities for each performer to grab their individual spotlights in between wittily tossing disses and the rare compliment from Angel to Angel.

Show begins (as in CHICO'S ANGELS' tradition) with Mr. Dan warming up the Cavern Club audience with oh-so-funny instructions on silencing your phones, avoiding flammable wiggery, and emergency exiting. And then the Angels enter and hilarity begins. In an intro medley of familiar Christmas tunes, the three Angels grab hold of their audience's attention and never let go in their 90-minute revue. The Angels playfully argue amongst themselves between song lyrics to the laughing responses of the crowd. One popular holiday staple "Frosty the Snowman" now transforms into "Jose the Gardener." So finely-tuned the trio's comic sensibilities, they all easily riff off various audience participation segments, as smoothly as when mishaps on stage unexpectedly occur (and they welcomingly do!).

Quintero commands the stage as the ego-centric, yet quite likeable Kay Sedia. Danny Casillas seamlessly works his magic as the very blonde, very sex-crazed Frieda Laye. Ray Garcia successfully milks all Chita Parol's available comic moments with exaggerated eye ticks, lip furors and wig extensions tossing. In possibly a first for a CHICO'S ANGELS production, a serious song sung seriously finds a spot in the laugh-riot program. Garcia nails Chita's rendition of "My Grown-Up Christmas List" with his supple vocals. Alejandro Patino displays his comic chops as Frieda's costumed donkey and as Boss Man in his narration of the Latino Masterpiece Theatre's The Christmas Carol Story (or, as the Angels would call it - A Chico's Christmas Carol.

Other very clever parodies of pop songs include: George Michael's "Last Christmas," "Fine & Dandy," Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield," "Santa Baby ("Santa Papi"), and "Beyonce's "Single Ladies ("Jingle Ladies")."

Make sure you write in your letter to Santa for more performances of CHICO'S ANGELS IN FELIZ NAVIDIVAS to complete your 2017 holiday season!

www.chicosangels.com