BWW Reviews: Richmond Triangle Players Sends You to Summer 'Camp' with PAGEANT

Summer, goes hand in hand with going to summer camp. That's just what you'll find playing this summer at Richmond Triangle Players- "camp" at its best, with the musical comedy Pageant.

Only RTP could get away with following a production of the heavy hitting musical, Cabaret, with such a totally irreverent, light hearted production. Six young...ladies compete for the title of Miss Glamouresse, and members of the audience actually get to be the judges who select the winner.

They must choose from Miss Texas (Todd Minnich), Miss Bible Belt ( Brian Baez), Miss West Coast(Andrew Etheredge), Miss Deep South (Brent Gallahan) , Miss Industrial Northeast (Fabian Starr), and Miss Great Plains( Joe Winters).

Steve Boschen serves as the pageant's host Frankie Cavalier, a has-been with a Harvey Korman attitude and a bad toupee, who walks them through all the expected competitions (swimsuit, talent, gown, and spokes model, etc).

The entire cast distinguishes themselves in their caricaturish roles, with some occasional gaffes and hiccups that just add to the amateurish atmosphere of this second rate pageant. The talent competition brings the biggest laughs- especially with Gallahan's puppets and Etheredge's interpretive dance.

D. Mark Souza's costumes and Joel Furtick's wigs live up to RTP's usual glitz and glamour, but John Knapp's set is rather Spartan and bare.

This is the second time RTP has presented Pageant (first presented in 1998, with Boschen and Minnich reprising their roles from the first cast) as well as the second time this year that RTP has produced a show in Richmond while it is simultaneously playing in a major New York production (first- Cabaret and now a new off-Broadway production of Pageant will be playing a limited run in New York City.)

With two hours of dancing, singing and novelty acts, it is almost like watching a low-budget presentation of the summer perennial "America's Got Talent" live. Make sure and grab some wine at the bar to go with all of the cheese, as Pageant delivers a pleasant summer diversion with its send up of all we love and loathe about Miss America-type showcases. Pageant runs through August 30 www.rtriangle.org

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