Review: BILLY L'AMOUR AND THE LOVE NOTES at Spirit Animal Supper Club

After witnessing the triple-threat, contains-multitudes talent of Billy L’Amour as Fastrada in Pippin at Revolution Stage Company, it feels like poetic justice that she has been welcomed into a residency at Palm Springs’ new Spirit Animal Supper Club, making herself at home — pun intended. Opening night featured a packed house; even the staff seemed swept up in the excitement. For a former professional ballerina turned musical theatre grande dame — who also happens to be a drag queen — Billy’s approach to the art form is pure class.

Let me set the stage. Conceived by local entertainment manager Adam Levy and his team, Spirit Animal is a trip of a venue. Walking in feels like stepping into somewhere draped in vintage Palm Springs glamour, while somehow remaining slick, fresh, and modern. This is officially the spot.

Canoodling with my husband in our banquette while the live music played — his shirt unbuttoned just one button more than usual, me on my second Diet Coke with rum, lime, and a cherry — the anticipation for Billy’s entrance hung thick in the air.

And then she emerged, head to toe in rhinestones, wearing a smile that said, welcome to my new home.

Billy made it clear that performing with a live band was a dream she had long manifested, and watching that dream materialize in real time became part of the magic of the evening. This is something we’re fortunate to witness in the desert: talent capable of rivaling New York City, but without the detached “oh, it’s no big deal” attitude. Here, it is a big deal — and that sincerity pulls the audience into the experience. You aren’t just watching a performance; you’re witnessing a milestone for an emerging chanteuse, and that makes the art feel not only entertaining, but important. As an audience member, you are an integral part of that history.

So lets get into her set. From Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, Pat Benatar and Edith Piaf, this diva gives us everything you want from a sparkling queen lounging upon a grand piano to dancing around the room for dollar bills. There is camp, fire, love, sincerity, and romance. The actress within Billy had a beautiful command of the French in “La Vie en Rose”, “What a Feeling” at the top of Act 2 got our hearts pumping, and her take on “Bad Romance” was fun and clever.

The only downside for me is that as a reviewer, I always see the first night of every show. The director within me knows full stop that this show, this lady, will only continue to grow stronger. I wish her lots of luck and memories as she steps into this Residency, and I hope that if you’re swinging through our town in the hotter months, you’ll cool down with some pumping AC and pumping tunes with the one, the only, Billy L’Amour.

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