Review: A STAN IS BORN!, Riverside Studios

“I dream of the glitter”

It’s common to hear about people moving to New York City in order to find themselves and start their path. Something not as common? Moving from New York City to a small village in rural Germany. But that’s exactly what the family of Alexis Sakellaris does when he’s only eight years old, and it’s where our story begins. Written and performed by Sakellaris, with direction from Madison Cole, A Stan Is Born! has Sakellaris sharing his story with the audience through his experiences as a stan of the divas in and around his life. 

Luckily for those who have come into the theatre with no concept of a “stan,” Sakellaris is ready to give the audience an education - his shirt quite literally has the definition of “stan” on it! He also tells the origin story of the word in popular culture, as it was first used after rapper Eminem wrote a song, “Stan,” about an obsessive fan who ends up driving off a bridge in order to get Eminem’s attention. Sakellaris reveals that he is a stan of a specific type of woman - the diva. His first love? Celine Dion.

A Stan Is Born! has a simple chronological structure for its majority, with Sakellaris beginning the show with the move from New York City to Germany and then having the audience follow along as he begins to adjust to life in the small village. During each of his pivotal moments, a different diva appears to Sakellaris, guiding him through difficult situations. Celine Dion teaches him how to sing, Mariah Carey emphasis the importance of the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” and Lady Gaga helps him see past the bullies on the soccer team. It’s a clever way to introduce how the divas influence Sakellaris’s life - and he does some hilarious but surprisingly accurate impressions!

Along with the famous divas that Sakellaris stans, the audience learns a bit about the divas in his own life, including his mother, who has a love for Desperate Housewives, his younger sister, who lets him dress her up like a doll, and his godmother, who takes him on shopping sprees and sounds like a true icon. These women allow Sakellaris to understand how even the greatest divas have their flaws, no matter how much he loves them. 

One of the main themes of the show is music, with Sakellaris bonding with the music teacher in his school and getting attention for his vocal abilities, so it makes sense that A Stan Is Born! is a musical comedy show and not just stand-up. It’s quite impressive to pack ten original songs into a sixty-minute show, but Sakellaris does it with what feels like ease, transitioning from stories to songs on a keyboard within seconds - and occasionally mixing the two! The songs do get a little bit repetitive at times, especially when it comes to the choruses, but as they all are quite short this doesn’t really have much of an affect on the show as a whole. Sakellaris is a talented performer who has riffs for days, reminiscent of Broadway actors like Ben Platt and Ben Fankhauser. 

As one has come to expect from solo shows over the past few years, there are some more sombre parts in A Stan Is Born!, as Sakellaris goes into detail on what it was like to grow up in the closet in the small German town, feeling trapped and alone. There is one particularly difficult moment where Sakellaris is bullied by several boys on the soccer team, including his crush, who calls him the f-slur in German. It’s a tough but necessary moment in the show, as it allows Sakellaris to reflect on the not-so-spectacular traits of the divas he loves and how, even though he is obsessed with them, they cannot physically be there for him in his times of need. But, luckily, there are divas around him who are happy to help - his stories about the “German girlies” are heartwarming and help end the show on a high note. 

A Stan Is Born is a lovely tribute to stan culture while also giving Sakellaris the opportunity to share his own stories and talents. Sakellaris is a fantastic musician and comedian and I look forward to seeing what comes next!