This review of Sutton Lee Seymour: The Way-Off Broad at The Laurie Beechman Theatre was written by Dr. Thomas Robert Stevens and published in Volume X, Issue 6 (2016) of the online edition of Applause! Applause!
Sutton Lee Seymour: The Way-Off Broad
Written & Performed by Sutton Lee Seymour (Prescott Seymour)
Guest Star: Cacophony Daniels (Courter Simmons)
The Laurie Beechman Theatre
407 West 42nd Street
New York, New York 10036
Reviewed 5/18/16
For the past three years, Prescott Seymour has been performing as Sutton Lee Seymour ("A Clown In A Gown") and in January, she debuted her latest show Sutton Lee Seymour: The Way-Off Broad in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Obtaining rave reviews, she has now brought the show to The Laurie Beechman Theatre where it is making its American debut. The show is a comedic celebration of Broadway, Disney & Hollywood with spot on impersonations of "a bevvy of burnt out booze bags." It is drag at its best featuring extravagant costumes and gorgeous wigs. If you don't get the theatrical reference implied by her name, Sutton Lee Seymour suggests you "get an education."
The voice-over at the beginning of the show warns, "I'd like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey." Suddenly, Sutton Lee appears to sing "Sweet Transvestite" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She also does parodies of "Dentist!" ("My boy, I think someday you'll find a way to make your natural tendencies pay...You'll be a Drag Queen!") and "Suddenly, Seymour" from Little Shop Of Horrors." She then performs what she claims is "the best worst impersonations" of Liza Minnelli (singing "Don't Tell Mama" from Cabaret) and Judy Garland (singing "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me In St. Louis). Sutton Lee Seymour then does an impersonation of Eartha Kitt (as Yzma) singing a deleted song from The Emperor's New Groove before launching into the Disney Princess portion of the show during which she sings as Jasmine, Ariel, and Mulan before performing as the villain, Ursula The Sea Witch, from The Little Mermaid (a character inspired by Divine) not only as Pat Carroll, who got the role, but also in the voice of a number of women who were considered for the role, such as Beatrice Arthur and Elaine Stritch. (Sutton Lee also threw in impersonations of Carol Channing, Bernadette Peters, Joan Rivers, and Cher just for fun!). Sutton Lee was at her best performing "Wig In A Box" from Hedwig & The Angry Inch. It was extremely impressive!
The show contained an appropriate amount of outrageous shenanigans including a fast-action scene change performed to "Yakety Sax" (better known as the theme song to the Benny Hill television show). Throughout the evening, Sutton Lee continued to warn Steven, her Stage Assistant, to remain out of the view of her audience, explicitly telling him, "Don't come out of your hole!", and "Back to your hole, homo!" She also performed the musical Chicago in five minutes and did a cartwheel. Sutton Lee Seymour is an extraordinary talent with a commanding stage presence. Before launching into her "Grand Finale and the 17 Encores," she gave the audience three important words of advice. The first was to always keep a smile on your face. The second is that life is going to tear you down and that you have to keep going. The third is you've got to love yourself because if you can't love yourself, how are you going to love someone else.
Sutton Lee Seymour's Guest Star for the evening was the extremely talented Cacophony Daniels, who sang the very best rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company I have ever heard in my life. She is absolutely amazing and I look forward to seeing more of her. When saying goodbye, Sutton Lee acknowledged she couldn't put on a show like this without help, so she said "thank you to the help." Sutton Lee Seymour, who grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, is ready to take this show to any place on the planet who will have her, and I am certain that wherever she performs, she will be a hit.
If you live or are visiting the New York City metropolitan area, you will have two more opportunities to catch Sutton Lee Seymour (Drag Queen Extraordinaire) in Sutton Lee Seymour: The Way-Off Broad. It will be reprised at The Laurie Beechman Theatre on Wednesdays, May 25 & June 1, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for this past-paced musical comedy are $22.00, which may be purchased at www.SpinCycleNYC.org or by phone at 212-505-1700. There is a $20.00 food/beverage minimum at all performances at this venue with a full bar and full dinner menu available.
Don't miss this amazing, entertaining show!
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