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It's no drag: Things are a-poppin' this summer at Performance Network Theatre

Remember when summertime meant that pretty much every theater in town locked its doors and turned out the lights for the season? Well, thank St. Genesius those days are over!
Now, shows are popping up all over the place throughout the dog days of summer – and especially at Ann Arbor's Performance Network Theatre that, for the past couple of years, has used that slot to program edgier fare than what some of its more conservative patrons typically support. And so far that's translated into contemporary shows with LGBT themes and characters that earned great reviews and packed the house.
That trend, I suspect, will continue this summer with "Dirty Blonde," a thoroughly delightful play with music that chronicles the life of gay icon Mae West that opened this past weekend at the Network.
Not simply a biography of the early Hollywood blonde bombshell who gave us such bawdy and forever quotable lines as "A hard man is good to find" and "Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before," playwright Claudia Shear uses the legendary star and her warts-and-all- history to bring together two lonely fans who meet at her burial site on the anniversary of her death.
With their mutual love for everything Mae, Jo – an office temp and aspiring actress – and Charlie – a geeky film archivist at the New York Public Library who met the superstar at the age of 17 – form a bond that quickly develops into a deep friendship. But that's all, Jo believes. Because after all, Charlie HAS to be gay! (Which, if you do the math, makes sense: He's no spring chicken, he's never been married and his mannerisms are – yes – a little gay. And c'mon: He lives and breathes – and dresses up as – Mae West!)
But appearances CAN be deceiving. However, something Mae once said just might apply here: "It's better to be looked over, than overlooked."
It's also better to stage "Dirty Blonde" "straight" – that is, camp-free – which is precisely the approach director Jim Posante takes. Although it's probably tempting to do otherwise – especially since some of the show's characters, including Mae, fit certain preconceived stereotypes – Posante delivers a story about living, breathing human beings rather than flamboyant drag personas. And his carefully constructed staging always keeps the audience clear about where, when and with whom we're visiting. (A near-end, multiple time-jumping scene in which both Jo and Mae are getting into costume is especially impressive.)
Also well delineated are the many characters created by Phil Powers (Charlie) and Dennis North. That's particularly true of the two drag performers with whom Mae worked early in her career – The Duchess (Powers) and Edward Elsner (North) – both of whom are portrayed honestly and realistically. Their number, "Oh My, How We Pose," is a showstopper.
Even the accompanist, the excellent Brian E. Buckner, gets into the act by playing a quick handful of characters – a fun and unique twist added to the show by Posante.
The show's ultimate success, however, hinges on the actress playing both Mae and Jo. For not only are the two characters separate, yet similar, Mae's story spans nearly 60 years – from her early days in Vaudeville until old age when she was a mere parody of her earlier self. It's a performance – and a distinction – Ann Arbor's own blonde bombshell Carla Milarch nails with surgery-like precision. As the young and developing Mae who is challenging conventional mores, Milarch is full of piss and vinegar; yet as Mae ages and finds her character – and freezes it into immortality – Milarch does, too. The result is a finely nuanced, well thought-out and expertly executed performance – and not the standard impersonation we're accustomed to seeing.
The show's flaws are primarily scriptural. With so much material to cover and so little time, some jumps through time are too short and lack depth. And the main story's resolution really isn't one – nor does it fully satisfy.
However, Monika Essen's sets and costumes are fabulous, and Posante's well choreographed scene shifts – using three costumed Vaudeville stagehands – add to the show's overall charm.

'Dirty Blonde'
Performance Network Theatre, 120 E. Huron, Ann Arbor. Thursday-Sunday, through Aug. 19. Tickets: $25-$37. Contains adult language and brief, partial nudity. For information: (734) 663-0681 or http://www.performancenetwork.org

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