I suspect if Susan Harris was able to break the shackles of 1980s television and write an episode of "The Golden Girls" totally free of the NBC censors, it might look something like "Thank You For Being A Friend," the unofficial musical parody that had its opening night audience at Ferndale's Ringwald Theatre screaming with laughter.
And with good cause: Director Joe Bailey knows his audience, and as a result, he delivers a raucously delicious production that both pokes fun at and celebrates the long-running comedy that's still loved by gays and straights alike thanks to endless reruns on cable TV.
Set in Miami, roommates Blanchet, Dorthea, Roz and Sophie are having trouble sleeping thanks to the nightly gay sex parties thrown by their new neighbor, Lance Bass of the boy band 'N Sync. When confronted by the girls with their demand to stop his orgies, Lance issues them a challenge: If they win the Shady Oaks Retirement Home's upcoming talent contest, he'll do as they ask. But if he wins, the girls must become his personal cleanup crew for a month.
So as you can imagine, writer Nick Brennan and director Bailey toss every cheap joke, sight gag and double entendre they can think of into the 90-minute parody to bring the story to its inevitable conclusion. Sure, the plot meanders a bit and the music by Luke Jones and Jeff Thomson sounds rather familiar. That matters little, since the careful attention to "Golden Girls" lore – slightly altered, of course, to avoid nasty cease-and-desist letters from NBC lawyers – and the sheer lunacy of the plot quickly endear themselves to fans of the original series.
Unless you're easily offended, that is. (Trust me on this: "Thank You" contains adult situations and language. And plenty of penis and vagina jokes.)
Remember, though, we're talking about The Ringwald here – so there's a twist: The women are all played by men. And I bet first-timers at the popular theater might not realize that right away, since all four performers have done their homework and are quite good with their impersonations.
Jamie Richards channels Bea Arthur's Dorothy – from her sweeping gestures to her statuesque stance. And Richard Payton is quite impressive perfectly capturing (and having great fun with) the vocal intonations of Rue McClanahan's Blanche. Joe Plambeck is given an opportunity to explore a heretofore hidden side to Betty White's usually sweet Rose, and he runs with it. And although Jeff Weiner starts out sounding Jewish rather than Italian, he quickly settles in and wonderfully recreates Estelle Getty's Sophia – purse and all.
Assisting the characterizations are the excellent costumes by Vince Kelly.
All other roles are played by Ringwald newcomers Billy Dixon (Lance Bass) and Rich Wilson (Cubby and Stan). Both work hard, but neither approach the level of skills exhibited by the rest of the cast. And while Dixon certainly looks like the character he is playing, he doesn't come close to sharing Lance's vocal skills. (He's not alone in that department, however.)
A surprise guest appearance during Roz's flashback sequence rounds out the show, and as expected, it brought the house down on opening night. That alone – plus watching Payton and Richards struggle to stifle their laughs, neither of whom are in the scene, by the way – is worth the price of admission!
REVIEW:
'Thank You For Being A Friend'
Who Wants Cake? at The Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Saturday-Monday through Aug. 8. $10-$20. 248-545-5545. http://whowantscaketheatre.com.
