Drag ‘Golden Girls’ make San Francisco’s Yuletide gay
The holiday season has official kicked off in San Francisco.
No it’s not the trimming of the famous Union Square Christmas tree or the shoppers in line at Macy’s. Rather, the season has officially kicked off with the drag queen version of “The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes,” which plays at the Victoria Theatre through December 20, 2015.
In its 10th year, the show is still fresh and fun as ever.
I sat down with the four stars after opening night and it was great to see how San Francisco has embraced this retelling of the popular 1980s sitcom, which has remained popular in the LGBT community throughout the years.
San Francisco’s “Golden Girls” have become as popular as the original TV stars. Click here for the video that we did in conjunction with our friends at Progressive Pulse and find out some of the history of bringing the show to the San Francisco stage. We learn about the many theatres this has played at over the years and how they are able to transform any episode into one with a holiday theme.
In our chat with original stars Heklina (who plays Dorothy) and Matthew Martin (who directs and plays Blanche), we learn of how they have been able to make the show go on after one of their principal actors, San Francisco drag performer Cookie Dough, died earlier this year.
Cookie Dough originated the part of Sophia. Holotta Tymes has taken on the role in the new production and shares with us in our on-camera interview on how it feels to go on stage in a part that has been so identified with another actor.
New cast and all, including D’Arcy Drollinger coming on board as Rose, this production is the best that these drag queens have ever produced. More realistic sets, great chemistry among its stars and a wonderful supporting cast of Nancy French and Manuel Caneri, the drag “Golden Girls” reaches its pinnacle this year.
It also doesn’t hurt that they have chosen some really memorable episodes. “Dorothy’s New Friend” is a classic one in which Dorothy befriends an intellectual who doesn’t impress Blanche or Rose with her book-smart superior attitude. This episodes gives each of the principals some very funny lines and scene stealing moments by French as the friend.
Our stars also share in our interview how they are able to sprinkle in a bit of holiday joy into any episode since in reality there were on two official “Golden Girls” Christmas episodes in the series seven year run.
With whatever episodes they have transformed over the years, the drag “Golden Girls” is all one needs to get Christmas spirit. Get tickets here.
