Are five holiday shows in one season too many? No! For my final dive into the seemingly inexhaustible choices of merrymaking (aka moneymaking) in December, I popped into the Laurie Beechman Theatre to catch Alaska & Handsome Jeremy: Christmas in Space! The year is 2368 and we are aboard the USS Thunderfun. Alaska and her piano playing sidekick Jeremy are currently obsessed with the year 2018. Isn’t it amazing how the spaceship has so realistically recreated the look of a basement nightclub from that particular era?
I’ve seen a few of Alaska’s shows at this venue. Including this one, all of them are hilarious fun. There’s singing, of course. There are jokes aplenty. There’s a cinched waist, naturally (or not). There’s a semblance of plot to hold the hour long show together (and allow for a costume change). And, most critically, there’s Alaska. Maybe in 2368, there will be a universe where someone this talented will repeatedly be invited to appear on the nighttime talk shows to entertain us with their wit and style. Until then, we’ll have to take our most welcome doses in intimate basement locations with cocktails and like minded revelers.
Unlike many drag acts, this performer does not rely too heavily on risqué or blue material to keep us laughing. The physicality, timing and vocal expressiveness are the focus here. Her persona is unique, a combination of ditzy and subversive, served with a generous wink. In a 2013 interview, she cited Divine and Marilyn Monroe as role models as “they’re both blonde, beautiful and dead.” As an homage to Star Trek for this show, Alaska’s ears were bedazzled with crystals which gave the impression of Dr. Spock having boldly encountered a hot glue gun. The spaceship we are travelling in does have an energy crisis and we almost die. Thankfully, Alaska saves the day and we all survive to see her next riotous outing.
Is Christmas in Space! a holiday show? Well, it ran for a week in December so I guess that counts. Alaska and Jeremy are worth your time if this type of frivolity suits your tastes. All four of us remarked that everything going on in our heads when we arrived – work, traffic, general holiday busyness – had vanished by the time this show ended. Instead we were universally entertained in the best possible way. That’s undeniable Christmas magic and a present I’d like to receive no matter what the century in whatever galaxy.