Review - Brooke Shields' Night of Calamity

Brooke Shields was looking for something a little out of the ordinary when she wanted to treat her cast-mates from The Addams Family to a fun time out this past Wednesday night, so she turned to one of Gotham's favorite burlesque queens, Calamity Chang.

Among her numerous ecdysiast gigs about town, Chang produces and hosts the weekly Thursday night strip-tease shows at the Lower East Side pin-up themed bar, Nurse Bettie. Shields was seated front and center, dressed elegantly in white, for the company's private midnight show featuring only classics of the art.

Among the talent the Addams matriarch and her guests cheered on was The Maine Attraction, who performed in the style of Josephine Baker, Bettina May, who did a traditional gown routine, Medianoche and her honeysuckle, floral act and Tansy in a Snow White spoof. Big Mama vocalist Broadway Brassy was on hand for her style of roof-raising and Chang capped off the evening with her classic Asian fan dance.

"Brooke is so nice and gracious and has a wicked sense of humor," says Calamity Chang. "I was so happy that I got a chance to entertain someone who entertained me growing up."

For those who may be concerned, young Adam Riegler, who plays Pugsley Addams, was otherwise engaged that evening.

Photos by Greg Pace: Top: The Maine Attraction, Brooke Shields and Calamity Chang; Bottom: Calamity Chang, Bettina May, Brooke Shields, Roger Rees, Medianoche and Tansy.

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After 20-odd years singing, dancing and acting in dinner theatres, summer stocks and the ever-popular audience participation murder mysteries (try improvising with audiences after they?ve had two hours of open bar), Michael Dale segued his theatrical ambitions into playwriting. The buildings which once housed the 5 Off-Off Broadway plays he penned have all been destroyed or turned into a Starbucks, but his name remains the answer to the trivia question, "Who wrote the official play of Babe Ruth's 100th Birthday?" He served as Artistic Director for The Play's The Thing Theatre Company, helping to bring free live theatre to underserved communities, and dabbled a bit in stage managing and in directing cabaret shows before answering the call (it was an email, actually) to become BroadwayWorld.com's first Chief Theatre Critic. While not attending shows Michael can be seen at Citi Field pleading for the Mets to stop imploding. Likes: Strong book musicals and ambitious new works. Dislikes: Unprepared celebrities making their stage acting debuts by starring on Broadway and weak bullpens.

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