Review: A VERY SORDID WEDDING at Palm Canyon Theatre

Del Shores returns to local stages with "A Very Sordid Wedding," a compelling sequel to his 1996 stage play and 2000 film, "Sordid Lives." With the former having become a uniquely Palm Springs legend, this sequel went with the opposite process in creation. Whereas “Sordid Lives” began as a stage play and evolved into a film and (later) a single season television series, “A Very Sordid Wedding” began as a 2017 film, (which debuted at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs, now the Palm Springs Cultural Center) which is now making its onstage debut at Palm Canyon Theatre.  Known for his unique blend of humor, Southern charm, and poignant social commentary, Shores crafts a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. While "A Very Sordid Wedding" stands on its own, a working familiarity to the original offers audiences a deeper dive on the characters and the inter-relationships that made it tick.

"A Very Sordid Wedding" picks up 16 years after the events of "Sordid Lives," set in the same small Texas town of Winters. The play centers around the gay wedding of local boy all grown up, Ty Williamson, played by Noah Wahlberg and his husband Kyle, played by Samuel David, that stirs controversy within this rural notch in the Bible Belt.   To be clear, the wedding is part of Ty and Kyle’s “50 Gay Weddings in 50 States” protest that was in support of the 2015 Supreme Court Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized gay marriage.  Wahlberg and David portray a loving couple with humor and charisma amidst a community that is increasingly turning hostile to their very existence. 

The narrative unfolds with the town’s community of eccentric characters, each bringing their own quirks and conflicts to the stage. The family at the center of the craziness:  Sissy Hickey, played by Michele Davis, LaVonda Dupree played by Mary Ewing, and Latrelle Williamson played by Erin Shull are all back as they thread their own paths of understanding as their community and their family evolve, devolve and change. Ms. Davis’ Sissy is studying her Bible, trying to find equilibrium between what her Lord (supposedly) is telling her and what her heart is telling her.  Her humor and her earnest portrayal are an audience favorite.  Ms. Ewing’s take on the more free spirited LaVonda was a lot of fun as she finds love and a heaving helping of sass to her role.  Ms. Shull’s take on the pious Latrelle was nuanced and effective as she navigates her love and acceptance for her only son Ty, an evolution that cost her manicured home and her marriage that remains a pain she deals with through the course of the story.  The fourth member of the family is Earl “Brother Boy” Ingram played with feathers and flourish by Larry Martin.  The story is as much about him as everyone else combined.  While his nephew Ty has found happiness and purpose in his life both as a political activist and spouse, “Brother Boy” is a study in loss and desperation.  A drag queen who was institutionalized for many years in the hopes of “dehomosexualizing” him (a major secondary plot in the original Sordid Lives), a decade and a half later finds him at a crossroad for his art and his semblance of self which are both in decay.  Haunted by the treacherous lechery of the spectral Dr Eve Bollinger (portrayed in video nightmare montages by Denise Strand) who tried to use sex therapy on Earl when he was cooped up.  Messed up?  Yes, yes it is and so is Earl! Mr. Martin was fragmented, manic and over the top in every conceivable way, just as Earl himself should be.  Funny and bitingly observant in so many times when other characters veer into their own diatribe and he pulls the focus back into “Hello!  We need to get back to my mental breakdown!!”

In the supporting roles were a number of characters mentioned in the earlier work but never seen, who come out in in all their “glory”. Noleta Nethercott played by Christine Tringali Nunez receives a lot more time in the spotlight as a newly liberated woman who is many pounds and one husband lighter than in her first appearance in the “Sordid Lives” universe.  With a libido that has been set free, her interactions with all the male (well, straight males) characters was hilarious, particularly certain carnal hospital scenes with a guy in a leg immobilizer (imagine THAT for a moment!).  The gang down at Bubba’s Bar are all still there: Balladeer Wardell “Bubba” Owens played by David Brooks, whose blossoming romance with LaVonda was the show’s “Daw!” moment,  the ever inebriated Juanita Bartlett brought to stumbling life by Morgana Corelli, Odell Owens played by Nick Edwards, ever with yo-yo in hand,  the still grieving G.W. Nethercott, played by a wooly Dan Graff and new fiberglass legs (IYKYK) and Ron Coronado who plays a litany of characters and serves as the bar’s karaoke MC. In ensemble roles are Adam Heiter, Gina Zollman and the “Go Go Boys” AJ Fernandez and Michael Stein-Steele which did their roles admirably.

As villains go, there are a number to make the blood boil a bit.  And at least one anti-hero.  We’ll start with the Rev Jimmy Ray Brewton brought to life with bile, fire and brimstone by Tim Steele.  The muck-racker who is going to bring the Equality movement crashing down in this part of Texas (gee, prescience anyone?).  He is prodded on by local grocery clerk/bigot Vera Lisso played by Jo Beth Henry who is gathering an “Anti-Equality” revival at the local Baptist church who conveniently blamed gays for everything from Hurricane Katrina to the price of eggs (that wasn’t really mentioned, but, it would have been today).  Latrelle’s ex-husband Wilson played by Bryan Kreisinger Denk and the new “wife du jour” Greta played by Timothy Rathke spit intolerance from another direction in a desperate charge to not evolve in word or deed.  The anti-hero I mentioned?  That would be Billy Joe Dobson, who happens to be a bisexual serial killer on the lam, portrayed with wounded malice by Rob Kreisinger Denk.  He and Brother Boy go on a “road trip” to Dallas so Earl can follow his dream to perform as the drag famous Rose Room.  The relationship between the pathological Billy Joe and the flighty Brother Boy was unique in stage or film.  It became protective and almost, dare I say it, healthy?  Mr. Denk also played the role of the gent in the leg immobilizer mentioned earlier, and you would not guess it was the same person!

Director Eric Stein-Steele had a task ahead of him, which would always be true in staging a world premiere work of a beloved storyline.  He also created the projections and the set design that were crucial to establishment of locales. Enlarging the world of the film or television screen to a large stage has daunted the very best of directors and producers for a long time.  Here it felt that the stage might have been too big, the method of telling this story were in isolating vignettes rather than a contiguous plot.  As such, the audience feels a bit too removed from the action, which harms the storytelling a bit.  In his set design, the rainbow-colored aligned carts with set pieces worked pretty well, but the scene changes (at least in the performance I saw) were painfully slow. I would have also appreciated more rural Texas in the speech and mannerisms.  They are core to Shores’ work and felt that was a miss here, this could have been anywhere but Winters Texas but it doesn’t really work anywhere else.  The costuming by Derik Shopinski were appropriate for the time and location, being only 8 years removed from the action simplifies that task a little.  Sound was a challenge; I am hoping it has been rectified in subsequent showings because I know I missed a bit of the dialogue.  The projections, while well done, had timing issues as well harming the establishment of scenes in my estimation. The full run-time of the show was 2 hours and 43 minutes, which felt long.  In my opinion, the karaoke scene takes too much time for little payoff (that perception may have been shaded by technical issues that evening).  Everything felt like it needed additional tightening.  In their defense, I do know that the show had to be set-up in one week, with the film festival removed the normal time their technicians would have to work out any bugs.

Is the show worth seeing, you might ask?  That depends on the show you are expecting to see. If you are a “Sordid Lives” fan who would enjoy reuniting with the characters and seeing where they lead, then YES!  If you have never seen anything in this universe before, then, yes, but be prepared that it is odd, definitely adult content and VERY GAY.  Not in any derogatory manner, but this isn’t your standard comedy.  I say this as a fan of Del Shores, but it veers into preachy pretty quickly.  But, the characters are still fun and the situations outrageous.

“A Very Sordid Wedding” runs Thursday at 7:00p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through Sunday, January 26.   Tickets can be purchased ONLY at www.palmcanyontheatre.net or by calling (760) 323-5123.

Next up on Palm Canyon Theatre’s 2024-25 season slate:

My Fair Lady (Feb 7 – Mar 2, 2025) Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady is that rare musical by which all others are measured, featuring one of musical theatre’s greatest scores. This classic tale shows us Eliza Doolittle, a low-class, Cockney, flower girl, transformed into an elegant lady when Professor Henry Higgins decides to teach her how to speak like a proper, upper-class woman. During their lessons, an unlikely friendship begins to flourish.

Victor/Victoria (Mar 14 – Apr 6, 2025) On the brink of starvation, Victoria Grant achieves stardom by masquerading as a man, "Count Victor Grazinski," who performs as a female impersonator. When macho businessman King Marchan develops feelings for “Victor," and Victoria reciprocates, the whirlwind of complications begins, ultimately revealing a moving story about self-discovery, tolerance, and second chances.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Apr 18 - Apr 27, 2025) This stage adaptation of Ken Kesey's celebrated novel explores the brutality of life in a mental institution with humor, candor, and unforgettable characters. After being convicted of a petty crime, a charming, rebellious rogue named McMurphy contrives to serve his short sentence in an airy institution rather than in a prison. This, he soon learns, was a mistake.

Forever Plaid (May 9 - 18, 2025) On the way to their first big gig, the "Plaids" are broadsided by a school bus and killed instantly. It is at the moment when their lives end that the story of Forever Plaid begins with the “Plaids” returning from the afterlife for one final chance at musical glory. Audiences delight in the ”Plaid’s” playful patter and their famous harmonizing of great nostalgic songs of the 1950s.

Falsettos (July 11 - 20, 2025) Central to the musical are the themes of Jewish identity, gender roles, and gay life in the 70s/80s. The story centers on Marvin, who has left his wife to be with a male lover and struggles to keep his family together. The first act explores the impact his relationship has had on his family. The second act explores family dynamics that evolve as the extra-marital relationship continues.

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