Review: THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES VOLUME 4: THE HALLOWEEN EDITION at O'Connell And Company

When you mix a gaggle of sassy drag queens with one of the most successful  sitcom female casts of the the last century, the alchemy that results seems like a no brainer.  And when Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia and Rose are those beloved ladies, audiences clamor for more  time with their favorite ladies. For  your enjoyment, O' Connell and Company along with Todd Warfield present "THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES VOLUME 4: The Halloween Edition."

The adoration for those infamous upper middle age ladies will bring out it's most staunch supporter fans. It seems the zingers and one liners made famous by Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty can be tailor made  for retelling by men in drag. After all, gay men were and continue to be some of the most staunch fans of THE GOLDEN GIRLS and with the uber popularity of  TV shows like Rue Paul's  DRAG RACE, society has become much more accepting of men living there best lives in silk dresses with shoulder pads and shiny accessories.

Warfield has a penchant for this type of show, having directed previous "volumes" of these spoofs written by David Cerda. And spoof and parody is a kind way to label this production.. the show throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Singing characters , audience  singalongs, dance numbers, audience participation,  cheese cake sales, trivia games, 50/50 drawings and costume contests-- it may be better named THE  2023 SUPERFANS IMMERSIVE GOLDEN GIRLS EXPERIENCE.

Our four gals are played with great comic effects by a multitalented case. Michael Seitz is the dry, witty Dorothy who suffers no fools and does a fine job of paying homage to Ms. Arthur, spewing deadpan criticisms with  her all to familiar posturing, dressed in long sweaters and flowing palazzo pants. 

Joe Bucheker may well be Betty's White's "sister/brother" from another mother. He exudes brilliant ditziness, fluttering his wide eyes and always game to tell another of those  ridiculous St. Olaf stories that everyone loves to hate. Bucheker also serves a choreographer, leading the large ensemble in spooky dances like Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Michael "Bebe" Blasdell is the sex pot Blanche and he struts and licks his lips with double entendres galore. The gay sex suggestions may have been a bit much for this suburban audience, but were par for the course in this cross dressing outing. Blanche lives for tight clothes and her sexual escapades, and Blasdell was up for the challenge.

Matthew Rittler nearly stole every scene he was in as the petite, yet caustic Sophia. Never without his purse and signature glasses, Rittler's timing was near perfect while hurling insults, as well as relating those classic old country stories from Italy--  when he began "picture it......."  he had the audience in the palm of his hand.

The tissue paper thin plots of each act have  spooky Halloween themes, ranging from the Act 1 Halloween party gone bad after finding that Blanche's house was built on an old cemetery and an unexpected death of a party goer,  which  throws the action  into pandemonium. Later, in Act 2, Sophia is the object of curse from another old Italian grandma and needs to be exorcised. Honestly,  in this act this comedy played more like a traditional  Golden Girls script, and the petite Sophia garnered enough laughs to satisfy all Golden Girls fans.

The evening including trivia games for the audience, but  fewer of them would have served the same purpose without becoming a bit monotonous. And the results of the 50/50 drawing given during the actual show took the steam out of the final scene.

Vinny Murphy, Len Mendez, Michael Wells, Bryan Sharry and Jason Francey rounded out the cast, playing a myriad of roles. Murphy was a hoot as the often hysterical neighbor Pamela. Mendez gave an over the top portrayal of a nun brought in to help with the exorcism. Sharry had the audience in stitches as Sophia's arch nemesis, Sylvia Martinelli, meanwhile Wells was fine as the personal trainer who  just ahppens to lose his clothes. Francey was  the perfect emcee to host the first audience game show, while finding some good laughs as Father Moretti.

The simple set was effective using  photographic back drops from the actual TV show. Costumes by Warfield and Bucheker took full advantage of the exaggerated fashions of the 80's and 90's, bringing a comforting sense of nostalgia to fans of the beloved sitcom.

This is an evening of  high camp, played for laughs and groans. Much of the timing was good, but further performances should have this production sailing a bit smoother. The opening night audience loved it's gals, and Cerda has found many ways to honor those beloved 4  Floridian housemates.

"THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES VOLUME4: The Halloween Edition" plays through November 4, 2023 at O'Connell and Company's Theatre on Bailey Avenue in Buffalo, NY. Contact www.oconnellandcompany.com for more information

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