Review: THE HOUSE OF PATRICK at Vincent Victoria Presents

THE HOUSE OF PATRICK is about Patrick Kelly, a celebrated black fashion designer of the mid to late ‘80s whose career was cut short by AIDS.  His star rose in France where he became the first designer from the U.S. to be admitted into the Chambre syndicale du prêt-à-porter des couturiers et des créateurs de mode (a governing body of the French ready-to-wear industry).  He dressed luminous stars such as Iman, Cicely Tyson, Naomi Campbell, Madonna, and Grace Jones. But probably more remarkable than all of this, his friendship with Bette Davis in her final years was the stuff of legend.  The two were an oddly perfect pair, one dying of cancer and the other having AIDS.  They loved each other with a devotion you rarely hear about in celebrity circles.  She promoted him, and he dressed her to the nines any chance he got.  

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THE HOUSE OF PATRICK by Vincent Victoria is the writer/director/producer’s most ambitious play to date.  It covers a very specific era of the eighties, and is concentrated on a man whose work in fashion is clear and easy to spot in any incarnation.  As a playwright, he tampers with the narrative of the true story.  Events are rearranged, some of it is fictionalized, and of course Vincent provides certain sequences for purely dramatic purposes.  Yet, he does capture this sweet souled fashion designer and his relationship with Bette Davis quite well.  And the production has a great energy!  It fuses music, fashion shows, and simply fun lively scenes that turn THE HOUSE OF PATRICK into a … well… house party!  The energy is high, and the show is a ton of fun.  

Demetrus Singleton plays Patrick, and his physical likeness to him is spot-on.  He gives the character a playfulness and love of life that is infectious.  When he writes LOVE in large letters on a white board before a fashion show we believe the man believes in that and that alone.  Audrey Coe is a bit young to play Bette Davis, and she doesn’t quite have the gruffness that this iron legend carried.  What she does have is a ton of heart, and a true chemistry with her designer friend that reads as pure and sweet.  Demetrius and Audrey play off each other so well that we almost forgive them for refusing to do celebrity impersonations.  Bette Davis had such a signature voice and wit that it would be perilous to try and perfect it.  

Venise Watson and Jasmin Roland are in the same boat as Audrey, because they have to embody supermodels Naomi Campbell and Pat Cleveland.  Venise gets points for getting Naomi’s accent down, and both actresses are statuesque and have the presence of a high fashion model.  They are fun to watch.  Joyce Murray and James West stole my heart as Kelly’s grandmother and father as well.  And finally, Austin McLeod proudly plays Patrick’s lover with a style and grace all his own.  The whole cast is a joy to watch, simply because everyone seems like they are in love with this story and their characters.  

The play itself stumbles sometimes when it tries to show things like Patrick Kelly creating a design in a minute or two out of a tablecloth.  This is a scene where it goes into a rhyming sing-song patter for the dialogue, and it feels strange mixed in with the naturalness around it.  I appreciate the artistic flair, but the real core of the show is an unusual friendship between two legends.  That is what you are coming to the theater for, and that is where the show sings.  Oh, and did I mention the fashion shows? Kudos to the costume designer who had to come up with Patrick Kelly inspired runways, and managed to get buttons, bows, and Gollys on a budget.  That was amazing, and boy did the cast sell those moments.   

In the end Vincent Victoria has produced a show that has a ton of joy and love to spare, and audiences should find themselves smiling for nearly two hours.  It is amazing to take what could be a tragedy and turn it into what feels like a house party.  And let’s face it, Patrick Kelly deserves the celebration.  So I am so glad to see someone tip their hat to him, and that it is Houston’s own laureate playwright Vincent Victoria seems fitting.  Add some buttons, some plastic lips, or a golly to your outfit and expect a good time.  You are in good hands. 

THE HOUSE OF PATRICK plays through July 23rd at the Midtown Arts Center on La Branch street near the campus of Houston Community College.  Tickets are available through the website for Vincent Victoria Presents.  

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