Review: Seattle Rep's JINKX MONSOON & MAJOR SCALES: UNWRAPPED a Smashed Hit

Cynical tributes to the holidays can easily fall into clichés, feeling as stale as the fruitcake they mock, but Seattle Repertory Theatre's Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped was a bejeweled middle finger to Christmas that, ultimately, was touchingly sincere. Back by popular demand, the drag duo Jinkx Monsoon (Jerick Hoffer) and Major Scales (Richard Andriessen) ask you to sit back, gripe about your family, and enjoy a swig (or ten) of brandy from the turkey baster.

Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales return for one of the best Christmas shows I have ever seen. Nay, one of the best shows I have ever seen. Granted, I have been a fan of Jinkx Monsoon's ever since I watched her in RuPaul's Drag Race, feeling my Seattle pride soar and my heart race when I got to see her live for the very first time. But I still put on my professional critic's hat the day of the show, knowing that even a star you adore could be apart of a disappointing production. Thankfully, that was far from the case. If anything, Unwrapped showcased not only Jinkx Monsoon's comedic talents of which I was already aware but of Hoffers-as an actor, singer, and drag performer.

The premise of the show is quite simple: Monsoon kvetches to Major about her issues with every facet of Christmas-often accompanied with a song to drive the point home-and Major does his best to cheer her up and, maybe even get her on board with some holiday spirit.

One tremendously refreshing component of Unwrapped is the irreverent holiday songs incorporated into the production. Songs like "Give the Jew Girl Toys" by Sarah Silverman, "I Google You," by Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman, and "Teach Me How to Understand Christmas" from Community are so esoteric that most people in the audience may not recognize them as cover songs, especially considering how smoothly they fit into the script. Traditional Christmas songs about brazen, witty drag queens channeling Bette Davis recounting experiences as a five-year-old homosexual boy getting the lamest toys every year for the holidays do not exist; so, Jinkx found the right ones for her, including a touching original piece "Red and Green."

Jinkx Monsoon really carries the show; Major Scales supports and accompanies her, but pales in comparison in this two-person show. A common denominator of drag queens is vanity and needing to be the center of attention, so all of the eyes being on Jinkx was expected. But it was Jinkx's actions, not her words that made the show all about her.

Monsoon sleepily spins and rolls around the stage in her hysterical cover of Lana Del Rey's "Video Games," rolling right off the stage as she puts "as much energy into it as Lana would." Major holds his own in a fun back and forth in the audience participation component, and even gets his own solo song to perform; while Major's singing abilities are showcased in "Passive Aggressive Christmas," Monsoon steps back onstage clad in a fabulous white nightgown that would make Bette Davis proud, the audience cheering as the star we all came to see returns from sobering up backstage.

Often in drag, there is a feeling of blatant artifice; and though the mockery and crass humor found in this drag show were abundant (and delightful), the true highlights were the glimmers of sincerity. This very much felt like Hoffer telling his story through Jinkx, allowing the audience to get a rare glimpse of the man beneath the woman. And just when you really feel like Jinkx has opened up to you, she pulls out her prosthetic breast and wears it like a yamulke saying, "none of this is real."

I give Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped a 5/5 stars.

Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Unwrapped performs at the Seattle Repertory Theatre through December 13th, 2015. For tickets and information, visit www.seattlerep.org.

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