‘Death is a Drag’: Show explores the comedic afterlife at Inspire Theatre
Being dead before the show starts doesn’t stop the central character of “Death is a Drag” from having a lively role.
“The show takes place at the wake for a drag queen, and his spirit is there, but only the audience can see him,” said show co-author and performer Dolly Coulter. “None of the other characters can see him. It has musical numbers in it, but it’s mostly a comedy farce. It’s sort of a cross between ‘Blithe Spirit’ and ‘The Bird Cage.’ “
This is the third play Coulter has written with her co-author, Bert Anderson Jr. Previously, they worked on “Back Up The Legendary Musical” and “Art Vs. Life,” which Coulter described as a romantic drama.
The pair met while working on the Strip at the Court Jester’s Stage in the Excalibur. Anderson was a puppeteer, and Coulter sang with several musical groups on the stage. The pair have continued to act separately and together over the years at venues including Super Summer Theatre and “Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding” dinner theater. Coulter also performs with local music group Killian’s Angels, an all-female, Celtic-influenced band.
They said they write in part to keep themselves on the stage.
“The way the business is, if you’re not a 20-year-old showgirl or a circus performer, there’s nothing here for you,” Anderson said. “This is a debut show, but we hope to bring it back as a regular show somewhere on the Strip. We’re also looking at New York, L.A. and San Francisco.”
The show is an original production locally produced with local performers. Coulter and Anderson have been working on the show for a while and are putting it on as a four-wall production, meaning they are essentially renting the theater and handling production costs and sales. They’re also paying their actors, which is not a given in small Las Vegas productions. They’re taking care of just about everything but writing the music, which Coulter said consists of songs from old movies.
The music is a mix of recorded and live music, much of it provided by the show’s musical director, Gabrielle Nicole.
“She’s amazing,” Coulter said. “We had to do some rewrites because she’s transgendering. When we started working on the show, she was a man. We’ve got a very diverse little cast.”
The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. Aug. 28 at Inspire Theatre, 107 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door or at dimeadozenproductions.com.
— To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.
‘Death is a Drag’8 p.m., Aug. 28, at Inspire Theatre, 107 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Tickets are $15 and are available at the door or at dimeadozenproductions.com.
