In an effort to keep the fund-raising concert fresh in its seventh year, What a Pair producers brought in male preformers dressed in drag.
Traditionally, the What a Pair fund-raising concert, which benefits breast cancer research at the John Wayne Cancer Institute, presents a strictly all-female cast, so when producers decided to tap the singing talents of Jason Alexander and Steven Weber for the show’s seventh season last Saturday, they had one stipulation: The men had to perform their duet in drag.
Just as female performers such as Marg Helgenberger, Deborah Gibson, and Vicki Lewis donned dresses and heels to belt out Broadway-style duets, so too did Alexander and Weber, who playfully tossed their women’s underpants at the audience during a rendition of “The Beauty That Drives Men Mad.” The move to include the men was one of a few new variations on the established format that producers adopted this year.
“There is a need to keep the show fresh because the audience is so loyal, and we have multiple-timers attending every year,” said Jody Price, who produced the show with Jo Levi DiSante, Ruth Stalford, and Lauren Sands. Organizers also deviated from the benefit’s duet-only tradition, allowing Emily Bergl, Amy Pietz, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Tiernet Sutton to perform the first quartet in the show’s history.
For practicality’s sake, and in another attempt to vary the event for returning guests, producers moved the production from last year’s location at downtown’s Orpheum Theatre to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. “The John Wayne Cancer Institute is based on the Westside and so our most of our supporters, so it just made sense to accommodate them,” said Price. “Plus, the theater is pretty new and we wanted a chance to play with all the high-tech toys there.”
Producers also took advantage of the theater’s terrace, staging a pre- and post-show silent auction and cocktail party for all attendees. Pink accents dominated the outdoor space, popping up in the form of floral arrangements, lighting, fuzzy throws atop benches, and rosy-hued cocktails. Auction items also included pink wares, such as a Harvey’s seatbelt bag and a jeweled necklace from Royal Order that was specially created for the event.
Touches of pink, of course, were subtle reminders of the event’s cause. “The event doesn’t include a speech or statistics—it doesn’t make you sad,” said Price. “It’s 90 minutes of rock 'n' roll and Broadway tunes, and it’s thoroughly entertaining.”
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