Let’s get this out of the way: I like Alyssa Edwards. She’s one of my favorite drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race. She stands out as one of the most charismatic, likable, entertaining personalities to ever come out of the program.
The same cannot be said of her current touring show, Alyssa: Life, Love and Lashes, which stopped at The Vic Theater on Monday night.
A road show version of her one-woman West End premiere, Edwards’ current production has some of what her fans are looking for: sparkling sequins, enormous hair and diva attitude. But mostly, it just features talk—two almost hour-long monologues as Edwards shares stories of growing up gay in rural Texas and achieving stardom via RuPaul. With a little lip-syncing and dancing … very little … sprinkled on top.
Some of her looks stood out: a sparkling golden tribute to iconic Texan “big hair” and a Norma Desmond-esque turban and leopard print dressing gown that closed the first act were particularly memorable. But that’s where the memories stop.
This show already has a star. What it needs is a director to break up all the talking and give it shape and a point of view. If you want to watch Alyssa Edwards at her best, stay home and turn on the TV.
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