Pretty Women: A Real Housewives Musical Revue

The Duplex, NYC, August 21, 2018

Reviewed by Chris Struck for Cabaret Scenes

Accompanied by pianist Andrew Whitbeck, a surprisingly large group of women and men putting on drag took on the roles of various Real Housewives from the New York-based version of that reality show to sing show tunes under the influence of alcohol. The brightest moment was provided by Schuyler Robinson who, as Bethenny Frankel, sang a slightly altered version of Sara Bareilles’ “She Used to Be Mine” about Carole, mimicking the character’s real-life feud with Carole Radziwill. He reached some pretty high notes with relative ease, punctuating his point eloquently. Kourtni Beebe followed as Shannon Beador performed Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind,” which seemed a little more apt, given that this was performed in a different context than it usually is—that is, as if you would put her in a strait-jacket.

That wouldn’t be too far off.

With all the names floating through the introductions, I might have followed her into the loony bin. However, there were a couple more housewives whose exceptional work snapped me back into reality. The first was Alex Bedder, as Dorinda Meldey, who slurred his way through another Sondheim classic, “Ladies Who Lunch.” He carried the slurred words completely through the song to the point where you really couldn’t understand what he was saying, unless you were familiar with the song. He was followed by Bailey Swilley who, as Ramona Singer, went into a lust-and-love pining arrangement of “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me” (Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Show) where she begs a “creature of the night” to “thrill me.”

This show is worth seeing again, perhaps with different songs and more drama!