Review: A Silly, Goofy, Campy Easter

By Michael Block

Spring is here! And Paige Turner is here to welcome it! Throw your winter blues away as Paige Turner and her friends, Jackie Cox and Remy Germinario, fill your Easter basket with enough sweetness to last the whole year in Paige Turner’s Easter Egg-stravaganza.
Back at the Beechman, Paige Turner gives a revisionist Easter as she tries to share the joy of the holiday with her agnostic friend Jackie Cox. On the journey toward Easter understanding, they perform a show for kids thanks to a rapping bunny, learn from a blonde twink why spring is important for the gays, and of course take a lively trip to a gay church. It's right for Paige to joke that there used to be a plot because the story seems to fall to the wayside in return for more gay inside jokes, silly songs, and rousing comedy. Paige Turner’s Easter Egg-stravaganza isn't meant to be a well-made theatrical piece. It's a celebration of holiday fun. Filled with double-entendres and gay jokes out the wazoo, the show has that child-like aura, similar to Pee Wee’s Playhouse, that is simply made to entertain. Filled with some easy recurring jokes and hidden Easter eggs, Paige makes them obvious. And that’s part of the humor. For the theater lovers, you will get your fill of industry jabs as well. Since the trio have pipes for days, Paige Turner’s Easter Egg-stravaganza has a full basket of  musical numbers, many of which are riffs on showtunes. From “Little Known Facts” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown to a couple of numbers for Godspell, some of the songs get the full parody treatment while others remained nearly in tact. And that’s not fun! But since this is drag, expect a lip sync for your salvation.

photo by Michael Block

This show is a dazzling character showcase. Paige Turner is a star among stars. Her comedic timing is on point, but it’s made brighter next to her co-star Jackie Cox. The pair is unstoppable. Paige Turner may look like a dumb blonde but it’s her zippy reads hurled at Jackie that prove she’s quite brilliant. And every jab toward Jackie makes you want to give her a sympathy aw. Jackie may be the sidekick but it’s time for her turn in the limelight. Thanks to silly costumes and ridiculous wigs, Remy Germinario was the scene-stealer of the night. Putting on goofy voices, Germinario held his own in-between the drag dynamos.
Paige Turner’s Easter Egg-stravaganza is nowhere near perfect but it’s perfectly endearing. You’re bound to leave with a full stomach thanks to all the sugar Paige and friends serve.