Remembering darcelle: sweet, cheeky fun • oregon artswatch

_That’s No Lady_, Don Horn’s encore staging of his twinkling tribute to Portland’s legendary drag queen Darcelle/Walter Cole, has plenty of glitz and cheeky laughs, as well as its tender

moments. The most poignant of these is when Walter (Kevin C. Loomis, returning from triangle’s 2019 production) sings the quiet and sweetly hummable _Every Show Is a Love Song_.  Accompanied

by Scott Bradner on the ukulele. Walter is singing to Roxy/Roc Neuhardt (James Sharinghousen, also reprising his role), Walter’s life partner of 47 years, who performed with him and helped

run the club Darcelle XV Showplace until Roxy’s death in 2017. As the song, which Horn wrote, with additional lyrics and music by Storm Large, goes: “Even when we’re all dead and gone, all

of this love goes on and on.” This sentiment is especially well-suited for Horn’s play, which preserves the memory of Darcelle, who died in 2023, his relationship with Roxy, and the loving

community they created at the nightclub, where gay, trans and straight people alike were – and still are today – welcome. _That’s No Lady_ begins with Walter sitting in a wheelchair and

reminiscing about his pre-Darcelle life as a Skid Row tavern owner and married man with two children. Before long, though, he springs from the chair and is on the stage, where we’re treated

to scenes from his stellar career, such as the moment he met Tina Sandell/Jerry Ferris (George Anthony Ashurst), a stunner who energetically sends the lemon fringe of her short dress

swinging while she lip-synchs the words to Sam Cooke’s Shake.” Even more impressively, she gets Walter to try on a dress as well, pulling a floral frock over his plain shirt and khakis and

popping a dowdy flowered hat atop his head. With Tina’s encouragement, Walter even awkwardly manages to mouth the words to Barbra Streisand’s “People,” making comically mannered hand

gestures – until, that is, he begins to feel the music. Then his movement feels organic as he spreads his arms as if he’s soaring with the song’s crescendo. The scene gives us a glimpse into

a private and pivotal moment, and Loomis, a veteran actor with Broadway and touring credits, plays it for all its worth, with starry eyes and a bedazzled smile that beams Walter’s wonder

over unexpectedly discovering new bliss at the age of 37. This iteration of _That’s No Lady_, which is directed by Horn (Brandon Woolley was the director of the original staging in 2019), is

well-paced, blending Walter’s narration and musical musings about his past with the more dynamic numbers, such as the fabulous “Cell Block Tango” from _Chicago_, danced by Roxy and Tina,

plus a third performer played by Jack Harvison, who buzzes around the stage throughout the play, delightfully filling multiple roles. Here, we’re treated to Sara Mishler Martins’ splendid

choreography, which features the tough trio of blond-wigged performers pounding their portable jail bars on the stage floor. At times, Walter’s longer sections of narration can feel a bit

like a talky history lesson, but it’s a history worth hearing about, especially when it includes a reminder of how Darcelle and Roxy supported the Queer community during the AIDS crisis,

while also entertaining us with projected footage of the real Roxy dancing. In a way, we also get to see Darcelle herself in action, as Loomis makes a joyful appearance in full drag, with

white meringue wig (by Jane Holmes/See Jane), winged eye shadow, and giant sparkly earrings that skim her shoulders. Sponsor As a whole,_ That’s No Lady_ shines a loving spotlight on

Walter’s “let’s go on with the show” zeal that he shared with so many people for 50+ years. Just like Darcelle XV, too, the play features a “Catch a Rising Star” act with every performance.

On June 7, an exhilarating Abby GoLucky/Abbe Drake performed in a rainbow costume and pink puffy hair, contributing to the gleeful “You be you, I’ll be me” (a line from one of Walter’s

songs) vibe of the night. In a more sober moment, Walter tells us about his mother’s death and his father’s subsequent emotional neglect, which made me wonder how he felt about being a

workaholic father himself. I’d also like to know more about Tina, who was from the Klamath Falls Tribe, and Roxy, who said in an interview with Darcelle that as a teenager he won a Halloween

costume contest in one of his mother’s dresses. All of which is to say, like the best history lessons, _That’s No Lady_ leaves us both entertained and eager to learn more. *** _That’s No

Lady_ continues at The Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza, 1785 N.E. Sandy Blvd. in Portland, through June 22. Find tickets and schedules here.