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Nothing says holiday season like drag.
But queer decadence is embellishment, not polish.
How did she make her golden ceiling?
Tin foil and 50 years of smoking, she rasped.
She knew how to make a world, says Mac.
The weeks far smaller drag spectacle, though, is actually the one that undid me.
Each successive Theater in Quarantine has pushed the boundaries of whats possible in Gelbs tiny closet turned performance space.
I am keeping the room vacant, she sings in Christians libretto, he wont come unless its spotless.
Her smiling, sure peacefulness was an act, a performance, a costume.
And as ever with one of her musicals, each turn of phrase is worthy of careful study.
Already in the last few days, Ive returned to that image many times.
What a rich and useful thing she and Gelb have made!
The saint is anguished by her hollowness; the actor can only show us a painted travesty.
But they both draw attention to the value of surfaces in a time of spiritual crisis.
While youre waiting for belief to pour in decorate your cup.
