By Bart Greenberg***You’ve heard the story: identical twins get separated at birth or soon after and later get reunited under surprising circumstances, upon which havoc ensues. It was good enough for Plautus; it was good enough for Shakespeare a couple of times; Rodgers and Hart set it to music; and Walt Disney took a couple of wacks at it. And now writer-director, Kevin Zak is taking his turn with Ginger Twinsies, his farcical take on the latter of two Disney-produced Parent Trap films.
Now on stage on the Lower East Side, the play is hectic, outrageous, vulgar, occasionally boring and occasionally hysterical. It’s also very “queer adjacent,” as several characters note within the narrative as well as filled with in-jokes based on everything from Mary Poppins to Mortal Kombat to Hamilton. And if a certain Oscar-winning actress, with only the sketchiest of connections to the material, shows up to provide some advice and commentary, the audience shouldn’t be surprised. In other words, Ginger Twinsies is highly undisciplined. And yet there are strokes of genius within it. At 80 minutes it just avoids being exhausting.
For those who have never seen the 1998 film version, Annie and Hallie are twin redheaded sisters who were separated as infants by their selfish parents for no particular reason. Mom was from England and took her daughter there where she became a successful clothing designer and who raised her twin along with the help of her father and her butler-nanny, Martin. Daddy became a successful vineyard owner who raised his twin with the help of a somewhat eccentric housekeeper-nanny. When the girls are coincidentally sent to the same summer camp, they meet and figure out their backgrounds with little difficulty. So 
what else can they do but switch places. What ensues is lots of moving back-and-forth between continents and the interference of Daddy’s new girlfriend Meredith, a conniving gold digger. More about Meredith later. The girls, of course, merely want to reunite their parents, and that is the story in a nutshell
Zak’s version pretty much follows that outline. The major change in the play is that rather than split screen Britney Spears, we have two performers playing the twins. Everyone within the show insists they are exact copies of each other. Of course, we need to ignore the fact that Anessa Folds as Hallie is African-American and Russell Daniels as Annie is a white male in drag. They’re both plus size and wear the same wigs. Both performers bring a great deal of comic energy and a surprising commitment to absurd incidents occurring around them. The rest of the cast similarly have been hired regardless of gender, race, appearance and occasionally species. But their versatility renders this approach of reality irrelevant and actually adds to the hilarity. Letitia Maye, as the flighty mother (in one case, actually taking flight when she is transformed into Mary Poppins), brings charming joyfulness to the role. Matthew Wilkins as Daddy, provides a genuine sweetness to the part, even while often wearing shredded clothes displaying an impressive physique. The caretakers, Grace Reit
er as Chessie and Jimmy Ray Bennett as Martin (wo does double duty as the twins’ grandfather with the aid of a pipe with mustache attached) add to the antic energy of the evening. Mitch Wood rounds out the cast with surprising versatility of being able to embody everything from a friendly lizard to a wise movie star.
And then there is the evil Meredith Blake, here given a much more expanded role than in the two preceding movies. In the original 1960s film, she is played by the sleek Joanna Barnes, perhaps best known as the ping pong champion Gloria Upson. In the remake, Elaine Hendrix inherited the role, while Barnes returned as her mother. Now Hendrix is one of the featured producers of this theatrical venture. And Phillip Taratula delivers a star turn in drag as the venomous fiancé, with a more elaborate back story and through-line. Of course, her grand entrance is greatly enhanced by her costume, a consummate sight gag. Wilberth Gonzalez’ costumes throughout are witty and character-defining, reminiscent of Bob Mackie’s iconic creations for the “Carol Burnett Show.” Beowulf Boritt provided equally clever and versatile scenic designs, at once childish and sophisticated, with an unending supply of hidden doors in walls, floor and ceiling.
There are some misfires during the evening. A dance number (created by Jesse Robb) goes on far beyond its enjoyable length. And the audience should be alerted to the copious amount of stage smoke that penetrates the front section of the hall. In general, those in power operate on the idea that more is more. In this case, it isn’t. But what is beneath the excess is enough for an enjoyable night of zany theater.
Ginger Twinsies plays at The Orpheum Theater, 162 2nd Ave., NYC. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com or at the theater box office.
Photos by Matthew Murphy
