Latrice Royale: She Is What She Is

By Bart Greenberg***Latrice Royale took the stage of 54 Below—and when Royale takes a stage, she takes it!. And the walls. And the ceiling. And the audience. It is her space and her party. The RuPaul Drag Race veteran left no doubt that the self-described “bold and beautiful” performer enjoyed every minute of being in the spotlight. Sharing the stage was her music director–pianist Christopher Hamblin,who also happens to be her husband, and who not only provided fine musical accomplishment but also a steady commentary. Royale purred affectionately: “I love a sexy nerd.”

Surprisingly, if ever there were expectations, much of the show’s material was on the serious side. The tale of her coming out experience was deftly intertwined with “I Am What I Am” (Jerry Herman). “Send in the Clowns” (Steven Sondheim) was given a gorgeous Sarah Vaughan-like delivery, with an emphasis on the stillness within the song. It also provided Hamblin with an opportunity for a fine piano interlude. And her “With Every Breath I Take” (Cy Coleman, David Zippel) was sultry and drenched in film noir atmosphere.

But not everything was so somber. Royale delivered a wonderfully filthy version of  the double-entendre tune “If I Can’t Sell It, I’ll Keep Sittin’ On It” (Andy Razaf, Alex Hill), complete with some fine honky tonk piano work by Hamblin. And when the star needed a break, she turned the room over to Diva LaMarr, with Darnell White on piano, whosashayed around the room, seducing the audience with a medley that included “Whatever Diva Wants” (Richard Adler, Jerry Ross) and “Big Spender” (Dorothy Fields, Cy Coleman). The two singers then offered a scathing duet of “Class” (Fred Ebb, John Kander).

Where the evening stumbled a bit was in the garrulous nature of both Royale and Hamblin who both tended to ramble; and while they were never less than natural in their talk, at times the lengthy conversation turned dull and untheatrical. Perhaps working with a director to edit some of these moments would have helped to tighten up the show. Still the thrilling moments, such as the diva’s upbeat and bluesy “Summertime” (George and Ira Gershwin) brought the evening easily into the plus side.

Photos by Mark Wallis