Review - Showgirls! The Musical!

It takes a certain genius to turn something awful into something amazing, and that’s exactly what the Medium Face team of Bob and Tobly McSmith have done with Showgirls! The Musical! A hilarious send up of what is widely considered one of the worst movies of all-time, Showgirls! The Musical! gives theater goers all the scenes they wish they could forget, and makes them memorable for far better reasons.

Showgirls! The Musical! bills itself as “Singing. Dancing. Tits.” and it has all three in abundance. Since the show is a lampoon, being familiar with the source material is helpful, though personally having seen the movie just once, and a very long time ago, I have to say it’s kind of amazing how much of it came rushing back with each musical number, and plot advancement. Oh, and for those worried about a certain act of non-consensual sex, the rape is tastefully handled, and you’ll be ecstatic nothing else is.

The star of the show is Nomi, played by April Kidwell, who some may recognize from her role as caffeine pill junkie Jessie Spano in Medium Face’s Bayside! The UnMusical! Kidwell is absolutely fantastic, playing everything over the top, mocking the overacting of Showgirls by cranking it up to eleven. At times you’ll wonder how she doesn’t explode. Kidwell is also blessed with an incredibly expressive face, and when she wants to look crazy it’s really a sight to behold. A personal favorite scene of mine involved Nomi having a heated discussion with a hamburger (yes, you read that correctly). Her instant BFF relationship with Molly, played by Marcus Desion, is another highlight.

Setting the tone for the show early, Nomi loses her shirt within the first few minutes. Hers are not the only bare breasts we see during Showgirls! The Musical! In fact, the women of this show spend the majority of their time on stage bare breasted.

The dance numbers Nomi, and Crystal, the queen bee of the show within the show, take part in are hilariously spastic. It’s safe to say someone has to be really good at dancing to intentionally dance so poorly.

If you haven’t yet figured out that Showgirls! The Musical! is intended to be a raunchy good time, musical numbers include a Prince-esque cautionary tale titled “Don’t Lick That Pole, Girl,” and an ode to the legendary pool sex scene, titled “Fucking Underwater.” There are also two references to Nomi’s Bayside past thrown in for good measure, one of which elicited quite the roar of laughter, and applause, from the crowd.

One of the biggest compliments I can give Showgirls! The Musical! is that it makes the prospect of re-watching Showgirls an enjoyable thing. It manages to turn a movie that was simply bad, into something hilarious. The people who see Showgirls! The Musical! will become part of an exclusive group that laugh inappropriately at everything in the original film. Trust me when I say you want to be a part of this group. We’re having all the fun.

Showgirls! The Musical! Will be playing at The Kraine Theater in NYC from April 17th - May 4th. Tickets are $18 in advance, and $20 at the door, which is, poetically, the usual cost of a lap dance.