Dreams are cheap but these rhinestones are not (Drag Daddy Productions)
- stagedoorlouisville
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
Josephine and the Amazing Technicolor Lacefront
Written by Tony Lewis
Directed by Brent Braun and Hyde Eisenberg
Review by Regina Harris. Entire contents are © 2026 by Regina Harris. All rights reserved.
Drag Daddy Productions delights once again with their newest offering, Josephine
and the Technicolor Lacefront. Equal parts Broadway homage and high camp, it is
the joyful celebration of the classic tale of resilience and reinvention. Play
Louisville dazzled Friday night as the company took the beloved Broadway
favorite, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, tossed it into a glitter
cannon with a cast of drag folk and blasted out a kaleidoscopic and kinetic parody
that is as heartfelt as it is hilarious.
Drag Mom Mimi has several daughters, but her favorite is Josephine (Phi-Phi).
Mimi gifts her a rainbow wig (the lace up kind – very fancy.) The other sisters get
jealous and collude to do away with her. Thinking she’s gone on to Heaven (but
really, she only went to NYC) Phi-Phi must reinvent herself to get back to the top
of the heap.
From the moment the lights come up, the audience is swept into
whirlwind of soaring vocals under the always-wonderful direction of Jeanne-
Marie Rogers. Every vocal performance from the Prologue to the Finale richly
satisfies with sizzling and sassy lyrics set to the tunes of the original play. Natalie
Kulp as the Narrator brought exceptional vocals, as did Sintra as Debbie. Uhstel H
Valentine easily commanded the stage as Josephine (Phi-Phi). In a slinky black and
diamond sheath, Sirena Sapphire dazzled as The Diva. All the costumes were
glorious (and we can only imagine how the cast managed the quick changes!)
A pet peeve of mine is that very often, the sound can be uneven to the point of
distraction, causing the audience to miss some of the lyrics and storytelling.
Occasionally music can be so loud that it drowns out all vocals; alternatively, it
can just lack proper amplification. Friday evening’s audio design by Michael Perysian, with the support of the sound crew, was absolute perfection. Every note
of the vocals was clear and strong and exquisitely matched the volume of music.
Kudos to sound!
In a time that feels inordinately hopeless and every headline is soul crushing,
Josephine and the Amazing Technicolor Lacefront is a wonderful example of how
the combination of theatre and music is magical. Drag Daddy Productions
consistently makes magic happen. If laughter is the best medicine (and let’s just
call glitter therapeutic) this production is just the prescription for you!
Josephine and the Amazing Technicolor Lacefront Drag Daddy Productions
Play Louisville
1101 East Washington St.
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 882-3615
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