When you leave a show repeating, “that was so good,” you know you’ve been hit with the D’Arcy bug. Writer, director, producer, choreographer and owner of the venue, D’Arcy Drollinger brought back Shit & Champagne to the new Oasis in San Francisco and boy are we glad she did! D’arcy is known for her comedic timing, great legs and beauty (we saved the best for last) but Shit & Champagne was made for D’Arcy.
If you’ve never seen Shit & Champagne before it’s a lot like traveling in a time machine, back to a time when detectives were dicks and dancers were dolls. D’Arcy Drollinger plays Miss Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White, she’s been married a few times but that’s none of our f*cking business, a top notch dancer in a not so top notch world where her boyfriend, best friend and squirrel friends all get involved with sex, drugs and Mal-Wart. The tragedies that ensue get her involved in the wild world of crime fighting and seduction, with her favorite dick, Jack Hammer, played by Adam Roy. Adam does a knockout job in the three roles he has, he’s a silly rough around the edges, manager of Champagne’s club then transforms into a despicable douche-bag thug and finally into the deranged detective we hate to love.
The cast is amazing! Matthew Martin plays opposite D’Arcy as the evil vilainess, Dixie Stampede, and the comedic chemistry of Matthew with D’Arcy was absolutely amazing! From the moment Matthew steps on stage, the evil exudes from Dixie Stampede as the president of the evil conglomerate Mal-Wart. Put the two on the stage together and let the hilarity overwhelm you. But it’s not just Dixie Stampede who gets you into this story, the show wouldn’t be D’Arcy’s without some gratuitous sex references, scenes and shenanigans.
Enter, Debbie the dancer, played by Nancy French, who opens the show with the laziest go go performance of your life! While normally this would be an insult, Debbie is HILARIOUS! She comes back time and time again to set the scene with placards and the most monotone, “I don’t give a crap about what the hell is happening” attitude, she just set the tone for the night. James Arthur M. who plays Champagne’s bestie as well as an evil henchman and asmathic scientist, transforming from GBF (Gay Boy Friend) to rough neck hit man then to the dorky scientist is no easy feat, but James hit every part perfectly, including the “scurry” part that stopped D’Arcy in her tracks and caused so many laughs you could skip the ab day at the gym.
“What more could you ask for from Shit & Champagne” you ask? Steven LaMay, who plays Brandee, Champagne’s adopted, half-step sister (so technically, they’re not related right?) along with a waitress and supervisor at Mal-Wart, is fabulous. Brandee’s calf modeling gets her caught up in a bad situation, but the show wouldn’t be complete without her. Once again, the comedic chemistry blows the stage away.
But the brains behind Shit & Champagne, Miss D’Arcy Drollinger, is why we will come back again to see the show. This is the return of a show that originally opened in 2014 and extended three times for a run totaling five months! D’Arcy manages to keep it fresh, by re-birthing the show with new jokes, content and let’s face it, you’ll never see the same ad-lib twice with that kind of talent. But it’s more than just a script with some actors, every detail is carefully thought out and masterfully executed. From the sound effects of phone calls, slaps, punches, gun shots and everything that goes into making this show above and beyond, to the lighting setting the ambiance and excitement level, this stage was made for this show. Let’s not forget the choreography, when you have Matthew and D’Arcy, you know you’re in for some high kicks and fabulous leg work. With all the perfect combinations you’re immediately immersed in sex, drugs and rock n’ roll when you from the moment step into the theater till your very last standing ovation. Complete with pole dancers and stripper music, Sex & Champagne is a must see and you must see it again and again!
Tonight and tomorrow they are running a two for one special if you enter the discount code “Number2” (not case sensitive and don’t include the quotes). The show runs Thursday thru Saturday through Valentine’s Day so go see this show! We’re going again and possibly again, it was so good and you can’t miss out on this explosive performance by such a talented group of performers. Click here for tickets and more information.
