I’ve never seen any of the incarnations of Bravo’s The Real Housewives – Beverly Hills, New York, Atlanta, Hell. None of them. I know who Andy Cohen is and have knowledge of some of the former housewives like Nene Leakes, only because she’s now making every struggling actor insane with her foray into acting.
That being said, if you’re a fan of the long running series, I’m betting you’ll enjoy Broadway San Diego’s latest offering, The Realish Housewives of San Diego: A Parody.
The Realish Housewives of San Diego is an original play written by Chicago-based comics and Second City veterans, Kate James and Tim Sniffen. Housewives has host Randy Bowen (Joshua Davis) wrangling a handful of vapid women: Ravonka (Lori McClain) a baroness of unknown origins, the pretty and conniving Claudia-Louise (Katy Carolina Collins), the self-made business-woman Brooke (Lindsey Pearlman), the “glambitious” Gwen (Katie Caussin) and Desiree (Emjoy Gavino) the neck model.
It’s basically a live version of the show, featuring all the backstabbing, flashbacks and re-enactments that come with it, the bonus being that the show is catered to San Diego. Santee, El Cajon, Bob Filner and Kevin Faulconer are a few of the names dropped during the night.
There are some funny parts but where the show and performers really shine are the moments of improv and interactions with the audience. Improv can be hit or miss but this cast drew some major laughs, especially from standouts Katy Carolina Collins and Lindsey Pearlman. These two, even during the scripted parts of the play, were terrific.
I’m not the target audience but if you’re a fan of The Real Housewives or reality shows in general, then this show might be a good bet for some breezy weekend entertainment.
The Realish Housewives of San Diego: A Parody is playing now till February 7th at the Balboa Theatre (868 4th Avenue, Downtown San Diego). For tickets and more: http://www.broadwaysd.com
Upcoming tour stops: Seattle, WA (Moore Theatre, Feb 11-14), Des Moines, IA (Temple for Performing Arts, Feb 23-28), Charlotte, NC (Booth Playhouse, March 1-6), Boston, MA (Shubert Theatre, Mar 29-Apr 3), Schenectady, NY (Proctors Theatre, Apr 8-10), Hartford, CT (The Bushnell, Apr13-16), and Denver CO (Garner Galleria Theater, May 3-22).
