POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Synopsis: One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.
Review:
Opening night on Broadway is a magical moment for any show, and with a show like POTUS, anything could happen. As the curtain opens, the show starts out strong with several lines between 2 of the characters being a singular expletive four letter word starting with a C. A strong open for any political comedy on stage.
The shows cast of seven women made up the women keeping the unseen POTUS alive. Harriet played by Julie White, the Chief of Staff doing all of the work of the president for none of the credit. Jean played by Suzy Nakamura, the press secretary in love with the president’s sister. Margaret, played by Vanessa Williams, the presidents wife and First Lady. Stephanie played by Rachel Dratch, the mousey secretary to the president. Chris, played by Lilli Cooper, a reporter going through a messy divorce and being slowly phased out by her press organization. Dusty, played by Julianne Hough, the pregnant mistress of POTUS who is flown in an attempt to mitigate disaster. And Bernadette, played by Lea Delaria, the sister to POTUS, freshly released from Prison for dealing drugs and looking for a pardon.
This cast delivered flawless comedic timing and even when hiccups popped up, flawlessly incorporated those hiccups into the story. The story of course which was filled with a mixture of body humor, slap stick, and witty word play that left me shrieking with laughter from my seat. The director really allowed these seven women to just play with the material, creating an organic and top notch comedic piece that neither took itself seriously while creating twists that kept me guessing.
Costumes were simple and expected for a show involving the Oval Office, however when they could, utilized to create effective comedy. A great example of this is Margaret in her pant suit and evening gown with accompanying kitten heeled crocs in an effort to appear more “earthy” to the voting base.
The real true star of this entire show however was the set. Placed upon a turntable, the table was divided into 3 rooms that would spin to needed rooms to keep the action moving between scenes and allowing for scenes to continue as characters walked through the White House from room to room. It was an inventive technique used to great effect enhancing the stellar performances on stage.
This show was an overall good time that remained wholly bipartisan for any and all who watched. If you are looking to see a show in the city, I’d recommend you run to grab tickets for this show. Overall, this show is a 5/5.
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