Theatre Review: BenDeLaCreme’s Dante’s Inferno A Go-Go Is A Moral Show
I love BenDeLaCreme. The sweetheart of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was excited to see her kindness, goofiness, and puntastic humor come into play at her NYC run of Dante’s Inferno A Go-Go. She did not disappoint, but, instead, raised the bar of thoughtfulness you would find in a drag show.
Drag Shows are known for their humor, silliness, and bold fabulosity, which you will get with BenDeLaCreme. Pace, plotted, and, despite some film glitches, perfectly allotted with visuals, I was SUPER IMPRESSED with BenDeLaCreme’s show. She was so precise, energetic, patience, and aware of her audience and message, she proved kindness can live peacefully with genius. Yet, this drag superstar is known for her eccentric ways, and Dante’s Inferno A Go-Go is LITERALLY based off of Dante’s Inferno. Not too many drag stars would read that book and think, “Hmmm….OPPORTUNITY!!!!!” The entire show is BenDeLaCreme touring us through the 9 circles of hell, and figuring out: A) Why did she send herself to hell? B) Why did God give her the okay to do it?
First, I read Dante’s Inferno a long time ago, and, frankly, Ben was teaching me. Laughter and education were making a PERFECT make-up kit for her audience at the Laurie Beechman Theater. People were laughing their butts off, but were also, as fans of the superstar, excited to show her that they loved her. This made the ambiance feel electric and willing to go anywhere BenDeLaCreme guided; even if it was through a complex, Italian Renaissance text. After all, Dante’s Inferno, like BenDeLaCreme’s show, it about morality and analyzing how suffering impacts how Heaven/goodness works through us and for us.Yet. when BenDeLaCreme went to the 7th circle, for those who committed suicide, things got DARK!
While she breezed the other circles and did a disco run through the 8th one, Fraud, Suicide was a circle she seriously stayed on. This was not a funny moment, and while we were ready to laugh, she was ready to embrace that certain tragedies do not deserve or merit a giggle. I bring up this moment because it stood out to define BenDeLaCreme’s heart, intelligence, and fearlessness. Honestly, who wants to do a serious bit on suicide for their drag show? Who has ever thought of seeing that? Yet, Ben went for it, and nobody felt drawn back. Frankly, it was hard not to cry, and it furthered her ultimate message.
While BenDeLaCreme lightened the mood, immediately, with her social commentary and general vibe of good-heartedness, Dante’s Inferno A Go -Go might me the most moral drag show I have ever seen. Actually, it might be one of the most moral shows I have seen. It is set up to be as heartfelt as it is humorous, but always honest in trying to decipher why, in some ways, we send ourselves to hell. Whether it be through other’s malice or our own self-loathing, when you do not defend the goodness of your heart and your desire to be love, you do not end in Heaven or rather creating a better space yourself. BenDeLaCreme is performing from July 6 to August 5 in Provincetown, MA in Crown & Anchor. Click Here For More Information.
