Payton’s Place is in the Spotlight in Deliciously Campy “Die, Mommie, Die!” at 2nd Story

I would pay good money to see “The Payton St. James Show.” There, I said it. Now, you may not know who on earth Payton St. James is – yet – but let me tell you, (s)he is the real deal. And yes, there is no such thing as The Payton St. James Show – yet –but the closest thing to one can be found onstage at 2^nd Story Theatre in Warren through the month of August.

Starring in Charles Busch’s masterful camp ‘stravaganza Die, Mommie, Die! female impersonator Payton St. James gives audiences an unforgettable star turn as faded ’50s song stylist, Angela Arden. From the moment she hits the stage in imposing sky high heels and a silver sequined gown straight from the back of Bob Mackie’s imagination, I could not keep my eyes off of her. With high melodrama and exquisite mannerisms that would make Joan Crawford proud, St. James takes the stage, commands our attention and doesn’t look back for the rest of the evening.

Once the famous star of stage and screen, Angela Arden is now relegated to living under the iron grip of her movie producer husband Sol Sussman, played as an aggressive blowhard by F. William Oakes. She shares what one can only assume to be a palatial estate with her princess of a daughter, Edith. Sporting an uncanny resemblance in both look and manner to a “Valley of the Dolls”-era Patty Duke, actress Valerie Westgate is a hoot as spoiled daughter Edith. Westgate and St. James set the bar high with their complete mastery of high camp style and Telenovela timing required to pull off Busch’s modern melodramatic script.

And the plot? Well I did mention it was convoluted, didn’t I? Once our leading lady decides to off her abusive husband and run away with her tennis instructor lover (Wayne Kneeland), things really get cooking. Angela’s flamboyant and emotionally unstable son has arrived home from college in a full on flurry of faux fur and bell bottom glory. It’s easy to see that apple didn’t fall far from his mother’s tree, especially when sonny boy takes to lip-syncing to dear Mother’s old hits in full drag. Played with impeccable timing by a young platinum blonde Patrick M. Saunders, Lance Sussman is a force of nature — and a big ball of crazy. Adding to the mix is boozy maid Bootsy Carp (Peggy Melozzi) who has her sweet country heart set on seducing her boss.

Soon Sol is done in, the kids start suspecting their mother of foul play and all hell breaks loose.

Die, Mommie, Die! is Charles Busch’s campy, clever ode to celluloid classics and has a wickedly convoluted plot that keeps you laughing — and guessing – until the final curtain. Kudos to director Ed Shea and the entire cast for their attention to the smallest detail and mastery of high comic style – each joke, each pause, serves the script to bring out every laugh possible.

Special mention should be made of costume designer Ron Cesario’s incredible gowns and diva-worthy ensembles for St. James throughout the show. I lost count as to how many costume changes Angela Arden went through over the course of the play, but I would swear that each time that character made an entrance, it was met with a larger and larger audience reaction.

Fabulous costumes, hilarious larger-than-life performances and spot-on comic timing all make 2^nd Story’s Die, Mommie, Die! a decadent summer treat.

Die, Mommie, Die! continues at 2^nd Story Theater, 28 Market Street in Warren through August 28. Shown in Rep with I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick, performances are select Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30PM. For tickets call 401-247-4200 or buy online at 2ndstorytheatre.com.