REVENGE SONG, A Vampire Cowboys Creation by Carol Kaufman Segal

           

Revenge Song, a Vampire Cowboys Creation, playing at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, is a most unusual, interesting and enjoyable musical extravaganza.  Written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Robert Ross Parker, this world premiere is brought to Los Angeles by New York’s Vampire Cowboys.

The play is based on the true-life story of Julie d’Aubigny, an unusual 17^th century French woman.  It is told with rousing music (Shane Rettig), and vim and vigor from beginning to end.  Emcee Madame De Senneterre (Amy Kim Waschke) begins the tale by introducing Julie, (Margaret Odette) a swordswoman and opera singer on her journey to discover her true self.

At the age of 14, Julie disguises herself as a boy in order to get a job working in the stables owned by Count Louis de Lorraine (Tom Myers).  This is where Julie learns to fence and fight for herself.  When the Count finds out that Julie is a girl, he brings her into his house as a sex slave. Eventually, Julie escapes from the home of the count and meets Albert (Eugene Young) who challenges her to a duel.  Lo and behold, Albert is no challenge for Julie who wounds him, then ends up nursing him back to good health.  They become forever friends, but Albert always has hopes that Julie will become his wife. 

            

Because Julie could never be content as a wife, she continues on her journeys, looking to fulfill her life, often finding herself in unusual/and or dangerous situations such as her first love affair with a woman (Beth Hawkes as Emily), to her mishap at a convent where she causes the convent to burn down.  For this incident, she is sentenced to death but escapes to Paris and becomes an opera singer.  She finds herself challenged to a duel by several men when she is caught kissing a woman at an event.  Needless to say, she beats them all.  This is but a “drop-in-the-bucket” of the fun and laughter you will encounter as you “travel” with Julie throughout this fascinating tale.  Of course, Albert shows up throughout her entire life, trying to convince her to marry him.

The six actors, members of the Vampire Cowboys, are stupendous.  They all play multiple roles, except for Odette who performs the role of Julie.  Moshir Dalal plays Serammes, Gaston and others, while Beth Hawkes Tom Myers, Amy Kin Waschke, and Eugene Young, all play other relevant characters that make up t his stimulating production.

Revenge Song:  A Vampire Cowboy’s Creation plays Tuesday through Fridays at 8 PM Saturdays at 3 PM and 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM, through March 8, in the Gil Gates Theatre at the Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles.  Tickets are available online at www.geffenplayhouse.org, by phone at (310) 208-5454, or at the Geffen Playhouse box office.

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