Darrin Hagen pays tribute to their legacy in this poignant dazzler of a show.

By Paul Blinov

A century ago, a number of Queer and drag performers found freedom and expression on club and cabaret stages throughout the world. Guys in Disguise’s The Pansy Cabaret, created and directed by Darrin Hagen, pays tribute to their legacy in this poignant dazzler of a show.

Lilith Fair (Zachary Parsons-Lozinski) performs a suite of songs with skill, verve, and a whole lot of ad libbing, accompanied by Daniel Belland on piano and one large stiletto prop. Fair’s just as funny off book as on it—the sort of performer who can make a highlight out of forgetting her place in a song—offering context and comic riffing between numbers. The songs themselves brim with vitality and wit and beauty, even in simple piano-and-voice delivery.

“Tonight we celebrate their work and honour their courage,” Fair offers near the top of the show, of these Queer voices of yesteryear. The Pansy Cabaret is a superb tribute.

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