Beloved young Cherry Grove performer Dallas Dubois, the only person ever to win Miss Fire Island Entertainer of the Year and Mr. Fire Island Leather in the same year—2011, made a welcome return to Cherry Grove on August 14 for a one-night-only, first solo show at Cherry’s, assisted by DJ Tommy Branigan. In the course of the evening, Dallas favored us with Broadway music, diva tributes, dancing and, happily, a little live singing.
“Can’t Touch It (you wanna little of this?),” from “Sex and the City Two,” was Dallas’ energetic and suggestive opening number. Between songs, Dallas shared some experiences in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Jersey City; discussed ideas for “Baby Jessica, the Musical;” and told us about being engaged to work at a wake in drag, as the spit and image of the deceased!
Saluting Bette Midler, Dallas gave us a lively “Pretty Legs, Great Big Knockers,” peppered with Bette’s classic “Soph” jokes, oldies, but goodies. Always a Dallas Dubois favorite was “Listen (I am alone at a crossroads),” from “Dreamgirls,” punctuated by lewd “uncontrollable outbursts,” typical of Tourette Syndrome, borrowed from Amy Poehler in “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo,” followed by humble apologies for these. Dallas honored Madeline Kahn with the rapid-fire tongue twisters and eventual meltdown of “(Not) Getting Married Today,” from “Company.” Our heroine of the hour remembered Judy Garland with “(I’ll go my way) By Myself,” a brave song of survival. Inspired by Whoopi Goldberg in “Sister Act,” Dallas dazzled us with the “Lounge Medley,” the tour-de-force that climaxes with “Hallelujah,” from “Messiah;” “My Guy” as “My God;” and “I Will Follow Him,” and also encompasses “Mr. Postman,” “Bad Girls,” and “We Are Family.”
A highlight of the show came when Dallas sang, in her own voice, a sincere and touching “I’m Here,” from “The Color Purple.” She should definitely sing more!
Dallas concluded with proud anthem “I Am What I Am,” from “La Cage aux Folles,” gradually paring down the drag as the song progressed.