Here, Kitty Kitty
When trying to describe the new Gina Gershon one-act musical dramedy, my first instinct is to make a pussy joke. But whatever purr-fect pun that might be would probably fall as flat as the majority of Gershons jokes do during the show about her hunt for her missing cat, Cleo. In Search of Cleo, which debuted at The Box Sunday night, is the actress jejune account of the obsessive search for her lost pet. In there somewhere, Gershonbest known for the impossibly horrible Showgirls and her more recent recurring role on Rescue Metakes us on a journey thats supposed to also be a metaphor for, yep, a quest for love.
The night at the theater plays out much like a night of being cornered at a bar by a tipsy friend who begins to spin a yarn that, 10 minutes into it, you realize is going to take an hour to finish. But you, out of politeness and the hope for a laugh or two along the way, listen with clenched-teeth patience to your friends rambling. Sixty minutes later, the storys finally over. You maybe got your laughor two, and Im being generousbut stare in disbelief when the tale concludes in the most predictable way you imagined.
The only difference with this particular barstool saga is that theres music and dancing involved. In fact, the entire concept of the performance is just Gershons way of presenting her new disc, In Search of Cleo. So really, Gershons run at The Box is a cleverly theatrical, extended CD-release party. And while weve all witnessed the humiliating results of what happens when thespians try to cross over, it turns out that Gershon is actually a remarkably competent songwriter. Her voice has surprising range toofrom soulful jazz chanteuse to sultry country diva. Its hard to tell, however, if the tunes sound so good because they offer a respite from the tedium of the storytelling, or if they sound so good because they actually are. Ill give Gershon the benefit of the doubt and say that she does have some musical talent.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the evening (at the risk of stating the obvious) is the narrators heat index. Even when shes playing a ukulele or a mouth harp, Gershon is sexy. Surrounded by a trio of dancing girls clad in silky teddies, the stunning Gershon glows in her white vintage nightgown. At the risk of sounding like a perv, sitting in such intimate quarters with Gershons Lucky Lips and thinly veiled, air-conditioned nipples is possibly worth the price of admission.
While Cleo didnt do much for me, it will surely appeal to cat lovers and devoted fans of Gershon. The perpetually-whistling stalker chick who had her own very loud conversation with Gershon throughout the showGo Gina, man, I love you. I sooo hear you,probably thought the show was Tony Award-worthy. In fact, this lady was so moved, so utterly transcended by the performance, she apparently forgot there was anyone else in the theater but herself and Gershon. Or maybe she was just wasted. Regardless, like they say, if you can reach just one person
Sundays & Mondays through Oct. 29, The Box, 189 Chrystie St. (betw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.), 212-982-9301; 8, $25-$50.