If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that we need more butch art in this world. Thank Goddess for Butch Wicked.
A hilarious, thirsty, joyful, and inspiring two-hour show, Butch Wicked is playing a limited run at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective. Though their few shows in December and January instantly sold out, thanks to community fundraising the December shows were taped and the video will be available to all worldwide.
The show is bursting with queer and trans joy. Transfemme Dorothy (Esther Fallick) hosts the show, filling in the story between the musical numbers in stand-up comic style to many laughs and cheers from the audience, pointing out the facism and police state allegory and Glinda’s performative activism. She also explains that “Dear Old Shiz” and “Sentimental Man” are skip songs (CORRECT) and will be skipped and that Madame Morrible and Nessa are also cut from the show.
Photo: Butch Wicked
Multiple performers play Elphaba and Glinda, as each song stands alone with a different actor/singer in the roles between Fallick’s hilarious narration. The entire ensemble sits and stands in the background for the whole show, adding to the community feel. The standing-room-only crowd went absolutely wild for every number and singing along was permitted.
In the opening number Elphaba is born and “like a froggy, ferny cabbage, the baby is unnaturally… BUTCH!” A baby doll with green skin and holding an enormous carabiner stays on stage the rest of the show adding to the fun absurdity.
Every detail adds to the humor… the green elixir is Monster energy drink, Shiz is called “bisexual Hogwarts,” and Elphaba is given an undercut for her makeover in “Popular.” The lyric changes are equally clever… “how to talk to t-boys” instead of boys in “Popular” and the entire song of “What Is This Feeling?” changing “loathing” to “lusting.” Clearly the number shipped Elphaba and Glinda (again, CORRECT). Gelfie also has some sexual tension on display in “One Short Day.”
Photo: Butch Wicked
The show isn’t just for entertainment—it’s a fundraiser for a cause. Everyone involved in the show is a volunteer and they were able to raise about $1,800 (so far) for GLITS, an organization providing direct services including housing for trans women of color in New York City.
Show producer Pearl Emerson tells me that since they came out as nonbinary they’ve been getting called for auditions for tragic stories of trans people. “These are roles I am just not interested in playing because, for me, queerness is joy and self expression,” Emerson says.
Even though they had never seen Wicked, with the movie coming out they and their friend X Hernandez (Fiyero) thought it would be fun to be involved with a production, but joked for months that the only production of Wicked they could be cast in would be Butch Wicked. In October, they decided to make that joke a reality.
The response was instantly massive. Over 60 people auditioned and it took less than 24 hours for the December 6 and 7 shows to sell out.
Photo: Butch Wicked
“Everyone who came in for auditions basically was saying all the same stuff [about tragic trans roles],” Emerson recalls. “It was so incredible to be like, ‘Oh my God, I am not alone.’ These people are being treated the same way that I’m being treated.”
“Being a trans person, a nonbinary person, or a transmasc person, we really are on the front lines, especially because so many of us work in the customer service industry,” Emerson, who is a barista outside of their theater work, says. “Even in New York in the past year, the amount of gay bashing I’ve gotten on the train and all over the place… I just don’t know if cis people and straight people really understand the reality of what it is to be a trans person right now. So I really just wanted to create a room that was all trans people, all butch people, because I just haven’t been in a room like that for a really long time.”
Each performer was given creative control of their number, as well as wearing what they wanted. Shane Taylor was excited to play Dr. Dillamond and gave a monologue in the middle of the song about why “Something Bad” is an important song. Emerson played Glinda in “Popular” and says that they identify with the character’s joyful energy despite her high femme presentation. Olivia Billings made the perfect choice to put a pink bow on their carabiner as another Glinda.
Photo: Butch Wicked
Providing a space for butchness to be celebrated feels especially important now in this political climate for the team. While Emerson started work on the show before the election, they were grateful to have it after Trump’s win.
“I don’t have much money, I don’t have much time. What I do know how to do is make art and so that is what I’m going to do,” Emerson says. “I think that queer art that comes from a place of joy makes everything a lot simpler, a lot more understanding, because it makes people feel a certain way. It is able to inspire like nothing else.”
Photo: Butch Wicked
“Joy is the answer,” Emerson continues. “You are not going to change someone’s mind who’s brainwashed by giving them facts, you need to make them feel something. You need the joy to get people on board. The revolution needs to be a party.”
“All we have is each other and they can’t take away our joy. That is probably the one thing that they can’t take away.”
I have been changed for the better and changed for good because I saw Butch Wicked. Follow them on Instagram to hear about the video release.
