San Francisco's, and the world's, longest running musical revue Beach Blanket Babylon, which always tries to revise the show to reflect, and mock, current events, has just added a new number featuring a man in drag as Caitlyn Jenner. Can we still hope this will be tasteful?
The performer in question is longtime BBB ensemble member Stephen Brennan, and it looks like the writers have taken pains to be kind and inoffensive in the musical number itself. It's a parody version of Peggy Lee's bluesy classic "I’m A Woman, W.O.M.A.N."
SFist received a release from the team with the full lyrics. Excuse the all caps.
YOU CAN CALL ME CAITLYN AND I'M DOIN' IT MY OWN WAY NOW I'VE GOT A LOT OF CRITICS WHO HAVE PLENTY OF THINGS TO SAY BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER CAUSE I'M LIVIN' MY OWN LIFE I'M LOOKIN' MORE SMASHIN' THAN ANY KARDASHIAN AND ESPECIALLY MY EX WIFECAUSE I'M A WOMAN
W-O-M-A-N
YEAH I'M A WOMAN
BUT ONCE WAS ONE HELL OF MAN!
Beach Blanket Babylon, for those unaware, started in 1974 and moved to its current home in North Beach at the Club Fugazi in 1975. The show, as it always has, follows Snow White as she "takes a fast-paced journey around the world in search of her Prince Charming." And along the way she encounters an ever-changing line-up of pop-culture figures which currently includes Taylor Swift, Pharrell, Kim Kardashian, Vladimir Putin, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Iggy Azalea.
So, yeah, what do we think? Is it inherently offensive to try to turn Caitlyn into a number at all? Should we just expect that Beach Blanket Babylon had to cover this and the tourists will love it and no one will be hurt? Should they maybe have found a trans performer for the role?!?
Anyway. It's happening. And for the month of July, and starting tonight, Beach Blanket Babylon is adding Tuesdays to their weekly schedule, to accommodate summer tourists. So that'll be Tuesday through Sunday nights at 8 p.m. with tickets starting at $25.