HARDBOILED HAPPY HOUR
a.k.a. BOGIE THE FAGGOT: ROCK STAR DETECTIVE

Following their debut at HERE Performing Arts Center with Realm of the Unreal, Travis and Kyle immediately began work on their second project, Hardboiled Happy Hour, a sequel to Realm of the Unreal, continuing the adventures of Bogie the Faggot and his piano-playing pal P-Man, presented and co-produced by Dixon Place. This time the show actually came together with a coherent, semi-political noir plot.

Hardboiled Happy Hour tells the story of Bogie's star-crossed romance with a drag queen named Marilyn Monroe. Bogie must protect Marilyn Monroe from an evil psychopathic transsexual serial killer named Jill the Ripper. Unfortunately, Bogie allows his prejudices and predilections to override what he feels, deep inside.

It is too late when Bogie finally learns to look past the drag routine and love Marilyn for the man he is. Following a (melo)dramatic confrontation between the two lovers, Marilyn runs away into the rain-ridden night, half-dressed and in tears, only to be murdered moments later by the Ripper--shot down in the middle of the street. Brooding covers of Bon Jovi tunes ensue. The last third of the story follows Bogie as he exacts vengeance on Jill the Ripper and strives to absolve himself of guilt for Marilyn's death. The final scene showed Travis as Bogie donning full drag and singing a tearful, yet triumphant, homage to Marilyn Monroe: drag queen, movie star, woman, man, legend.

HBHH, a far more accomplished effort than Realm of the Unreal, dealt with the deceivingly simple, yet politically charged, sexual issues of what separates sexual preference from a character flaw and how does sexual image correlate with sexual attraction in the individual. Mr. Charles McNulty of the Village Voice would have been pleased-- since his first review of TFE called for a return to the more politically-minded, angry-young-man days of gay theater. Then again, the politics of HBHH may have been a bit understated for his tastes. Unfortunately, Mr. McNulty did not come to review us a second time.

Although I'm sure he wishes he did.

HBHH continues to develop. Travis has adapted the script of HBHH for film, and as soon as they can raise enough money and find a cheap and clever cinematographer, Kyle and Travis hope to produce, perform, and commit to celluloid Bogie the Faggot: Rock Star Detective--the world's first two-person black n' white rock n' roll movie musical. Click here to go the movie homepage. Interested in helping us make our movie? Email Travis at bogiethefaggot@yahoo.com.