San Francisco Jewish Bulletin, December 1999

Kinseys Sicker Than Ever in New CD, But Delightful

SARAH COLEMAN
Bulletin Correspondent

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

The Kinsey Sicks, that irrepressible group of a cappella-singing drag queens, has released its second CD, "Boyz to Girlz." And no gay stereotype, no pop culture icon, no Jewish mother's cherished hope is safe from parody.

That won't come as a surprise to anyone who's seen the four divas perform live, at events like Kung Pao Kosher Comedy" and "Feygelah Schmeygelah." Unlike other drag queens, the Sicks don't lip-synch to torch songs. Instead, they sing harmonious versions of original songs, or wicked parodies of existing hits.

With its razor-sharp wit and impressive vocals, the group has become a favorite of local Jewish and gay theater scenes -- merging the humorous aspects of both worlds in such numbers as "Men Are Pigs (But Why Keep Kosher)."

A casual observer might be worried, though, about the release of a second CD. Can the group possibly follow up on its debut album, "Dragapella," which featured the sublime song "Worry"? Parodying the Bobby McFerrin hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy," that number spoofed Jewish neurosis by instructing listeners to fret about everything from unwashed fruit to tropical cruises. Not since Woody Allen had Jewish angst been made so tangible, or so funny.

I worried that the songs on "Boyz to Girlz" might not make the grade.

Luckily, though, there's no need. While it comes off as a little more scattered than "Dragapella," "Boyz to Girlz" is filled with delights. From a laugh-out-loud parody of the "Titanic" song, "Why Does Celine Go On?" to "Queen of the Nile" (which concludes that Cleopatra was far from the only "queen" in ancient Egypt) the Kinseys once again show a knack for clever word-play and creative harmony.

Take the delightful "Song for an Answering Machine," a Cole Porter-esque ballad that becomes an occasion for insulting a departed lover. Surely the ghost of Porter, not to mention Groucho Marx, was looking down on Ben Schatz when he wrote "I despise you/You split, so babe let's Solomon the Wise you./And if you're torn apart, you know I've only half a heart for you."

Schatz definitely sparkles here. As the trashy Rachel, whose bad taste in clothes is matched only by sexual voraciousness, he gets two lung-busting ballads. Rachel's traif desires are revealed in "Where the Goys Are," in which she imagines a lover with "blond hair that glows/a tiny nose/a strangely quiet family." And in "Dead Princess" the diva's ego soars to unprecedented heights as she divulges another secret desire: "I want to be dead royalty/I want the world to cry for me."

Other numbers showcase different members of the group. Elegant Trixie (Maurice Kelly) reveals a weakness for designer labels in "Wear Names," a supercharged ditty in which "the bible of fashion" is "the Donna Karan." Prim Winnie (Irwin Keller) turns out to be a proficient Yiddish speaker, and delivers an immortal, tragi-comic version of "Papirossen," a Yiddish tear-jerker about a cigarette-seller in Minsk.

For sure, these self-described "chicks with shticks" know how to raise a laugh. They can also sing the house down -- though ambitious arrangements lead to the occasional off-key moment, most notable in the "straight" ballad commemorating departed group member Jerry Friedman, "I Wish You Peace."

Be advised, too, that the new CD is a touch more ribald than its predecessor. At several points, the Kinseys ditch their usual witty sophistication and nose dive into bathroom humor. A definite low is reached in "Anal Warts: A Sing-Along" which could have been written by a group of fifth-graders in a toilet stall.

More clever by half is "Gay Straight or Bi," a warped version of "As Time Goes By" that criticizes Hollywood's attitude towards gay relationships by asking: "Now would it really scare us/If Hanks could kiss Banderas/Just once before he dies?"

With lines like these, the Kinseys show their true ingenuity -- and prove they've got something to say to everyone, "gay, straight or bi."

"Boyz to Girlz" ($15, produced by the Kinsey Sicks). Available by calling (415) 882-1142 or through www.kinseysicks.com.