Lypsinka puts on fun, manic performance

  JANA SUMMERS Lypsinka (John Epperson)
lip-syncs to show tunes from the ’40s and ’50s in her new show
"Lypsinka! The Boxed Set" now playing through June 10 at the
Tiffany Theater.

By Emma Rodgers
Daily Bruin Contributor

The drag queen Lypsinka has elevated lip-syncing beyond Milli
Vanilli to a true art form in her latest show, “Lypsinka! The
Boxed Set.”

Lypsinka, the feminine alter ego of actor John Epperson, and
self-proclaimed official celebrity of the new millennium, can be
seen strutting her stuff at the Tiffany Theater until June 10.

Lypsinka oozes femininity. Her flaming red hair sits perfectly
as she prances across the stage lip-syncing to an impeccably
crafted compilation of movie clips and show tunes from the
’40s and ’50s. A hilariously manic performer, the drag
queen is in constant motion throughout the show, flicking her
wrists with precision, all the while dancing the Charleston like a
low-budget showgirl. 

The physicality of the show complements the witty montage of
song and dance. Epperson becomes Lypsinka, kicking his slender,
toned legs and moving his hips as if being a woman is as simple as
donning a wig and a sexy dress. Each audio transition involves not
only a character transformation, but also an acute sense of timing,
all of which the diva masters down to the smallest motion of his
Adam’s apple. 

Lypsinka’s facial contortions and flirtatious nature
capture the audience’s attention; however, the stagecraft
molds the show into a masterfully orchestrated production. The
combination of Jim Boutin’s set design, Mark Simpson’s
light design and Kevin Malony’s direction creates a blend of
sensuality and paranoia that accentuate Lypsinka’s
performance.

Boutin and Simpson set the tone for each sequence, altering the
lighting according to the mood of the music or movie clip.
Spiderwebs, snowflakes and spirals are projected onto the stage,
framing Lypsinka in metaphoric imagery. All of this occurs while
she jumps between multi-colored spotlights, frantically chasing the
center of attention. 

“Lypsinka! The Boxed Set” proves to be much more
than merely a vaudeville drag performance, as the diva communicates
a deep sense of despair beneath all the glitz and glamour.
“The Boxed Set” is Lypsinka’s own personal
identity crisis as she moves from sequence to sequence, adopting a
new persona with each change of music. She periodically poses the
question, “Who am I?” never once pausing for a
response, but instead moving ahead in her act. 

The show takes on a sense of urgency in a biting comedic
telephone sequence, as Lypsinka paces across the stage, stopping to
answer the telephone while highlighted in yellow, blue and pink
spotlights. The shrill telephone ring permeates the scene as
Lypsinka alternates between various love-crazed women
personalities, each growing more deranged as the intervals between
rings shorten.

The sequence peaks with a moment reminiscent of
Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” complete with music from
the infamous shower scene. Lypsinka stands frozen in a moment of
rare silence, her face shadowed by a whirling spiral projected onto
the stage. 

Audience members almost expect the diva to surface from her
stupor crying, “No more wire hangers,” as her pained
face recalls images of the tortured Joan Crawford of the film
“Mommy Dearest;” however, she instead breaks out into a
Betty Morris song-and-dance number. Epperson creates an effective
balance between humor and intensity here, successfully
choreographing an entertaining show with serious
undertones. 

Lypsinka personifies the tragic trap of Hollywood’s 20th
century feminine mystique. The diva lip-syncs to lines uttered by
the ultimate icons of female beauty and power, such as Joan
Crawford, Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor.

The show concludes with a mock Academy Awards ceremony and an
Oscar-clad Lypsinka exits the stage gushing, “You like me.
You really like me.” Lypsinka has teetered over the edge of a
nervous breakdown, attempting to find herself amid the celebrity
personas; however, she leaves the stage perpetually schizophrenic,
but smiling.

It is difficult to remember that behind such a creative
exploration of the trap of femininity stands a man. The idea for
Lypsinka first dawned on Epperson after he found himself
disturbingly fascinated by a lip-syncing drag troupe in Memphis.
The diva drag queen has since starred in five new Lypsinka
productions, won the Major Musical Performance Award from the
Manhattan Association of Cabaret and has entertained audiences in
Paris, Sydney, London and Tokyo.

Epperson has defied the stereotypes that condemn gender-bending,
and his own voice can be heard beneath Lypsinka’s closing lip
motions: “This is my life. This is me.”

THEATRE: “Lypsinka! The Boxed Set”
is playing at the Tiffany Theater, 8532 Sunset Blvd., through June
10. Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at
7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from
$35 to $48.50 and half-price student rush tickets are available one
half hour before every show, with the exception of Saturdays. For
more information call (310) 289-2999.