“Most bad bitches are indeed witches!”
Produced by GPC Entertainment, I’m That Witch is a highly stylized, highly original musical co-created by singer-songwriter Jackson Sturkey and composer Will Studabaker. This dynamic show features many exciting musical numbers: a diverse playlist ranging from provocative slow burners to high-energy pop songs. The production also has superb choreography by Andrea Palesh and Melissa Buriak, who also served as Director. I’m That Witch is campy, funny, sexy, and very much a feast for the eyes and ears– but there is also an important transgenerational history lesson underneath the pageantry. More about that later… Let’s first meet the “witches” of this show:
The wickedly wonderful coven includes many famous names from history: Lilith (Shannon McGee), The Queen of Hearts (Zoe Oliveras), Medusa (Andrea Palesh-Duarte), and Joan of Arc (Kay Radomski). Each of these ladies gets to tell their true story to the audience via song, dispelling the malignant myths about them that have been carried on for generations and subsequently reclaiming their reputations. Sadly, these women are being held prisoner in a haunted circus, exploited for their beauty and mystique by The White Rabbit (Gregory Levine). This lascivious lagomorph boasts, “Tell the mother of witches I OWN these bitches!”. In addition to the witches, he also exploits a duo known as “The Dead Girls from Every True Crime Podcast” (Rachel “Lucy” Higbee Pathak and Victoria Manoli)– because, apparently, dead girls make great circus attractions (SMH…). Adding to this witch’s brew of characters are “The Hecate”, a trio of Maiden (Nikki Sember), Mother (Kiley Etling), and Crone (Jessie “Bangarang” Atkinson) who observe the magical goings-on and singing (beautifully, I might add…) from the sidelines.
The coven’s hope for liberation lies in an innocent yet plucky runaway named Clara (Willow Liebowitz), who is unaware of her budding powers at first. Thankfully, she finds a helping hand paw with a talking black cat (played by Sturkey himself) who recruits her to free the witches. Clara, the coven, and the cat overthrow the duplicitous hare, turning the tables by using the same feminine sensuality and mystique that he used to exploit them. Ahhh… revenge can be SO satisfying!
Underneath the visuals, the snappy dialogue, and the music, there’s a very important message about female empowerment. It’s not a new finding that most of the women labeled as “witches” throughout history were unfairly maligned by society, or were victims of the enduring patriarchy at a time when the “rules” for independent-minded women were even more rigid than they are today. Sadly, it’s clear that even as we approach 2027, some things NEVER change. The characters in I’m That Witch remind us that, in the words of Lauren Thatcher Ulrich, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
Choreographers Palesh and Buriak do an admirable job of staging the elaborate dance numbers on the intimate stage of the Under St. Marks Theater; These performers clearly make the most of their relatively small space. The dances range from simple to quite elaborate, but the movement is always fluid, smooth, and elegant– even when there are many cast members on stage. For this reviewer, the sight of a tapdancing Medusa is worth the price of a ticket alone! The set design also deserves a shout-out: At one point, the stage is bathed in red light, and the effect is wonderful. The costume design is also worthy of note: Even when the characters’ apparel is very simple (such as a white slip and a red ruff around the neck), every detail looks meticulously chosen and arranged. The entire cast of I’m That Witch are superior singers, and everyone gets their chance to show their skills. Personally, I’ve always believed that Jackson Sturkey can sing a song about soup and make it a phenomenon; in fact, he does! (It’s called The Soup Song). If this was a just world where hit songs were based on quality and good old fashioned audial appeal, many of the songs from this musical would be Top 10 hits, especially the titular closing number I’m That Witch. It wasn’t just a banger, but also a great way to send off the audience!
I’m That Witch continues on Sunday, October 25th at 6:30PM at Under St. Marks Theater, 94 St. Marks Place, New York City as part of FRIGID New York’s Days of the Dead Festival. Visit www.FRIGID.nyc for tickets and more info.
