“Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue,” a stage adaptation of the beloved ’80s sitcom, “The Golden Girls,” is coming to the Virginia Theatre on Thursday. The live show imagines what the iconic Miami roommates might be doing if they were still around today.
The production stars Vince Kelley as Blanche, Adam Graber as Rose, Ryan Bernier as Dorothy and Christopher Kamm as Sophia. Performed entirely in drag, the show pays tribute to the original series with a mix of nostalgia, improv and plenty of sass.
Graber is one of many people who have been involved in the show from its inception. The cast started their tour a few years ago and has no intention of stopping anytime soon.
“Being a part of the process from the beginning, we have been able to create this evolution of what we’ve had from three years ago,” Graber said. “So the show is very different from when we started, but it’s also so much better.”
Both Kelley and Graber grew up watching “The Golden Girls” with their families. Graber’s earliest memories of the sitcom came from hearing it play in the background while his mom did chores. That early connection makes performing so much more personal.
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The show also isn’t a word-for-word recreation. Each performance is slightly different, often involving improvisation and changes on the fly. That kind of flexibility keeps things fresh for both the actors and the audience, especially after doing more than 300 performances.
While the comedy remains sharp, the theme of friendship is what grounds the show — and the actors. Kelley and Graber said the cast already knew one another before joining the production.
“We had this rapport before we started, and to just sort of build on that, I think really says something to the chemistry we produce on stage,” Graber said. “It’s a lot of play, just because we are so comfortable being on stage with each other.”
There’s also a similar premise in “The Golden Girls”: four women from different walks of life who choose to spend their golden years together, ultimately forming a chosen family in the process.
While “The Golden Girls” was always bold and larger-than-life, performing the characters in drag amplifies that energy rather than changes it.
“The way that we have done ours, it’s a little bit more over the top,” Kelley said. “That seems to be what happens when a man puts on a dress — things get a little more heightened.”
Still, the attention to detail in the show’s design keeps the performances fresh for every new tour stop. Kelley does all of the costumes, often searching for vintage clothing and taking inspiration from the original designers of the series.
They’ve also worked hard to transform into their characters. Making sure that their wigs, makeup, voices and movements are all spot-on to the original characters is crucial in delivering a great show.
“We want everything to be so locked in, that, then, when we go and say something kinda crazy, that you didn’t hear them say on the show, we’ve earned it because we’ve done all of the work to make the impression so solid,” Kelley said.
The same kind of commitment carries throughout the rest of the cast. Kamm first dressed as his character for Halloween over a decade ago, unaware of how big a role it would play in his life now.
“I will do it until I don’t have to paint the old age lines,” Kamm said. “This is a dream gig for me.”
Along with the rest of the cast, Kamm does all of his own makeup, which is a skill he picked up when he went to school for theater. On top of looking ready for the part, he also brings sharp comedic timing and Sophia’s iconic Sicilian accent to the stage.
Even after hundreds of shows, the connection with fans never gets old. The cast holds a meet and greet after every show, allowing people to come and speak to them about their mutual love and appreciation for the sitcom.
Kelley recalls many stories of audience members who shared emotional memories. One woman expressed her gratitude for the show by saying it made her feel like she was spending two more hours with her late mother.
“You don’t expect that when you put on a pair of heels, and you make these stupid jokes that you are affecting people at that level,” Kelley said. “So, that’s been really fun and really rewarding.”
When asked what he hopes audiences take away from the experience, Kelley referenced the final episode of “The Golden Girls,” where Dorothy hugs her friends goodbye for the last time before moving on with her life.
“I like to think of our show as another hug,” Kelley said. “If you’ve seen every episode of ‘The Golden Girls,’ this is one that you haven’t seen yet.”
