Back in June, Friends of George’s members were in and out of press interviews for weeks. The local theater group was fresh off their victorious lawsuit that challenged Tennessee’s anti-drag law, and CBS News, ABC News, Rolling Stone, Time magazine, you name it, they all wanted a scoop. But, as Sandy Kozik, a Friends of George’s board member, would tell you, the group isn’t exactly in the business of filing lawsuits and dealing with press of that magnitude. “We’re all pretty much exhausted,” says Kozik, but thankfully they’re getting back to “normal” as they gear up to kick off their 2023-2024 season with The Drag Boat.
Set on a cruise ship, The Drag Boat, a “drag-comedy-musical” that the group premiered in 2016, follows the beloved characters from the Friends of George’s series, George’s Truck Stop and Drag Bar. But don’t worry if you haven’t seen the previous shows; you’ll catch right up as the characters embark on a much needed vacation, complete with outrageous personalities, a whirlwind of comedic mishaps, and abundant lip-syncing.
“You will enjoy nostalgic pieces of music from the ’70s and ’80s,” says director Kozik, “as well as goofiness as if you were watching an episode of The Love Boat, but with the characters from Friends of George’s troupe. … [Our style of humor] is a cross between Carol Burnett, Saturday Night Live, and The Beverly Hillbillies, with The Little Rascals — just silly stuff, silly situations, and every so often a little innuendo.”
“The first time I hear an audience laughing and getting what we’re doing, it’s the best feeling in the world,” adds Steve Cossitt, one of the show’s stars. “You’re entertaining people. You’re enjoying doing this and you’re making other people have a good time. Of course, we’re a nonprofit, and we give most of our proceeds to another organization. So we’re raising money and making people happy. I’m happy. The cast is happy. It’s just wonderful. And we have such a diverse company that it’s not just LGBT. We’re a very open and affirming organization”
The productions from this season will benefit Love Doesn’t Hurt, a nonprofit dedicated to ending domestic violence and supporting survivors. “We just gave around $36,000 to CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health [last season’s designated nonprofit],” says Kozik. “So this year, we hope to give close to that to another organization.”
The Drag Boat opens on Friday, August 4th, and will run through August 12th, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets to Friends of George’s shows always sell out fast, so hurry to friendsofgeorges.org to get yours.
The Drag Boat, Evergreen Theatre, Opens Friday, August 4th, $30/general admission, $60/VIP.
