Murray Hill Christmas

Murray Hill ChristmasIt’s hard to say what can put someone in the holiday spirit. Chocolate and candy might work for some. Liquor might do the trick for others. Or maybe just looking at the twinkle lights can make you smile.A less common list might consist of a drag king, half-naked women and a drunk elf. Or maybe that’s just Murray Hill.The person, I mean. Not the location. The famously lovable drag king of New York fame performed his famous – or is it infamous? – Christmas show on Monday night. This year the venue was Comix, and the show was crazy.“I just love Christmas,” Murray said during a phone interview last week. “Every year I do a big Christmas show. This is my 7th year. I bring in favorite performers and do holiday entertainment.”Modeling himself after, “Everyone’s favorite drunk uncle,” Murray hosts A Murray Little Christmas,, which features several guest performers. The Wau-Wau sisters, the Pontani Sisters and the fabulous Dirty Martini herself.The show hovers somewhere between black comedy and burlesque, with Murray as a warm, friendly host, between acts of singing, dancing and stripping. The evening also includes Murray’s traditional “tap dance and ice skating routine.While the creativity of the show is admirable in theory, the execution of the show was clumsy and awkward. After an attempt at a grand entrance, Murray fumbled with his narration, frequently commenting on his own jokes and saying how badly they flop. He attempted to turn the humor to the audience, commenting on what he presumes to be their sexuality and appearances.“The more you drink, the funnier and funnier I become,” he said at one point during the night, offering to sign excuses for missing work the next day.Murray told of his childhood and his Christmas wish for this year, which included Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King coming out as lovers, adopting him and starring in a reality TV show called, “Murray Has Two Mommies.” However, the most comic relief comes from Sebastian the Elf, who shows up in the place of a much-delayed Santa and signs a mournful rendition of “There’s Always Tomorrow.”More confusion than entertainment comes from the guest acts of the evening, including the Pontani sisters, who perform a sexual dance routine to “Sleigh Ride” and the Wau Wau Sisters, who do a routine that is nothing short of bizarre. Dirty Martini treats the audience to a holiday striptease, while Murray himself attempts to pass as Santa Claus but, sadly, fails at doing so.Murray prides himself on the diversity of his shows and his audiences, saying that there is something for everyone. “They attract a very diverse group of people – tourists, lesbians, people form New Jersey, straight couples, gay couples – people feel comfortable being themselves,” he said.However, when she show provokes more wrinkled brows than smiles and more puzzled glances than applause, it is not a show. Entertainment should give the audience an escape, not a headache.“Showbiz!” Murray exclaims triumphantly at the end of the opening number.I would have to disagree.