This wasn't fair. In the past year, Quality Hill Playhouse consistently paraded top-flight talent, and Musical Theater Heritage staged a Kiss Me Kate that set Sarah Kleeman loose on a glittering, cutting "I Hate Men." (And that's not even considering the KC Rep's for-the-ages Into the Woods.) But it's bosomy, cock-rocking Jessica Dressler as Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale as sexpot glam star who we can't forget. Strapping on ruby reds to kick out the jams, Dressler led an ace power trio through grand perversions such as "Devil in My Uterus" and a profane rewrite of "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead." (Ron Simonian wrote the songs and, dressed as the Tin Man in Kiss makeup, played lead guitar.) Dressler howled throatily, improvised dirtily, did a stomping Munchkin dance, and then, on the dream-pop wonder "Poppies," achieved a beauty that transcended all the transgressive giddiness. Would it kill them to stage this once a year?
