“Dirty Blonde”

Through July 6

Starring Ryan Dunn, Lucas Caleb Rooney, Tom…

“Dirty Blonde”

Through July 6

Starring Ryan Dunn, Lucas Caleb Rooney, Tom Frey

Directed by Ted Pappas

O’Reilly Theater

(412) 316-1600

According to the “Dirty Blonde” script, “A tough girl doesn’t care if you think she’s a nice girl. A tough girl walks with her whole body and says it like it is. When presented with two evils, a tough girl will pick the one she hasn’t tried before.”

Mae West was the ultimate tough girl of classic Hollywood. Her raunchy, bold and often hilarious tough-girl attitude is brought to life in “Dirty Blonde,” Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production that follows the lives of two West fans.

The show opens in the present day, where we meet Jo, an aspiring actress, and Charlie, a film librarian. As their individual stories and obsessions with West develop, they venture to their idol’s grave on the anniversary of her death. Their mutual love of the blonde bombshell brings them together and the two begin to find themselves, as well as each other.

The show moves in and out of the experiences, past and present, of both Jo and Charlie, while weaving in the story of West’s provocative acting career. West, who began performing at age 5, became known for her buxom curves and sexy comedy, and experienced hard-earned success on both stage and screen. Sprinkled with upbeat musical numbers, “Dirty Blonde” humorously explores the ideas of friendship, love, obsession and what it means to be a tough girl.

Ryan Dunn tackles the roles of both Jo and Mae, successfully creating separate personas for each character. Dunn seamlessly moves from one character to the other in mere seconds, as the show switches from present to past and back again. Combining West’s classic, seductive sashay with her husky Brooklyn accent, Dunn brings to life West’s inherent sexuality, playing the role to perfection.

Lucas Caleb Rooney takes on the role of Charlie, as well as other small, male roles. Rooney’s comedic timing is excellent, as when we see Charlie flounder as an awkward teenager and mature into an awkward adult. He brings a vulnerability and uptight insecurity to Charlie that stems from a removal from the world around him. Spending his time in the films archives, he has devoted more time cultivating his Mae West scrapbook than his relationships with others.

Acting as musical director and playing numerous minor, male characters, Tom Frey rounds out the cast. In roles ranging from Mae’s husband to her homosexual assistant, Frey, like Dunn, successfully brings something distinct and unique to each character.

Playwright Claudia Shear creates two worlds that become flawlessly intertwined on the stage. The show’s humor is smart, raunchy and unafraid of a dirty joke or a little nudity. The script is littered with provocative innuendos and double-entendres, a comedic style that West became noted for. While Jo and Charlie grapple with an unconventional love story, the audience gets to see that West is much more than just a “Dirty Blonde.”