I got to Hula's late for the second show of the Trannyshack show, a return engagement for the performers who made their first appearance at Hula's last year. The San Francisco troupe is a pretty notorious group of "girls" whose talents range from edgy old skool drag impersonations, to fresh new takes that challenge the limits of beauty and taste. 
When I arrived, hostess and MC Heklina was sending out poor Puerto Rican Putanesca into the crowd with one of the tip jars that was circulating through the audience the whole night. These girls are nothing if not shameless, and definitely not too proud to beg for your money all weekend, even when they're on vacation in paradise.
One of the first performers I saw, Mercy Fuque, delivered an uppdated version of the drag lip-sync modern classic "Sweet Pussy Pauline". It was as vulgar and tasteless as ever, but this time the comic monologue had a beat behind it, which kept the room so entranced that one audience member fell to Mercy's feet and buried his face in her crotch.
She was able to repel the enthusiastic fan, but he wasn't the only one to lose control that night. During a t-shirt giveaway, assisted by two of Hula's hottest (in or out of drag) Ka'imi & Tallon,
Heklina was eating and even signing asses, or both! I wish I could show y'all the video, but some of you would like it too much, and others not at all, plus the guy was in the military, so....
But the show wasn't completely crackers and coocoos.
Matthew Martin channeled Judy Garland twice. A throwback to drag days gone by, his uppdated interpretation had the gay icon lamenting to her mother after killing a man, in the camp cover of Judy singing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
And Putanesca's seemingly gratuitous flashing of her genitals must have rose above high art, or else shouldn't she be in trouble?
Still, just as surprising as the last time she entertained us, the hottest and coolest "girl" in the show is actually female....and lesbian, more worse! Holy McGrail's literally & physically over the top eye make-upp, and grossly graphic numbers, seem to go too far, without crossing any lines.For instance her OB/GYN skit during which she sticks a plunger upp fellow showgirl Renttecca's skirt, and pulls out seafood.
As a woman gynecologist yanking squid out of a cross-dresser's private parts, at what point does that stop being transgressive, and go beyond transcendent?And during the cast's curtain call, we find out that it's her birthday, making Holy McGrail even more of a rock-star the rest of the night.
But the spirit gum who held the show together was definitely Ms. Heklina. Her dirty mind and filthy mouth helped the hilarious hijinx of the cast's perverted performances sink to new levels of crude, crass and crazy.And just when you thought she couldn't break another rule, Heklina even sang live! Her version of "My Favourite Things" is the cutest tribute to the islands I've ever heard from a visitor. The haole mispronunciations of words like nene and Mauna Kea, make her other flawless observations of local life more endearing and adorable
Keep your eyes and ears as open as your mind and legs, for the next time the girls from Trannyshack come on through. Whether you think you've seen and heard it all, they somehow manage to give you just what you need, even though it may be bad, it's good for you!
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