photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Jason Cozmo & Electra
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Too much of a good thing is, as they say, wonderful, and on two mid-September nights, the 13th and 14th, Electra and Jason Cozmo, who pay tribute to some of the same divas, took turns on the stage at Cherry's, sisters under the skin, from different generations, doing it their own way. Kevin Hammond was the DJ.

On the first night, Electra, celebrating her 25th anniversary on Fire Island, showed she had a few things to get off her chest: her evening was "dedicated to bitterness." The words and songs she borrowed came, interestingly, from someone who is not a household name-Jackie Hoffman ("Hairspray," "Xanadu"), thinking she'd been invited to do Shakespeare at the Public Theatre, but actually playing Joe's Pub there.

Showing off crowns she won here (Ms. Fire Island), in Florida (Miss Continental Florida), and in Chicago (Miss Continental Elite), in ascending order of size, Electra, in a rollicking number, had a few pointed remarks to make about being asked to do benefits: "Fuck you for asking me to do a show for free." "Fuck the silver lining, I'll always find a cloud," began another upbeat song, which continued, "The kvetching continues, the whining will go on." And Electra, as Jackie H, on adopting: "Please, won't you get away with your children" ("get your monsters out of my face"). Donning the largest of the crowns, Electra offered "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," adapted to tell about her victory as Miss Continental Elite.

Electra then yielded the stage to her guests, Franchesque Richards ("Ain't nobody loves me like you") and Jason, doing Dolly Parton. Jason's Dolly began with a handclapping, toe-tapping "Two doors down, they're having a party," followed by a no-less-vigorous "Nine to Five," and wound down with a heartfelt "I Will Always Love You."

Electra returned to get the last of the bitterness out of her system ("Go ahead, hate on me, hater") and dedicated her first encore, a Muppets number ("Monamona") to Charity. She concluded as Anita Baker, leading us in a sing-along of "Dayo," the Harry Belafonte song, and getting us to hum like the drones of the bagpipes and then to sing a refrain of "Make it through love, make it through time."

For her Fire Island seasonal farewell, the following night, Electra introduced her portrayal of Eartha Kitt-a breathtaking recreation of Kitt's look and mannerisms-with the music taken from Kitt's final performance, starting with "My champagne taste and your beer-bottle pocket," and then "Speaking of love," another of Kitt's gold-digger numbers. In "I'm in hate/love with New York," she dealt philosophically with the quirks of the city. Working the room, she vamped through "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and, in a vivid "I'm Still Here," from "Follies," shared the reminiscences of a survivor." Electra ended this portion of the evening by negotiating the challenges of "Come on in My House" in Japanese.

Jason, as Liza Minnelli, began with "Some People," from "Gypsy," really selling it, and cheerfully? maybe a bit ruefully? explained, in "Liza with a Z," how to spell and pronounce her name. She faced the hard truth that "Money Makes the World Go 'Round," in the lively number from "Cabaret," and invited us to "Come to the Cabaret." Mirroring a couple of the Electra-as-Kitt selections, Jason gave us "The World Goes 'Round," another song of survival in the face of adversity, and concluded with Liza's signature paean to the city, "New York, New York."

Electra returned to dedicate kd lang's "Miss Chatelaine" to our lesbian sisters; a disco number ("Thank you, baby") to Candy Stevens, who first brought her to the Grove and the Ice Palace; and "You Came a Long Way from St. Louis" to Dorian Corey, of "Paris Is Burning" fame. Dorian designed the slinky red dress and black wrap Electra wore and is also remembered for the embalmed body that was found in a suitcase behind her couch after she died. (Cherry's co-owner Donna Bianco had, before she retired from the force, been the police officer assigned to this matter.) Electra emoted in "Tell me why," and obliged the audience with a pair of encores: "Fuck you for asking me to do a show for free," a Jackie Hoffman number from the previous night, and "Liza with a Z," wearing Jason Cozmo's wig.

How fortunate we were to be able to experience performances by both of these artists, each of them fascinating.