By Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media
By the time intermission came around, the tears were already flowing. Wait, what? I thought this was supposed to be comedic play about a group of guys trying to win the title of “The Hot Wing King” in the annual “Hot Wang Festival” competition in Memphis, Tennessee. So why was the audience so emotional?
It is called a “dramedy” also known as a comedy drama, this hybrid genre often deals with real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations as is the case in this production.
Cordell Crutchfield (Terence Archie) believes he has finally found a recipe that will land him the coveted title of The Hot Wing King. He has gathered a group of friends, all gay, and has assigned each a meticulous duty in preparing the original recipe Cordell has come up with. He is beyond convinced that he will finally win that coveted title and the “five stack” (5K) prize money that comes with it. After all it’s been five long years of trying and it’s time to make all that hard work payoff.
The laughs are non-stop as each character takes turns poking fun at the situation. The competition is just a few hours away, yet this group cannot focus on the task at hand. Big Charles (Tobias A. Young) can’t stop eating and watching the Cowboys football game on TV and Isom (Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd), is just too busy clowning around drinking beer.
Cordell has found a secret spice that will do the trick. It only takes a half pinch of this special ingredient to wake things up. But when Isom finds the broth to bland and comes across this new found spice, all hell breaks loose in more ways than one.
Among Codell’s friends is Dwayne (Curtis Wiley) but Dwayne is more than a friend, he is Cordell’s lover and partner. Dwayne resents being regarded as a friend amongst Cordell’s family. “When are they going to know”? Dwanye shouts at Cordell during some heated moments when Dwayne questions Cordell’s commitment to their relationship. “And when are you going to get that divorce?” he adds. Dwayne works in the hospitality business and Cordell has not been able to find any meaningful work for months adding more fuel to the fire.
Cordell has left everything behind to be with Dwayne, his wife, kids, his work in St. Louis all to be with Dwayne but he just can’t commit to their relationship. As the night wears on, the relationship is quickly falling apart.
When Dwayne’s nephew Everett (Jacques Jean-Mary) shows up and needs a place to stay, things go from bad to worse. The nephew has a questionable past and an even more questionable father. Dwayne wants him to stay but Cordell wants him gone.
When Everett’s father TJ (Dayo Olatokun) shows up at the house looking for his son, things get even more intense. He does not want his son to be around a bunch of gay men. He is afraid of what may become of his son.
With the crown, prize money, and their relationships on the line, Cordell, Dwayne and TJ are forced to deal with what it means to be a Black man, a father figure, and part of a loving family. The acting is incredible, throw in some Luther Vandross music and you have what is truly a hilarious yet seriously touching “dramedy”.
Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize and directed by Timothy Douglas, “The Hot Wing King” by Katori Hall plays the Kilstrom Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Thru May 25, 2025
Location
Kilstrom Theatre
MAP
Estimated Run Time
Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes with one 15 minute intermission
POST-SHOW TALKBACKS
May 13, 20, 22
ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCE
ASL-Interpretation & Audio Description: May 11
Ticketing Policy
Denvercenter.org is the official online source for tickets to this show. Tickets purchased from any source other than DCPA may be lost, stolen, or fraudulent. Such tickets will not be honored.
ADVISORY
Adult language and themes, racially charged language, and drug-based language. Recommended for ages 15+.
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