Bridgerdown sure goes down easy. Not in a thick cloying way. More like a cream puff. Light, fluffy, but without skimping on the cheese.
It’s written and presented by local company La Fenice, which is committed to reviving Italian commedia dell’arte for the modern viewer. It’s a style of theatre based around super-broad caricatures like “the lovers,” “the fool,” “the pair of cranky old men.” Costumes and masks serve as quick shorthand for audiences to immediately clock the virtuous from the villainous. The art form dates back to the 1500s, so structuring a Regency marriage mart drama around it still counts as modernization, right?
At barely an hour long, Bridgerdown has the rangey appeal of an extended and elevated summer camp sketch. It presents a loose, improvisational tone with just enough skewering of modern tropes – mostly from looksmaxxing gigaChad Lord Frederick Fingerington (Nate Dunaway), who can’t resist taunting betacuck soyboys as he endeavors to bang every MILF in the ton. Godspeed, Fingerington. Woe betide you when you discover that the wealthy Bridgerdown dowager is not what she seems.
The plot, such as it is, pokes plenty of fun at TV sensation Bridgerton as a new marriage season opens. There are copious Vitamin String Quartet pop covers with new lyrics full of jokey exposition. Just try resisting a trio trilling “it’s a thunderdome for ladies in this marriage game” to a string version of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” It’s impossible. There’s ridiculous wigwork courtesy of La Fenice’s own Queen (Tobie Minor), towering sensations by designer Amber Quick that surely take strength to pull off. And, vitally, there’s a cadre of mamas (Stephanie Delk, CB Fuller, and Chelsea Manasseri) scheming to sell off – pardon, I mean find appropriate matches for – their daughters. Their plans go awry when widowed Prissy Bridgerdown (Kate Meehan) and her own offspring Monica (Kelly Hasandras) arrive with their legendary beauty and fortune in tow. However, don’t discount the dark and maybe murderous secret hiding behind their corsets.
I’d say Bridgerdown drips with double entendre, but that’s way too much subtlety for a show that named a character Lord Dickingdown (Adrian Prado), with all the jokes that cum – er, come – with that. It’s all for giggles, though. Nothing’s designed to get audience nethers riled up. Even extended sex scenes are partially obscured and played purely for laughs.
It’s not all dudes and debutantes. La Fenice strives for a bit of political parody amongst the bawdy bits. In this scenario, genteel lords are dying thanks to the “Richie Rich Ripper.” It’s a tasty morsel of stakes offsetting the matchmaking matrons. Life isn’t all diamonds of the season and delicate lust. There’s danger in those dances. Still, never forget this is commedia dell’arte, with all the nuance of Roadrunner smashing Wile E. Coyote with a hammer.
Bridgerdown plays in the off hours, offering late-night performances on Fridays and Saturdays in addition to Wednesday evening shows. It’s the show to cap off a social evening while you’re enjoying a post-drink plate of Patrizi’s pasta, or to accompany a hump day happy hour. Short and silly, it fits beautifully around the edges of whatever you’ve already got going on.
Bridgerdown
Butterfly Bar
Through May 9
This article appears in May 1 • 2026.
