Review by James Judd
Like many drag shows, Oh, Scary! begins with a funny video—but this one has a twist. It’s a ghost story. No spoilers here, but it’s both spooky and funny. As opening videos go, it’s a high-caliber production, like everything in this outstanding new show starring beloved RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna Nina West.
Her opening number sets “NYC” from the musical Annie to new lyrics, turning it into an homage to Provincetown. She reminds the audience that Provincetown is one of the most haunted towns in America, and we’re invited into her haunted cabaret.
Nina West is the alter ego of actor, writer, and comedian Andrew Levitt. West appeared in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11 (2019) and All Stars 9 (2024). In the eyes of her fans, West is the nicest queen in the business. RuPaul anointed her “America’s Sweetheart.” Wholesomeness and kindness seem to radiate from her. But while all those feel-good qualities are present in Oh, Scary!, this show is also really dirty.
Many shows are trending away from outright vulgarity in favor of bawdy, cheeky, wink-wink material delivered with a smile to soften any offense. That’s not the kind of gasp-inducing burlesque West is serving, and it fills a void in the current lineup of Commercial Street shows.
Great comedy material requires a delicate balance between light and dark. To be hilarious and filthy without being offensive—and still elegant—is its own kind of brilliance, and West knows exactly how to land punches that draw blushes and raucous laughter in the same breath. Hats off to her for taking the risks and pulling it off.
The costumes and their reveals are show-stopping. Clearly custom-made, they look expertly crafted and seriously expensive. The red lobster costume alone looks like it was made by Prada, or perhaps from the soles of a thousand Louboutins. Performers can be overshadowed by a big costume, but not Nina West. She wears the costumes; the costumes don’t wear her.
A truly great improviser must quiet the multitude of distractions racing through their mind in front of a crowd and listen carefully. West can take any morsel an audience gives her—a weird answer, a strange noise, a reluctance to play along—and turn it into an entire meal. If you’re a local who maybe doesn’t see as many shows as you used to, this is the show to see with a group of friends.
Nina West performs in Oh, Scary! Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. through August 25 (with additional shows on Saturdays, July 4 & 25 and August 1,8, & 22, 5 p.m.) at Post Office Cafe and Cabaret. For tickets ($44 – $54) and information, call 508.487.0008 or visit postofficecafe.net, but an additional weekend show will be added in July.
