Georgetown University’s Nomadic Theatre and Black Theatre Ensemble’s (BTE) collaborative production of the deeply intense yet fabulously queer musical “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” embodies the groups’ collective goals of pairing technical ambition with poignant social engagement and diversity through the performing arts. The performance successfully balances the dark, serious themes of the musical’s story with a celebration of LGBTQ+ art while also utilizing the intimately small Village C Theatre to its fullest (and campiest) potential.
“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” is an English musical inspired by the true story of Jamie Campbell, a British high school student who campaigned to wear a dress to his high school prom. His struggle was first brought to public attention in the 2011 documentary “Jamie: Drag Queen at 16,” directed by Jenny Popplewell. The musical first premiered in February 2017 and made its West End debut just a few months later.
The plot revolves around 16-year-old Jamie New, a boy grappling with his identity as a gay man and his dreams of becoming a drag queen, all while confronting the usual trials and tribulations of facing bullies, dealing with family drama and just growing up. Despite these challenges, he finds support in his best friend, mom, family friends and, finally, a troupe of local drag queens led by one legendary performer, Loco Channelle. The production deals directly with themes of sexuality, bullying, gender expression, class and self-expression.
Nomadic Theatre and BTE’s hard work to capture the complexity, humor and tenderness of the show is entirely apparent in their rendition. The performance is full of life, fun and color; the musical numbers are well-staged and excitingly choreographed. The two groups also truly transformed the production space itself through the effective and creative use of minimal props — a simple box serving as everything from a classroom chair to a bench to a bed, its use utterly altering the stage each time.
Balancing out this fun was also a sense of genuine care for the more delicate sides of the story, such as the themes of bullying and parental neglect. The actors handled these aspects thoughtfully, with their emotions translating well within the intimate space of the small theater.
As for the individual performances, a particular standout is Ian Franza (CAS ’25) as the titular Jamie. His performance managed to capture the complex emotions of a young queer boy finding himself, all while incorporating a beautiful singing voice that ranges from light to powerful, as well as some fairly unique accent work. Another performance to note is Micaela Wells (CAS ’26) as Margaret, Jamie’s mother — Wells brought an amazingly strong voice to many solos throughout the narrative and carried many emotion-ridden scenes. Finally, Eric Kum Ho Chun (CAS ’25) brought much-needed levity to the often melodramatic script with excellent comedic timing as Channelle, an experienced drag queen and Jamie’s mentor.
The design of hair, makeup and costumes was equally excellent, doing heavy lifting in communicating the themes of drag within the musical. The boldness of Channelle’s look demonstrated the crew’s care and research into the art form.
However, sound-related technical issues held the production back on several fronts. The live band accompanying the actors — which included drums, guitars and horns — would often drown out actors’ vocals, making it difficult for the audience to fully grasp how the story was progressing. Though the crew’s use of live music and sound mixing was admirable and even added life to the performances when balanced correctly, it proved somewhat overpowering in the small black box theater.
The show’s extensive runtime — around 3 hours — means “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” is a story that requires the audience to set aside time to sit in and fully engage with the story. To grapple with its intense themes, audiences must engage fully with “Jamie.”
Everybody should be talking about this production of “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.” It is an important story to tell, one filled with positive and inclusive messaging, one that celebrates the often overlooked or even persecuted art that is drag and one that requires such care to tell. It is evident that Nomadic Theatre and BTE have put much care and passion into the show — making it a beautiful, inspiring thing to witness.
