"I wish I could have seen Malissa Petterson’s 'The 800th Annual Salvation Swing-Off' in a more intimate space. Revolving around a dance contest in purgatory, it felt dwarfed and distant, with a large offstage fan drowning out much of the dialogue. Kudos, though, to Stacey Garbarski for her hilarious performance as the Virtues."
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"As much farce as it is melodrama. The clear stand-out in this ensemble is Garbarski, who plays an endless collection of secretaries...The Virtues and Garbarski’s dexterity offer a much-needed familiarity against a series of plots and schemes that can be difficult to follow...Petterson’s script ventures delightfully into the absurd, and suggests a play very different from the coalition of gender, sexuality, piety, and melodrama that underpin 'Salvation Swing-Off' for most of the time."
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"Where the production falls down is in chemistry–the cast often lacks the level of sass to convincingly carry off the saucy dialogue and erotic situations presented–and dancing. For a show centered around a dance contest, the movement of the actors was passable at best…If Petterson ever decided to run this production again in NYC, there’s a strong likelihood that the show could become a long-running cult classic if staged in one of the city’s iconic gay cabaret venues."
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"Petterson's show is littered with intriguing characters…What makes this show stick is its ability to expel laughter that later leads to profound realization...Amusing quips from Lucy herself remind audiences of the delicate balance between right and wrong...While an audience member of the Catholic faith might need the ability to laugh at themselves to enjoy the show to its fullest extent, it's worth its weight in comedic papal gold."
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