It was a diverse mix at Dillons, the night of February 4th. The stage was flagged in red, white, and blue feather boas, insinuating, oh no! Not a 4th of July performance. Could it be? No I checked, and it was indeed the 4th of February. So something else was in store. The woman beneath a pair of Harry Potter rounded frames, later known as Ellen Mandel the pianist, perched on the bench and banged out, “Dr. Faith will cure your Mistress Blues.”
I raised my gin and tonic to that as the Doctor herself grabbed hold of the microphone and directed our gaze to “ America the Beautiful.” Well, tonight America took the shape of a mini sequined dress. Oh yes, Dr. Faith cured our Mistress Blues.”
Lisa Faith Phillips is no newcomer to the Manhattan stage. As a Participating Artist at The Cherry Lane Theater, Alice’s Fourth Floor, and Manhattan Punch Lines Comedy Corps in New York, LFP has always meant business. She has a M.S. in Economics from the prestigious, London School of Economics and a BA in French and Economics from Wellesley College. This smarty pants is also Vice President and General Manager of Random House Direct.
Her college studies, industrious nature, and life experiences have all created great fodder for material in her One-Woman shows at The Comic Strip and The Improv. Did I also mention that she’s a member of theater companies in London, Barcelona, and Findlay, Ohio? Red, white, or blue, this lady has as they say, “been there, done that, and is here now to tell it.” She’s been spotted on programs such as Lifetime, The Leeza Show, and in the Beast of Burden music video, featuring the likes of Bette Midler and Mick Jagger.
So, have I been living under a rock? Just who is this hot mama?
A close comparison to Goldie Hawn I thought, this performer was outrageously funny and successfully cunning. Her material was admirably clean and professional- ahem, this is not a reference to the bawdy content of the show per say, rather it’s referencing the fluidity of the piece. I got the impression that the show had obviously been rehearsed and re-worked many times prior for different audiences and different worldly affairs. There was never a falter in her speech or a kink in her bleached locks.
I enjoyed LFP because I think she’s intuitive and devilishly clever. In her quest for romance, love, and downright tender loving care, she contradicted it all with a riding crop, lingerie, and a guidebook for mistresses. She is able to pounce on politics without a moment’s hesitation or sip of water. I was pleasantly surprised by how much she keeps up with the world and how much she could inform while still wildly entertaining.
“Now that Donald Trump is married, he’ll need a mistress. You’re FUCKED.” – LFP
She was on par every time, giving us what we wanted and we were in turn, pledged allegiance to her flag, oh excuse me, her “dress.” Moreover, each quip bled into a song prescribed by the Doctor. Her handle on political satire was commendable. It revealed a much attuned woman with experience and talent printed in bold black letters on a resume.
Every line demanded a boisterous laugh. She exudes inherent fun like a bottle of champagne. Uplifting and unpredictable, Lisa Faith Phillips should have delivered the damn State of the Union Address this year.