In 1961, Walt Disney Productions released the Oscar-nominated film The Parent Trap, based on the book Lottie and Lisa (Das Doppelte Lottchen) by Erich Kästner and starring Hayley Mills as identical red-haired twin girls separated shortly after birth by their divorced parents, with one going to live with their mother in London and one with their father in California’s Napa Valley. It was then shown on TV, three television sequels followed, and, in 1998, it was remade as a movie, by Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, in which Lindsay Lohan made her film debut as both twins, who realized they were sisters when they happened to meet at summer camp, then devised a plan to get their parents back together. That Millennial Generation favorite has now been adapted for the stage by writer/director Kevin Zak, in the riotous high-camp parody Ginger Twinsies, playing a limited Off-Broadway engagement at the Orpheum Theatre.
Whether or not you’re familiar with the original films, you’ll find the new fast-paced send-up filled to the brim with wildly outlandish, raucous, and often raunchy humor, ’90s jargon, cross-gender casting, sight gags (most notably, identical twins who look nothing alike, but their parents and everyone else still can’t tell them apart), metatheatrical and direct-address breaks through the fourth wall, and hilarious references to favorite stage and screen shows and stars, and to pop culture from then and now, beyond the story at hand (even the printed program contains a bio that is a take-off on one by a Tony-winning actress from a current Broadway musical comedy based on another well-known movie – be sure to read it), so half the fun is recognizing the sources of the jokes (no spoilers here!) and trying to keep up with the non-stop laughs.
The visually mismatched Russell Daniels and Aneesa Folds star as the eponymous twinsies Annie and Hallie and prove a perfect match in playing off each other. At first arguing, competing, and fighting, then coming to the realization that they’re sisters (because they have the same birthday and both love Oreos with peanut butter), they masterfully deliver the sidesplitting plot points and unexpected twists, switching back and forth from English to American accents, capturing the nostalgia of 1998, getting “the 411,” making acerbic observations on our present-day socio-political correctness, and generally camping it up with a terrific supporting cast of six, all appearing in multiple roles and giving it their all to make for a ridiculously smart and stupid-funny rapid-fire 80 minutes of unbridled boisterousness, foul language (especially for eleven-year-olds!), sexual innuendo and “queer-adjacent” characters that kept the audience laughing out loud through the entirety of the performance I attended (and undoubtedly, every performance).
Providing top-notch support for the outstanding Daniels and Folds are Lakisha May as the twins’ mother Elizabeth, a wealthy British designer of upscale bridal wear (which apparently “deserve top hats”), Matthew Wilkas as their father Nick, a pan-sexual vintner who refers to his daughter as “Squirt” (double-entendre intended), and Phillip Taratula as his villainous gold-digging fiancée Meredith Blake, who all unwittingly come together for a meeting manipulated by the girls to reunite their parents and to put a stop to Nick’s upcoming marriage (for which Elizabeth was inadvertently creating the wedding gown), triggering the door-slammer sequence that all wacky comedies require (Zak has forgotten absolutely nothing that could, and does, trigger howls from the house).
Joining them are Jimmy Ray Bennett as the British butler Martin, Grace Reiter as the California vineyard worker Chessy (who also unexpectedly come together), and Mitch Wood as the Lizard (you’ll see), with everyone in the company also taking on a range of other characters, from the camp counselors and kids to the individual people and ensembles of the array of shows they parody – often unrecognizable from one role to another.
The eye- and ear-popping artistic design is as witty and laugh-inducing as the writing, direction, and performances. Costumes by Wilberth Gonzalez, with hair, wigs, and makeup by Krystal Belleza & Will Vicari, define the distinctive personalities and lampooned celebrities, their times, countries, and ages, including the matching red hairstyles of the twinsies. Beowulf Boritt’s bi-level set takes us from the US to England, from the camp to the bridal shop and vineyard, with appropriately childlike – or inappropriately suggestive – images, collectibles, and props on stage and on the side walls beyond (e.g., the dildo isn’t particularly childlike, but very indicative of the explicit humor), enhanced with colorful dramatic lighting by Bradley King that suits the moods and scenes, and sound by Joshua D. Reid that remains at an exuberantly high decibel level (and goes intentionally out of sync in the grape-stomping segment, eliciting questioning looks from the actors) and contains musical hits from the decade and from the appropriated shows, with original music by Noel Carey and fitting movement by Jesse Robb.
Though Ginger Twinsies is scheduled for a limited engagement at the Orpheum, it has all the makings of a cult classic and should prove to be as popular as its long-running predecessors Stomp (referenced in one of the longer full-company scenes) and the original production of Little Shop of Horrors. But don’t wait to see if it’s extended; get your tickets now for this uproarious show. If you’re in the mood for pure escapist fun and top-notch comedic entertainment by a stellar cast, writer/director, and design team, do not miss it!
Running Time: Approximately 80 minutes, without intermission.
Ginger Twinsies plays through Sunday, October 26, 2025, at the Orpheum Theatre, 126 Second Avenue, NYC. For tickets (priced at $49-149, including fees), go online, or find discount tickets at TodayTix.