Photos provided by Leo Llanis

Viewers of “The Golden Girls” are sure to find a friend, or rather, a pal in the legally and lovingly re-named stage play “The Golden Gals Live!”

Picture it, the Mercury Theater, three or four decades since a television ratings bonanza, where thanks to Fruit Wine Productions and the direction of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” favorite, Ginger Minj (Blanche), the beloved senior citizens get a dragtastic makeover.

Along with equally fabulous friends Gidget Galore (Rose), MR MS Adrien (Sophia), Divine Grace (Dorothy) and Chicago’s own Jason Richards juggling several of the supporting roles, the troupe ingeniously weaves iconic elements of actual episodes with original comedy.

It’s certainly enough to garner some hearty chuckles to an outsider walking into the meticulously replicated set for the first time, but “The Golden Gals Live!” is destined to be downright hilarious to those with even a casual appreciation of the show.

For those needing a recap of the roommates, there’s the promiscuous Blanche, the gullible Rose, the sarcastic Dorothy and her semi-senile mother Sophia, all of whom are portrayed with the utmost accuracy.

The cast also frequently breaks the fourth wall and keeps the flow intentionally loose, which during this performance, included a missed doorbell cue and a few ad-libs, though they always complimented the scripted moments.

Between Dorothy separating from her loser ex-husband, Blanche and Sophia fighting over the same man and Rose learning the definition of a lesbian, the laughter is constant, consistently clever and often heartwarming.

So get ready to get lost in a living room where the shoulder pads nearly hit the ceiling, the double entendres are daring, the camp is classic and the cheesecake never tasted so sweet.

“The Golden Gals” continues at the Mercury Theater through Sunday, February 12. For additional details, visit GoldenGalsLive.com and MercuryTheaterChicago.com.

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