‘Sordid’ series: St. Louis’ Craig Taggart keeps Logo show’s cast looking trashy

BY COREY STULCE

Looking trashy ain’t always easy. You try and make one of the world’s sweethearts, Olivia Newton-John, appear like she’s fresh outta’ the clink.

That was just one of the challenges St. Louis native Craig Taggart faced while costuming Del Shores’ beloved cast of “Sordid Lives,” the play-turned-movie-turned-Logo TV show.
The Texas trailer trash inhabitants of the new show — where the higher the hair means the closer to God — had Taggart not only having to stay true to the look “Lives” fans know well, but also expanding on the wardrobe of Brother Boy (Leslie Jordan), a Tammy Wynette-obsessed drag queen. Taggart also plays the role of Craig Stephen Snow, a flamboyant, color-obsessed theater director of gay, nude extravaganzas. New episodes air at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on Logo.

“The challenge and thrill for me (was to) honor the movie and still have some creative license,” Taggart said. “The great thing is, the way Del writes, nothing is haute couture.”
Shores created “Sordid Lives” from a short story — his own Southern clan and pals constant fodder for his hilariously-biting works.

The character based on an aunt, Sissy, played by the back-combed Beth Grant, is seen typically around her house in sleeveless denim shirts and culottes — and with a constant cig burning between her fingers and/or lips.

“I got some creative liberties. Whenever Sissy goes into town, she’s got some pantsuits she picked up circa 1972 — which are still working for her,” Taggart said.

Much of the cast’s duds came from his own wardrobe stash — acquired from garage sales and Goodwill. “It’s just so perfect for these characters and really comes in handy coming in under budget,” he said.

The series is a prequel with dead matriarch and “nan-nan” Peggy alive and well, played by former “Golden Girl” Rue McClanahan. Shores said he likes to begin his stories with huge events in characters’ lives. In the “Sordid” play and movie, it was the death of Peggy — tripping over her lover’s detached wooden legs on a dirty motel room floor.

Here it starts the day Tammy Wynette passes through those pearly gates, the day Bitsy Mae (Newton-John) gets out of jail and the day gay-but-not-out Ty decides to audition for Craig Stephen Snow’s nude opus, “Crescendo,” er, “Staccato.”

“I always say in ‘Sordid Lives,’ there’s three different worlds: Ty’s world, Brother Boy’s crazy world and then I always say the ‘big hair’ world — all connected with blood,” Shores said.

Shores added that the Lou should be proud of native Taggart. “Every actor was just thrilled with his work,” he said. “We love him.”

Shores is known for creating a lasting ensemble of players, as Jordan, Grant and others have acted in various projects of his for decades. “Early on when I work with people, I get something on them …. And then the next time around I just blackmail them,” he said.

“Seriously, I think people, especially women, love these characters and they don’t often get to play extremes like this.”

That’s true; “Golden Girl” Blanche Devereaux never got it on with a guy with no legs.

You can e-mail Corey Stulce at frozo85@hotmail.com.