It’s the Hot Wing Contest weekend, where wings are hot, the sauces are hotter, and personal relationships will either sizzle just right or be burnt to a crisp. Katori Hall’s The Hot Wing King, now playing at Cygnet Theatre through May 2, has plenty of humor, heart, and heat.

Welcome to Memphis in the summer, where temperatures and tensions are on the rise as the weekend of the Hot Wing Competition draws near. Cordell (Rondrell McCormick) is assembling his culinary crew to prepare wings, as he has set his sights on first place this year. Along with Big Charles (Xavier Daniels) and Isom (Kevane La’Marr Coleman), there are plenty of laughs in the kitchen. They are waiting for Cordell’s partner Dwayne (Tristan J. Schuler) to come home from work so the prep work can really begin.

Photo Credit: Photo by Karli Cadel Photography

When Dwayne arrives, there is plenty of laughter and fun, until he gets called away, even though he promised Cordell that he would be there for him this weekend. Cordell is new to town and an out-of-work chef who has moved to Memphis to live with Dwayne. Now, Cordell feels like Dwayne's focus is always split. When Dwayne’s nephew Everett (Jocorey Mitchell) arrives, and his father TJ (Carter Piggie) keeps popping in unexpectedly, tempers flare as it appears that Cordell and Dwayne are not as in sync as it first appears. When your love language is food, can their relationship, not to mention the wings, handle this kind of heat?

The first act begins with a fun introduction to the friend foursome of Cordell, Dwayne, Charles, and Isom - there is plenty of laughter, love, and music as they work in the kitchen. As things start to happen that divert focus from the wings competition, an event that Cordell holds sacred and receives a lot of validation from, the show shifts from a light simmer and turns up the heat to build dramatic tension. Dwayne’s high school-age nephew, Everett, arrives, asking to stay the night as he has been couch surfing at friends' houses but now has no place to go. Everett’s dad, TJ, shows up briefly with some money for Dwayne, but can’t take him to where he is staying.

Everett has a front-row seat to the kitchen prep, where Cordell discusses hot wings in hushed, sacred tones, to full-on bragging - parmesan wings, spicy Cajun Alfredo wings with bourbon-infused bacon crumble, and bright blue blueberry wings. He also gets to see this loving and supportive group, a found family that Everett does not have in his life. Backstories are slowly revealed, and complications both comedic and dramatic ensue.

Cordell’s McCormick is loving, supportive, and ambitious, and navigating personal challenges and self-doubts. Schuler, as Dwayne, is sweet and plenty of sass, but struggles with the underlying guilt about his sister’s death and his nephew’s current situation. They work well together, and the audience is rooting for them, even as the characters are both a source of support and frustration for each other.

Daniels, as sports-loving Big Charles, is very funny, but also has an empathetic ear for the others. His relationship with Coleman’s flamboyant and scene-stealing Isom floats around the central couple, providing comedic relief and allowing the tensions to breathe.

Mitchell makes a fantastic stage debut as Everett, a teenager who is struggling with a myriad of emotions after the fallout of losing his mother. Piggie brings nuance that makes TJ's questionable parenting decisions understandable as he is working with what he knows, though he may not be closed off to some new perspectives.

Directed by Kian Kline-Chilton with a lot of energy, humor, and musicality, the love and community among these men are evident. The scenic design by Audrey R. Casteris creates a beautiful home layout with a backyard and an upstairs bedroom. Lighting design by Caroline Andrew is lovely, especially with the dappled light and shadows of leaves and a tree dancing on a skylight. Costumes by Danita Lee include a team shirt that you won’t forget, and sound design by Padra Crisafulli brings everything together, really allowing the musical interludes to shine.

The second act is more tightly focused in its writing compared to the more meandering first act, which has a lot of exposition to lay out before intermission. Once the second act begins, all the spicy emotional and competitive drama come together for a satisfying resolution.

“The Hot Wing King” is a comedy about family, food, sexuality, masculinity, and the process of creating the family and home you want to come home to every day.