By VERONIQUE DUPREY
A Seat on the Aisle
I celebrated Epiphany at Beef and Boards this year, attending Menopause: The Musical, the first offering of their 51st season, described as “a hilarious and fun celebration of women and ‘the change,’” a GFour Production.
It was my first time seeing this amusing musical. Nothing much happens in terms of plot: four menopausal women of diverse backgrounds come to Bloomingdale’s in New York City, and after fighting over lingerie sale items, strike up conversations (well, burst into song and dance – this is a musical, after all) about their current stage of life and its symptoms, becoming fast friends over a half-day.
The elegant set of multiple doors, entries either to bathroom stalls or dressing rooms, and simple accessory racks or other set pieces rolled in take us seamlessly to the different floors of Bloomingdale’s, with an elevator announcement clarifying for us where we are and what is found there.
The show, written in 2001 by Jeannie Linders, parodies popular songs of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, with lyrics now describing one aspect or the other of menopause: “Stayin’ Awake” for “Stayin’ Alive,” “My Thighs” for “My Guy,” etc. Interestingly, it has a permanent home at Harrah’s in Las Vegas, and has been touring nationally and abroad since its beginning, reaching nearly 17 million people so far, no doubt including many menopausal women – a large group of the population – and perhaps helping their partners understand what is happening to them. I found it amusing and am certain it would have been even funnier if I had myself entered this stage of life and experienced the hot flashes, night sweats, memory lapses and the rest.
(Clockwise from top) Enga Davis, Kimberly Vanbiesbrouck, Melanie Souza, and Nancy Slusser form the cast of Menopause: The Musical. (Photo provided Julie Curry)
Enga Davis as the Professional Woman, Nancy Slusser as the Iowa Housewife, Melanie Souza as Earth Mother, and Kimberly Vanbiesbrouck as the Soap Star, all excellently cast, are a joy to watch, with contagious enthusiasm and energy, and nice vocal variety. I especially enjoyed Davis’ rich tone, even if overtaken a few times by the soundtrack, and Souza’s comedic talents. Appropriate choreography added to the fun factor, reminiscent of the original songs.
Bottom line: Beef and Boards succeeds again with a well-oiled machine of a show, gently making fun of that part of women’s lives that is not often spoken of in public, and one of the best entertainment values in town; the swai fish on the buffet is particularly delicious, as is the zuccotto dessert. Take your mother, your partner, or your girlfriends for a light and fun evening, and go home with a new appreciation for “the change”! Recommended. PG-13 for sexual content.
Menopause: The Musical runs until Feb. 4; see BeefAndBoards.com for times and availability, and consider a VIP package which entitles you to significant savings throughout the season! Next up will be Beautiful, the Carole King Musical, which from the preview looks very promising.
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