When the topic of menopause is introduced into a conversation, the reaction is usually not one of extreme laughter. Discussions of night sweats, bouts of forgetfulness, hormonal changes, incidents of insomnia, mood swings that rival carnival rides and food cravings do not usually engender humor. The exception would be Jeanie Linders’ outrageously funny “Menopause the Musical” celebrating ten years of demystifying “the change,” at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven until Sunday, August 7.
A quartet of mighty talented ladies meets at the lingerie counter at Bloomingdale’s during a sale. In the melee that ensues, as they fight over a sexy undergarment, the women create a sisterhood as they bond over the common symptoms each is experiencing as they push the calendar toward fifty.
Fredena J. Williams is superb as the Professional Woman, the boss lady who storms off to the conference room only to forget why when she gets to the office door. She is joined by Lisa Fox as the sexy Soap Star who is fighting off wrinkles and fears that her best days on stage are over. Margot Moreland’s Earth Mother is a flower child trapped in an adult woman’s body while Carolynne Warren as the Iowa Housewife is so excited to be in the Big Apple that she almost forgets she needs her little pink pills to keep her life pleasurable.
Two dozen songs are parodied in this ninety minute show that deals humorously with all the female issues that make menopause so memorable, whether they flash hot, drip wet, involve husbands, mothers or kids, are relieved by a quart of rocky road or promote the pharmaceutical industry. Each tune is incredibly clever in its accuracy and hysterical in its message, with dance movements to boot.
For tickets ($49.50), call Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven at 203-787-4282 or online at www.longwharf.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Grab a sister, your mom, your daughter or a friend and plan to sing, clap and dance your way to confidence as you realize you’re not alone on this complicated journey through mid-life. Brave men are invited to come along too.
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