THE SISTERHOOD SERENADES IN "MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL"

For women of a certain age, the mention of menopause instills a modicum of dread; but does it have to do that? 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 more than two decades of demystifying “the change,” at the Palace Theater in Waterbury on Saturday, May 20 at 8 p.m. 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. Front and center is 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 the sexy Soap Star who is fighting off wrinkles and fears that her best days on stage are over. Earth Mother is a flower child trapped in an adult woman’s body while 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 ice cream or promote the pharmaceutical industry in a rainbow of pretty pills. Each tune is incredibly clever in its accuracy and hysterical in its message, with dance movements to boot. You might even laugh when a hot flash ignites your body the next time around, For tickets ($28-58), call The Palace, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at www.palacetheaterct.org. 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. They just might learn a thing or three.