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| Menopause Out Loud! |
Who’d have thunk that hot flashes could be so funny?
Review by Paul Lima
Make no mistake about it, Menopause Out Loud!, the comedy cabaret show
that is filling the Capitol Event Theatre in Toronto, is by women,
about women, for women. But men don’t have to be sheepish
about attending and laughing out loud, along with their wives,
partners, or girlfriends.
This is a broad comedy in both senses of the word –
it’s all about what happens to women when “the
change” arrives, and the book and lyrics, by Jeannie Linders, are played for laughs,
laughs, laughs, with a lot of mugging for an audience that is 90% women who are
and laughing and cheering from start to finish.
The lyrics, all sung loudly, are written to music that menopausal women
will find familiar – hits from the ‘50s, ‘60s and from the disco era. The middle-age cast – who says there are no good roles for older women? – is in
fine voice from start to finish, except for a couple of Beach Boys
songs that lack the magical harmonies of the originals. Alana
Bridgewater is particularly powerful as Power Women but Jayne Lewis
(Soap Star), Nicole Robert (Earth Mother), and Rose Ryan (Prairie
Housewife) more than hold their own.
Photo credit: David Leyes. Pictured left to right:
Alana Bridgewater, Jayne Lewis, Rose Ryan and Nicole Robert |
The lyrics, as you might imagine, are all about hot flashes, cold
sweats, mood swings, memory loss, uncontrolled rage, uncontrolled
bladders, irritability, and what menopause means to sexuality. And yet
people are laughing! The Lion Sleeps Tonight alone is worth the price
of admission, both in terms of the power of the music and the hilarious
lyrics.
The pace is fast and furious. The set is simple – a
department store backdrop that serves as various floors in the store
and as the all-important washroom. The direction is spartan –
these women belt out songs with simple but effective choreography.
For women going through menopause and for women who have gone through
menopause – and there is no denying that the audience skews
to women of perimenopause age and older – and for their
confused spouses and partners, Menopause Out Loud! is a cathartic
experience. If you have to go through it, or are with someone going
through it, you might as well find ways to laugh about it, even if it
doesn’t feel like a laughing matter. And Menopause Out Loud!
finds the humour in it.
There is one thing the musical does not do. It does not address the
confusion surrounding the various treatments for menopause or the way
the western medicine treats it as a disease that must be treated. On
the other hand, it does not try to hide the symptoms either. In that
way, it was refreshing to see four women saying, “This is who
we are, this is what is happening to our bodies, and we ain’t
going to be silent about it, girlfriend!”
Produced by Tony award-winning GFour Productions, this hit has been
playing Off Broadway for over three years and continues to sell out in
Orlando, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Indianapolis,
Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Ft.
Lauderdale. The show opened recently in St. Louis and is playing to
sold-out audiences at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Ticket Information: Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster
outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling (416) 872-1111.
Tickets are $49.95 (+GST).
Evening performances Wednesday to Saturday are at 8:00 pm and Sunday at
5:30 pm. Matinee performances are on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at
2:00 pm. Happy Hot Flash Hour is from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Wednesdays
to Saturdays, featuring complimentary hors d’oeuvres and
themed drinks such as EstroGin & Tonic, Meno-Shots, Mood-Swing
Martinis and I’m So Whiney Spritzers.
Discounts are available for Girls Night Out groups of 10+ people. For
groups of 15 or more call Group Sales at (416) 438-5559 for special
offers.
The Capitol Theatre is located in mid-town Toronto, 2492 Yonge St, (two
stop lights north of Eglinton Ave). Parking is available behind the
theatre.
For more information visit www.menopauseoutloud.com.
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