By Linne Marsh
The St. George Musical Theater delights with their production of The Marvelous Wonderettes at the Historic Opera House. It’s everything that community theater should be: humorous, entertaining, and a chance to forget the real world for just a moment. What a fun show!
After the prom’s original plan for music performers falls through, song leaders Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy are asked to entertain the crowd. They certainly deliver with a toe-tapping set of songs from the 50s and 60s. The quartet sings melodious harmony as they weave a tale that draws you back in time to their high school prom. The audience becomes a member of the show as they’re asked to vote for prom queen and are actively engaged by the actresses.
The music is the driving force of the show. Musical Director Taylor Williams had a stroke of genius in having the music performed by a live band. It makes the atmosphere of being at a dance more believable and lends a rich quality to the songs being showcased. The quartet of women sing hits like “Dream Lover”, “Stupid Cupid”, “It’s My Party”, and “It’s in His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)”. If only for a couple hours, the cast of this production draws you into their world and helps you enjoy a night of music woven with a tale of four women’s lives.
Megan Williams (Missy), Emily Forsyth (Betty Jean), Olivia Mccune (Suzy), and Mandee Rodgers (Cindy Lou) each bring their characters to life with quirky behaviors and humor that keeps the audience engrossed in the story, but the acting is second to the songs they sing. Mccune has an impressive voice that breathes life and feeling into the songs she sings. It is clear that the cast developed a very close relationship during preparation for the show. This genuine friendship comes through in the roles they play.
Praise must be extended to Director Bruce R. Bennett, the blocking was key. I loved how the show ends with a tribute to the way it starts. There are only four characters in the play, so he utilizes movement to keep the audience invested, and audience participation to extend the cast. Also, the characters are well-developed with each actress playing her unique role well.
As a former dancer, I was impressed with Becky Reed’s cute and era appropriate dance moves that pay homage to song leaders in the 50s. The cast executes the dance moves without deterring from the songs they sing. Since this is such a musically driven production, it is vitally important to hear the songs. Unfortunately, the actresses were constantly over shadowed by the live band. It was difficult to hear the performers clearly throughout the production. As this was the second night of the run, I’m sure the technical kinks will be ironed out for future performances.
Set Designer Gary Payne and Scenic Designer Kerry Perry did an excellent job in setting the stage as a high school gym. The high school gym stage with the sparkly streamers and handmade signs are icing on the cake of awkward high school dances. My favorite detail was the high school logo on the “basketball court” floor. It felt very authentic. There is also a tremendous attention to detail with the use of props. The oversized lollipops for the song “Lollipop” were my favorite. Throughout the show every prop has a place and many times they are appropriate to increase the humor of the production.
While this show does not call for multiple costume changes, costumer Wendy Walton places each actress in time appropriate dresses for the 50s and 60s. The actresses start out in adorable 50s prom dresses and move to the 60s baby doll style dresses for the reunion. I was very impressed that the actresses were able to change their dresses, hairstyles, and makeup from the 50s to the 60s during the fifteen-minute intermission. During the second act, the 60s sheer jackets shed their feathers and slipped off the actresses’ shoulders, so the costumes became a minimal distraction.
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The true highlight of the entire show is the amount of audience participation. The cast picked two members of the audience to become impromptu cast members. It was so hilarious to watch the unsuspecting audience members interact with the actresses. The audience members were happy to play their unscripted parts, and it resulted in increasingly humorous elements of the play.
If you’re looking to be entertained by the melodic hits of the 50s and 60s, get your tickets for St. George Musical Theater’s The Marvelous Wonderettes. I highly recommend it for a humorous and entertaining evening.
St. George Musical Theater, Historic St. George Opera House, 212 N Main St, St. George, UT 84770October 4–November 3, 2018 Monday, Thursday-Saturday 7:30 PM
Tickets: $17- $21
Contact: 1-866-967-8167
St. George Musical Theater Facebook Page
The Marvelous Wonderettes Facebook Event
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