Great singing, great dancing, great raucous fun
Kate and I set out to search for great entertainment last Sunday. We were up for fun, followed by great dinner takeout from Adriatic Grill. We found both; the only thing that would have made the afternoon better would be a stop at a used book store. All my sisters and I are Readers; note the capitol R! But we didn’t have an hour or two for that the book browsing would take.
We found the entertainment at Centerstage’s “Girls Night: The Musical”. It was a sweet, silly, musical romp of four friends meeting at a karaoke club to remember their friend Sharon (wearing angle wings) who died at 17. She fell off the back of a Moped, rather a silly end. I was the only one who laughed when she announced it. My first time on one, I fell off a Moped in loose gravel at Ocean Shores. And it wasn’t too long ago. I scraped up my arm and tore my rotator cuff. I laughed out of sympathy.
Sharon (Alicia Mendez), the one who died, opened the show, explaining what was going to happen and why. She had a baby at 16, Candy Rose, who was getting married.
Her friends Liza (Anna Marie Clausen), the chic one, Anita (Hilary Heinz Luthi), the sweet nerd, Carol (Meg McLynn), the vivacious and flamboyant one, and her younger sister Kate (Kate Alden), the little sister who always tagged along and was barely tolerated, gathered to remember Sharon on the 22nd anniversary of her death. It was also a bridal shower for Sharon’s daughter Candy Rose.
The event was raucous with memories, secrets, and confessions to the music of their high school days. The whole evening unfolded with great singing, dancing and audience participation. For instance, they asked us to accompany them with the whoo, whoo, whoos and clapping in time to several songs and to dance m in our seats. It brought great, loud, oftentimes raucous, full throated/belly laughter. No little titters were heard here. We had such a good time.
Carl Ruckdeschel’s costumes perfectly reflected the personalities of the women. Sharon wore white denim jeans and a jacket with sparkly studs with a white t-shirt and tennis shoes. Carol wore a sleeveless, deep v-necked red sequined top and tight (emphasize tight) black Capri pants with scarlet spike-heeled, definitely not go to meeting, shoes. Awkward, quiet Anita wore a red and white horizontal striped knit shirt and a mismatching gaudy, green and orange print skirt. Liza wore a chic purple sleeveless top with very nice draping material and black pants with glittering silver high-wedge shoes. Now, Kate, the younger sister, wore a prim pink and white print dress with a matching soft pink sweater buttoned up to the throat. Her shoes were white Keds and her hair was all skinned back and pinned in a knot at the top of her head.
The props for the bachelorette party included pink feather boas, endless drinks, and a blow-up man doll. You can imagine.
Director Sonya Carter had everyone moving in time and appropriately during the fast-paced production.
It was great fun. In the lobby they were selling the New York cast CD and sparkly, silver plastic tiaras with blinking lights. The cookies were very good and Kate had a “real” Pepsi, her drink of choice. I had a bottle of water. The event was complete.
“Girls Night: The Musical” runs through Thursday, Friday Saturdays until February 8th (also the only matinee), 2015. Go online to centerstagetheatre.com for tickets or call the box office at 253-661-1444. It’s fun, you’ll enjoy it.
