Theatre Review
Winter Wonderettes … Winter's Near, But 4 "Star Gals" Warm Our Hearts With Music, Smiles & Nostalgia
By: Joseph Sirota
Here's a wise Holiday Show wrapped in fine musical fun: Makes you "Feel-Good" by meeting "Life" with a smile"! It will delight your Holiday Spirit & musical taste as FOUR very likable (& even more talented) gals sing, dance & stir our hearts.
Winter Wonderettes is a whimsical musical charmer created (& Directed) by Roger Bean. He handily earns another gold-star in the irresistible string of delightful musical tales of the four-diva gal group- The Marvelous Wonderettes. The magic formula starts with finding 4 terrific Musical-Comedy 'stars' who deliver great showstoppers from the opening curtain to final bows complete with standing ovations from the audience. But there's more "secret formula" than the plentiful grand music numbers. We not only hail the powerhouse songs & dances, we also come to really "LIKE" these down-to-earth Divas' characters, as we discover, even good looks and splendid talent still run into bumps and pot-holes along Life's winding roads.
Though these four friends, gathered again to put on a fun and sparkling Holiday Show, they also exchange their ups-&-downs in their lives since their good ole High School days. Aha! We soon tune in dearly to each one's dreams/loves, & losses/disappointments. We find ourselves not just enjoying their tunes and laughs, but we're deeply rooting for each of these "new friends" touching our lives.
Admirably, the soaring entertaining talents of Sweet Suzy (Bets Malone), Artistic Missy (Misty Cotton), Executive Betty-Jean (Julie Dixon Jackson) and Sexy Cindy-Lou (Shannon Warne) aren't dimmed a bit by the characters' story-challenges. In fact, our peeking-in as they "open-up about having faced their share of let-downs in romance, jobs, families, success, shaky-security, and even the weak economy (personal storms we can all relate to) we find their musical messages become even more powerful, as the songs cleverly bring more "reality" & "feelings" to each of these fine performer's showstoppers. Indeed, author/director, Roger Bean's placing of the 1968 Holiday reunion in their teen-days town center-- Harper's Hardware Store, provides a timely touch of reality, as this once Main-Street Center seems to be wobbling financially (as in a 2013 Cliff-Fall??)
Winter Wonderettes is a true group triumph. Each of the four divas have been leading ladies in musical comedies where they were the central magnetic, romantic star, as well as in other entertainment media. Here, they each have turns in the spotlight to lead their showstoppers-- but in each and every number, the other divas, step into winning harmonizing and rhythm-izing fleshing out each number into a "rich-&-memorable" main musical gem. Because each number is a special one in the show, it’s hard to pick out the best musical numbers of the show's 32 (WOW!) Here are some samples: Mister Santa, Suzy Snowflake, What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, It’s Christmas Time All Over the World, Run Rudolph Run, Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo, This Christmas, Bells Medley, Santa Baby & Winter Wonderland(& more...). Succinctly, this show is packed with jolly, sexy, touching, nostalgic, joyful seasonal musical delights. Yays! also, to Musical Director Brian Baker, Choreographer John Vaughan, along with the large, mucho creative & adept La Mirada backstage team.
Here’s a rare chance to have a warmhearted good time, yet also get your blood-pressure coursing and feet a tapping in response to the sheer energy and joy you’re experiencing.
--The fine, funny, yet nostalgically touching musical comedy / Winter Wonderettes warms The La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd, La Mirada. Schedule: Wed & Thur-7:30PM, Fri- 8:PM, Sat- 2:PM & 8:PM, Sun-2:PM. Closes: Dec 30. Tkts: $20-$70(Ask: Senior, Student, group...etc...discounts). Call: (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310 Online: www.LaMiradaTheatre.com
