Menopause the Musical

An impending doom set to befall every woman born from the 60's onward – and ladies, it's one you can't naturally avoid! But rather than conform to societal skirting of the “change”, one woman decided to challenge it.. The light bulb flickered for Jeanie Linders one evening in 1997, as she stood in front of her fridge parodying Rod Stewart's “Hot Legs” with her own “Hot Flash”. She was due in attendance at an NACCP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) evening starring Jesse Stone, however was unable to prise herself from the cooling effects of her fridge. Her motivation for producing “Menopause The Musical” evolved from the sense of isolation menopausal women experience – with which she identified.

Despite a well-lodged concept, it was three years before “Menopause The Musical” came to fruition. It appears three years in the making paid off, since Linders received a plethora of requests to up-sticks and tour the U.S. Rather than drag the resident revue from it's home at a former perfume shop, Linders expanded her show through her own production company - TOC Productions, with locations from Boston and Chicago, to Detroit and L.A. The original cast included Paige O'Hara (whom voiced “Belle” for Disney's“Beauty and The Beast”), while longtime on/ off Broadway director Kathleen Lindsey shaped the show. Paige O'Hara continues to fulfill the role of “Professional Woman” in Vegas, where the show has been influencing Sin City attitudes since 2005.

The lavish inner sanctum of Luxor Hotel's entertainment section includes the 450-capacity Luxor Theater – a coup of a venue for entertainers, who praise the theaters design for unobstructed audience viewing. “Menopause The Musical” has enjoyed a mainstay at the Luxor since opening in 2005, with prominent headliners such as Criss Angel enhancing the promise of premier entertainment. Although “MTM's” vocally-gifted cast are known for raising the rafters with their live performances, the adjacent 1600-seater theater would prove far less intimate for this “chick theater” show.

Lets face it, with a title like “Menopause The Musical”, Jeanie Linders' Vegas revue openly admits it's geared toward women of a certain age – however, and perhaps a little surprisingly, many men-folk dragged along by their partners seem to enjoy the abstractive comedy, and underlying intention of the plot. Male reviewers concur it has opened their eyes to something which is rarely talked about by women, and wholly misunderstood by men. Hormones it would seem, can be blamed for a lot more than they give women credit for! Or is it just the vocal prowess of four women hitting the BeeGee top-notes of disco parody “Stayin' Awake, Stayin' Awake”?

“Menopause The Musical” is based upon a fictitious tale of four women and the birth of a friendship, owing to a per chance meeting within the lingerie section of New York's prestigious Bloomingdales. As they rifle among provocative styles, the women find common ground, sharing banter that covers everything from hot flushes, to night sweats. The plot might seem a little outdated, given the modern social ignorance, but is proof that such friendships can, and do sometimes flower in such a way! Former flame haired beauty, with the big voice Lisa Mack, is a talent to be reckoned with as “Professional Woman”. With a resume that includes collaborations with music producer Mike Dunn and electronica outfit “Lost Daze”, she holds up perfectly the basal vocal soul required for the “No Longer See 39” parody of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”.
Paige O'Hara injects a jaded sense of sex-appeal as “Soap Star”, feeling as if she's well and truly past her prime now her husband's eyes skim the curves of twenty-something waitresses. Laura Lee O'Connell flanks the twosome with her convincing, yet slightly neurotic New Age hippie character with a maternal instinct that influenced the “Earth Mother” tag. Annette Verdolino provides the sweetness for “Iowa Housewife”; a woman still on the wrong side of the “change” yet bogged by insecurities. Together, the ensemble tackles over 25 parodying hits, with a generous helping of maturer “Sex And The City” humor to break any possible musical monotony.

Impromptu humor could well have killed the original intent of “Menopause The Musical”, however the bond among cast members has evolved natural, in-character responses to the improvisational bits. MTM's cast don't promote themselves as comediennes, however they do promise to tackle the “silent passage” as loudly and humorously possible. Whether or not you've been there, got the t-shirt– you'll know you're not alone once these ladies are done!