The Story
Menopause The Musical starts with four women meeting at a lingerie shop. Among them the first is an ambitious headstrong woman, the second a submissive housewife, another is a ‘hippie type’ earth mother and the fourth one is an aging soap star threatened of being replaced by a younger actress. Belonging to diverse backgrounds, these women have only one thing in common - menopause.
The Premiere
The musical made its debut on the 28th of March, 2001, in Orlando, Florida. The original cast of the show consisted of Shelly Browne who played the character of Power (later changed to Professional), Patti McGuire as Iowa Housewife, Pammie O’Bannon as the Earth Mother and Wesley Williams as the Soap Star. The original production was directed by Kathleen Lindsey.
Popularity and Subsequent Productions
With the massive success of the debut show, a number of productions took up the script of Jeanie Linders to stage numerous shows across the country. Over the following years, the musical was performed in cities including Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Las Vegas, Denver and Los Angeles.
In a matter of few years, Menopause The Musical met international success with shows held in United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Canada, South Africa, Israel, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia. The names, references of characters and places are customized according to the location of the production. For example, the ‘Iowa Housewife’ was dubbed as ‘Dubbo Housewife’ when staged in Australia. Similarly, America’s ‘Bloomingdale’ was changed to ‘Marks & Spencer’ for the event held in London.
The New Production
Enjoying a fan following of almost eleven million in around fifteen countries, Menopause The Musical has come a full circle with its next show scheduled to take place at the Atrium Showroom of Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. The play features parodies of twenty five hit tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s eras. The team comprises of director Kathryn Conte, choreographer Patty Bender and the music director Alan Plado.
It’s time for some female bonding and a lighthearted celebration of womanhood. Men are also encouraged to watch and enjoy the funny aspects of the theme, especially if they are looking for some answers. The show provides an opportunity to the adult audience to share, laugh over and celebrate a crucial phase in a woman’s life.