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The word "addiction" rarely brings good things to mind--and almost never is it used in conjunction with words such as "good" or "wholesome." Unless you talk with Karen Lightner, that is. "Yes," laughed this Denver working mother, "I think you can accurately describe me as an addict." Lightner continued, "I’m addicted to Menopause The Musical. I’ve seen the show six times during its first year and will surely see it again!"
The fact that the show offers what Lightner describes as "good, wholesome entertainment," is just one of the many reasons Menopause The Musical has inspired a truly devoted group of fans. There’s also the fact that it’s a very light-hearted opportunity for female bonding, and the fact that nearly everyone who attends the show leaves the theater with tears of laughter streaming down their faces. As Debbie Brown, a Denverarea administrative professional said, "I’ve seen this show four times. It’s just so refreshing to share a good laugh whether it’s with friends, colleagues, or family."
On a deeper level, Menopause The Musical opens up the door to discussions about the often hidden changes women experience during mid-life and provides women with a positive view of those changes, which is exactly what writer/producer Jeanie Linders set out to do when she sat down to write the play. "I guess you’d say it was a searing hot flash and a bottle of wine that inspired me to create this celebration of a life passage that launches women into an exciting new phase of their lives," says Linders. | |
Now beginning its second year in Denver, Menopause The Musical is a proven theatrical success. More than 110,000 people have seen the show, which begins with four women at a NYC Bloomingdale's lingerie sale with nothing in common but a black lace bra, memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, chocolate binges, not enough sex, too much sex, and more. This musical parody is set to 28 "relyricized" classic baby-boomer songs that remind audiences this is not "The Silent Passage" anymore. "I Heard It through the Grapevine (You'll No Longer See 39)" and the disco favorite, "Stayin' Awake," are hilariously performed to the delight of enthusiastic women … and men.
Just like any addiction, Menopause The Musical causes its devotees to do truly strange things. Several fans reported dancing and singing to the show’s songs at the office coffee bar in front of bemused male counterparts. Deborah Kershaw, a senior account executive for KOSI radio has seen the show eight times--and loved each and every performance. "I’m sure some of my friends think I’m a little strange, but I often sing the lyrics and then start laughing so hard I end up crying," said Kershaw. As for Lightner, she admits to a few episodes of uncharacteristic behavior, too. There’s the time she went barhopping following the show with 10 women--all wearing tiaras. Or the time she laughingly agreed with the man in the car next to her that she was loco as she belted out the lyrics to one of the songs while cruising down I-25 in her convertible. Compared with other addictions, the signs of a Menopause addict are fairly innocuous. And, with laughter as its most common symptom, Menopause The Musical may be the first addiction considered "good and wholesome." |
