BWW Reviews: DIVORCE PARTY THE MUSICAL - The Hilarious Journey to Hell and Back

The West Coast premiere of DIVORCE PARTY THE MUSICAL continues at the El Portal Theatre through April 14. Whether you have been through a divorce or not, I guarantee you will be swept into the fun created onstage by the very talented cast of five.

"Don't get mad - get everything!" is the mantra for this Hilarious Journey to Hell and Back from Broadway and professional theater producer Mark Schwartz (MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL) who teamed up with Dr. Amy Botwinick, author of Congratulations on Your Divorce -The Road to Finding Your Happily Ever After, to create this riotous new production, which features direction, lyrics and choreography by Jay Falzone (SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL, COOKING WITH THE CALAMARI SISTERS).

"Today 50% of first marriages end in divorce, and 60% of second marriages end in divorce. So, half of everyone who has ever been married has gone through a divorce - and the other half experiences it indirectly through friends or family. We have ceremonies and celebrations for many things: weddings, bar mitzvahs, funerals, etc. Divorce parties are a growing, global trend," says Dr. Botwinick, who uses her own divorce experience as a way to help empower other women. "They are an important ritual that helps people move powerfully forward with their lives."

Whether you are newly divorced, on the brink, or happily remarried, DIVORCE PARTY THE MUSICAL promises a night of laughter and solidarity for all. The story centers on Linda (multi-talented Janna Cardia), who is still reeling from the collapse of her marriage to Steven after discovering he is gay. She is attempting to deal with packing up her home when all she wants to do is have another bowl of Chubby Hubby ice cream.

Coming to Linda's rescue in the nick of time are her sister Carolyn (the show's dance captain Mary Jayne Waddell) who celebrates her "I'm a Cougar Watch me Roar" new lifestyle with a much younger man, her cousin Courtney (the stunning Samara Dunn), who woke up after her fourth divorce and smelled the Melissa Ethredge, and friend Sheila (the soulful Soara-Joye Ross) who is dealing with a marriage on the rocks, along with a massage therapist/pizza delivery boy/make-over guru/yoga instructor/and others (all played by quick change artist Scott Ahearn). They all decide to help Linda move on to a new beginning by throwing her the mother of all divorce parties.

And what would a party be without dance music? Using familiar popular songs and Broadway show tunes with clever new lyrics, coupled with a good dose of comic mayhem (and a touch of "naughty") the girls cut loose on the realities of divorce, long-term relationships and moving on. Aretha Franklin's "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" now is sung as "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and the women attempt to bring Linda up-to-speed in the dating world, including warning her "You Must Groom" (a reference to her body hair) to the tune of The Beach Boys "In My Room." And what woman should be without a BOB - a battery operated boyfriend - in her life? I guarantee their version of "Greased Rabbit" to the tune of "Greased Lightning" is definitely NOT about riding in a car! While I can't repeat most of the new song lyrics, which are definitely much more adult than the originals, trust me you will struggle to contain your laughter so you don't miss anything!

From tap dancing in slippers to yoga poses (with the well-endowed instructor Antonio), hard rocking while playing air broom in their version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to the sparkly, over-the-top "Gay Guys are a Girl's Best Friend," these five actors will grab your heart and lift your spirits with the ultimate message that friendship is the salve to heal all emotional wounds and transformation is the elixir that makes life worth living.

DIVORCE PARTY THE MUSICAL-The Hilarious Journey to Hell...and Back! has its West Coast premiere engagement at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Performances continue through April 14, Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm; and Sundays at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. Tickets starting at $25 are available at elportal.theatre.com, or by calling 1-866-811-4111. For groups of 10 or more please call 818-508-0281.

Photos by Jason Gillman Photography

Janna Cardia, Soara-Joye Ross, Scott Ahearn, Mary Jayne Waddell, Samara Dunn

Scott Ahearn, Mary Jayne Waddell

Samara Dunn, Soara-Joye Ross, Janna Cardia, Mary Jayne Waddell

Soara-Joye Ross, Mary Jayne Waddell, Janna Cardia, Samara Dunn

Mary Jayne Waddell, Soara-Joye Ross, Janna Cardia, Samara Dunn

Soara-Joye Ross, Mary Jayne Waddell, Samara Dunn, Janna Cardia

Janna Cardia, Mary Jayne Waddell, Soara-Joye Ross, Samara Dunn

Samara, Dunn, Soara-Joye Ross, Janna Cardia, Mary Jayne Waddell