Review: Springhouse Theatre's THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES

How wonderful is it that a song can usher in all sorts of memories - perhaps of your first kiss, driving in a car along a dusty country road, or of people once-loved, still-loved, who are no longer a part of your life - to flood your mind, fill your heart and to transport you, as if by magic, to some earlier time? I love that feeling, which we in the theater are subject to far more often than regular folk, thanks to the music that underscores our dramatic lives and which allows everyone onstage, offstage, backstage - in whatever stage of life - to indulge in the play of "make believe."

What with the shocking news of brutality against humankind that now pervades our world, sometimes a piece of music can whisk us away to a simpler, far kinder and more gentle time and place (although, truth be told, there were still more monsters in the world even when boys were expelled from schools for smoking behind the girls' gym, candy-colored dresses billowed out over voluminous crinolines and decorating for the school prom seemed as far away from the 21st century as the asteroid that rendered dinosaurs extinct). Thus, the unprepossessing and rather quaint musical revue - Roger Bean's The Marvelous Wonderettes - may be the perfect antidote to the troubles of the world (ahh! I am caught up in a memory of Mahalia Jackson singing in the Douglas Sirk-directed Imitation of Life in another example of serendipitous timing), a prescription I can readily endorse after having my spirits lifted with such good-natured exuberance by the four women cast in Springhouse Theatre Company's rendition of the popular comic revue which has but two more performances before it is shuttered.

Thus, my advice to you is this: Hop on I-24 (eastbound, gentle readers) and head on down to Smyrna's Springhouse Church, where senior pastor Ronnie Meek and company have created a warm and welcoming home for dramatic classics and musical memories. Directed by Catherine Birdsong, The Marvelous Wonderettes is a wonderful trip down memory lane (to indulge in yet another cliché of the musical theater variety) that features a cadre of impressive actresses, each woman singing her heart out while emoting with just the right amount of consistency and verve to create a make-believe world that's far too long gone.

Kind of silly, and rather slight, Bean's book focuses on four friends at two very important times in their lives: their senior prom in 1958 and their tenth year reunion in 1968. Admittedly, their problems are of the stereotypical sitcom variety, but when presented by the four powerhouse vocalists at Springhouse Theatre, you can easily allow yourself to be completely caught up in the musical theater master class they deliver in a scant two hours' time.

Utilizing the time-honored tradition of stories focused on four young women - authors Rona Jaffe (The Best of Everything and Class Reunion) and Mary McCarthy (The Group) immediately come to mind - to tell a universal fable of changing social mores and the growing role of females in a male-dominated society, Bean strings together a confectionary tale of cootie catchers and flaming batons, broken hearts and secret crushes. Fantastic though that may sound, it works to grand and entertaining effect in the intimate confines of Springhouse's black box theater, allowing audiences to feel a part of the onstage theatrics and ensuring a tuneful trip back in time that leaves you humming along and begging for more. Bean created the revue for production in a black box theater space, thus the Springhouse rendition works exceptionally well with its postage stamp-sized stage and up-close-and-personal seating.

Birdsong, who plays Cindy Lou of The Marvelous Wonderettes, the four-person songleading squad at fictional Springfield High School, is joined onstage for the festivities by Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva (Betty Jean), Darci Wantiez (Missy) and Stephanie Jones-Benton (Suzy). The four, best friends naturally and rivals for every high school honor and superlative possible, blend their voices seamlessly to perform the show's score of unforgettable hit songs with passion and stage presence.

Each of the women is impeccably cast in her role. Birdsong's Cindy Lou is confident and pretty, as sure of her place in the high school royalty as she is that her pink ensembles show off her red hair to perfection. Whitcomb-Oliva's BJ is the self-effacing cut-up who can steal every scene if she wants, but instead walks a very fine line to refrain from over-shadowing her pals with her fierce persona and earth-shattering belting. Wantiez plays Missy as a tender-hearted, artsy-craftsy and somewhat shy and retiring, giving us a view of her inner self when she blows our socks off with song. And finally, Jones-Benton delivers a deft comedic performance that seems surprisingly refreshing and free from stagey artifice.

The onstage chemistry of the four powerhouses - each woman is a superb actress and singer in her own right - is particularly noteworthy and ensures that no one walks away unfulfilled from this exquisitely crafted jewel box of tunes.

Birdsong's direction ensures that the production moves smoothly, at a wonderful pace that never lags. Each of the songs is wonderfully - even memorably - performed, giving audiences a veritable musical buffet that seems unending (it's as if the groaning boards at those huge hotel Sunday brunch buffets are filled to overflowing with musical leitmotifs instead of miniature quiches).

The McGuire Sisters' (oh, how I love Phyllis and her siblings!) "Sincerely" and "Sugartime" are gorgeously, even sumptuously, performed...but that's just the cherry on the top of the sundae that is The Marvelous Wonderettes (oh, and there's fudge for sale at the interval)...you'll also hear Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me," Ellie Greenwich's "Leader of the Pack" and "Maybe I Know"...all of which chart the course of American womanhood in the 1950s and 1960s. Then there's "Teacher's Pet," "Wedding Bell Blues," "Stupid Cupid," "Secret Love," "Rescue Me" and "Respect." Such an embarrassment of nostalgic and sentimental musical riches that you may feel as if you've just ripped the top off a box of the most delicious chocolates you have encountered.

• The Marvelous Wonderettes. Written and created by Roger Bean. Directed and choreographed by Catherine Birdsong. Presented by Springhouse Theatre Company, Smyrna. Through November 15. For details, go to www.springhousetheatre.com. Running time: one hour, 45 minutes (with one 15-minute intermission...with fudge!)

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