BWW Reviews: THE ANGRY HOUSEWIVES Rock the House at Arizona Broadway Theatre

When it comes to consistency and quality in musical performance, Arizona Broadway Theatre stands among the top of the Valley of the Sun's list. Its current production of The Angry Housewives closes its Ninth Season with a rollicking and rolling blast from the past ~ the '80's, that is ~ featuring an outstanding cast of eight accomplished and highly talented actors.

The Angry Housewives, directed by Mace Archer and based on the book by A. M. Collins and Chad Henry's music and lyrics, is a light-hearted entertainment about a quartet of frustrated suburban women who decide to break loose from the chains that restrain them, form a punk rock band, and compete for a modest but much-wanted cash prize at the local hard rock hangout.

Bev (Rori Nogee) is recently widowed and struggling to make ends meet with her Mohawk-haired and high-strung (literally!) son Tim (Conner Morley). Jetta (Molly Lajoie), sporting a name which may portend her future flight from dutiful wife, is married to Larry (Brian Sweis), who has a Neanderthal notion of the role of spouse. Carol (Monica Ban) is a sharp-tongued divorcee whose 35 lbs. gain only adds to her frustration. Wendi (Kathi Osborne) is seeing fisherman Wallace (Greg Kalafatas) whose devotion to laminating fins trumps romance. Clearly, it's time for these gals to break loose!

The show's tempo goes upbeat when the fab four transform from models of civic virtue to heavy metal. It's a sight to behold, particularly when Molly Lajoie, in a sparkling and energetic turn of song and dance, morphs from meek wife to raging rocker, takes to the mike, and hammers out an unforgettable rendition of Corn Flakes.

When the curtain falls on this production on September 28th, ABT's 10th Anniversary Season promises another great lineup of hits, starting with The Producers on October 10th.

Photo credit to Arizona Broadway Theatre.