Review: Pioneer Theatre Company's COWGIRLS is Distinctive

Pioneer Theatre Company's revival of COWGIRLS, two decades after it premiered off Broadway, is a strong production of the unique show.

COWGIRLS (conceived by Mary Murfitt, book by Betsy Howie, music and lyrics by Mary Murfitt) begins as the Coghill Trio of classical instrumentalists arrives to play at Hiram Hall in a small Kansas town. Jo, the owner, soon learns that she misheard their name when booking and that the Cowgirl Trio of country performers she expected is not coming after all. The trio decides to band together to change their sound from classical to country so they can play the gig and help Jo save the hall from foreclosure.

If ONCE, MAMMA MIA!, and 9 TO 5 were all thrown together in a blender, you would get a slight approximation of the distinctive qualities of COWGIRLS, although it pre-dates all three and probably is different from anything else you have seen.

The book, filled with feminist tropes, is mostly just a vehicle for the music, but the characters are likeable and well drawn. It has a lot of humor but is also filled with many introspective moments.

The show is packed full of songs that walk a fine line between diegetic and non-diegetic music. The fact that the characters are singing songs to each other is a large part of the storyline, but the songs are usually plot and character driven. This hybrid does not always feel completely organic, but it definitely makes for an interesting ride.

Most successful are the Act I closers "Love's Sorrow" and "Looking For a Miracle," which hew closest to the traditional book musical style. The characters' inner feelings are expertly drawn out in song and nicely interpreted by the performers.

Original cast member Leenya Rideout is a standout as the guarded but generous Jo. Angela Chatelain Avila as Mary Lou, Jessica Bradish as Lee, and Lindsay Zaroogian as Rita dynamically make up the Coghill/Cowgirl Trio. Rounding out the cast are the funny Karis Danish as Mickey and Ashlie Roberson as Mo. The acting on the whole is too over-the-top, but each actor has moments in which she peels back the layers for the audience to understand and care about her character.

Music director Mary Ehlinger (original Rita and musical arranger) does great work ensuring that the show's music is authentic in every sense of the word. She's working with impressive talent, as the cast members not only sing, but also simultaneously play musical instruments (and very well). Some even play a variety of instruments throughout the course of the evening.

In addition to the likeable cast and irreplaceable music director, director Karen Azenberg has assembled a crackerjack design team, including Broadway lighting designer Kirk Bookman and PTC mainstay hair and makeup designer Amanda French.

The scenic designer of the original production, James Noone (LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL on Broadway and HBO), returned to give the show another spin. His set is a true-to-life representation of a Midwestern bar that transports the audience right into the action. It is flat out phenomenal.

The costumes by Tony-nominated designer Gregory Gale (ROCK OF AGES, THE WEDDING SINGER, and URINETOWN on Broadway) feel as authentic to the time and place as the music and set. The bright teal and purple performance costumes worn in the finale are perfect representations of the show: unabashedly '90s, absolutely country, and a whole lot of fun.

COWGIRLS plays through April 9, 2016. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Photo Credit: L-R Angela Chatelain Avila (Mary Lou), Leenya Rideout (Jo), Lindsay Zaroogian (Rita), Jessica Bradish (Lee), Karis Danish (Mickey), and Ashlie Roberson (Mo). Photo by Alexander Weisman.

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