By ANDY WEBSTER
Published: September 17, 2008
At the 1958 senior prom at Springfield High School (“Go, Chipmunks!”), the entertainment is supposed to be the Crooning Crab Cakes, from the glee club, but that group can’t make it because its leader has been suspended for smoking near the girls’ locker room. The boys are replaced by four singers in crinolines, the Marvelous Wonderettes: the earnest, bespectacled Missy (Farah Alvin); the spry, tomboyish Betty Jean (Beth Malone); the radiant, vain Cindy Lou (Victoria Matlock); and the slightly ditsy Suzy (Bets Malone, not related to Beth). It’s just our luck that they step in, because their show is one irresistible jukebox musical.

In “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” at the Westside Theater, the title characters have an act to perform (with songs like “Stupid Cupid” and “Mr. Sandman”), but they have private preoccupations too: Betty Jean and Cindy Lou are best frenemies, vying over a boy. While Cindy Lou preens and expects to be prom queen, Betty Jean, a master of mugging, constantly pulls pranks to puncture her ego. Suzy is besotted with Ritchie, the prom’s lighting guy, and Missy has a crush on Mr. Lee, a teacher. Missy and Suzy may be the less glamorous ones, but when their big numbers arrive, their voices prove the most powerful.

Written and directed by Roger Bean — whose pop-hit packages for the stage include “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” and “The Andrews Brothers” — “Wonderettes” presents a procession of tunes hewing to a female perspective, but of two eras.

The second act takes place at the 10-year reunion, and the singers, in miniskirts and go-go boots, have seen revolutions and evolutions. Cindy Lou, for one, has returned home chastened after a stint in Hollywood. Suzy, pregnant, confronts Ritchie in a rousing medley of “Rescue Me” and “Respect.” The songs sidestep the era’s psychedelic excesses, focusing on the spine and soul of, say, Laura Nyro’s “Wedding Bell Blues” and Dusty Springfield’s classic “Son of a Preacher Man.”

Over all, Michael Carnahan’s sets convey a wholesome ’50s and electric ’60s, as do Bobby Pearce’s costumes. The production enjoyed a long run in Los Angeles, and with good reason. For a certain generation — and all fanciers of the girl-group sound — this is an utter charm bomb.

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” continues in an open-ended run at the Westside Theater, 407 West 43rd Street, Clinton; (212) 239-6200, telecharge.com.

In this image released by the Karpel Group, cast members, from left, Victoria Matlock, Farah Alvin, Bets Malone and Beth Malone are shown in a scene from "The Marvelous Wonderettes," now playing at off-Broadway's Westside Theatre in New York. (AP Photo/the Karpel Group, Carol Rosegg)

By JENNIFER FARRAR
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Posted 14 September 2008

NEW YORK (AP) -- The year is 1958. Four girlfriends are performing as a last-minute substitute entertainment at their high school senior prom.

Their first number is a perky, slightly tentative a capella version of "Mr. Sandman." The girls soon find their confidence, however, as one by one they take the lead in singing popular songs from the '50s.

Soon they're belting out musical numbers like trained professionals--golly, are we still in the Springfield High School gym here? Yes and no, because these Springfield "Chipmunk" Song Leaders are actually singing their hearts out in the charming, fast-paced off-Broadway musical, "The Marvelous Wonderettes," on view at the Westside Theatre.

You won't find a more delightful girl-group than Suzy, Missy, Cindy Lou and Betty Jean, who harmonize beautifully even as they compete good-naturedly to be voted prom queen, the "Marvelous Queen of Your Dreams." A bit of audience involvement is encouraged, so the girls openly wink and flirt with theatergoers in their quest for the queen's tiara.

Swathed in candy-colored chiffon, appliques and sparkling net draped over yards of petticoats, each girl represents an Eisenhower era stereotype. The very talented performers bring some complex, unique qualities to their characters. All of them deliver gleeful performances, complete with beautiful singing and well-honed comic timing.

Earnest Missy (Farah Alvin) acts as impresario, keeping the gals on track. Missy nervously adjusts her cats-eye glasses as she tries to prevent her friends' mostly good-natured antics and romantic rivalries from derailing the show.

Bets Malone, as the adorably spunky Suzy, has a syrupy-sweet singing voice and infectious staccato laugh that endears her daffy, gum-snapping character to the audience.

Tomboyish Betty Jean is played with a cocky, scene-stealing swagger by Beth Malone.

Unlike the other girls, Cindy Lou (exceptionally well-vamped by Victoria Matlock) acts confident and outgoing in her sexuality, yet is insecure enough to try and steal other girls' boyfriends, just like she tries to steal the show--and the prom queen title--from her friends.

The Wonderettes tell the stories of their teenage crushes and romances to lead into and personalize some of the songs. The results are campy in a clever way, often poignant, and highly entertaining.

Created and directed by Roger Bean, the show is an homage to a more innocent time, while subtly conveying the restrictions on women's roles. The fun never stops with Brian Baker's musical arrangements and Janet Miller's hilariously inventive group choreography. Every hand gesture and shoulder bounce is perfectly placed.

Bobby Pearce's bright costumes perfectly capture the times, both for the relatively chaste prom in Act 1, and again when the girls reunite in fishnet tights, white go-go boots and metallic-colored sheaths for their ten-year reunion, in the second act. Older and mostly wiser, the Wonderettes of Act 2 share some tough life lessons they've learned, using the more spirited music of the '60s.

The prom and reunion take place in Michael Carnahan's nicely minimalist gymnasium, draped in typical school-dance crepe paper and laden with school spirit signs, a spirit personified by these irrepressible, bubbly Wonderettes.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Written and directed by Roger Bean, The Marvelous Wonderettes is essentially a revue of hit pop songs of the 1950s and '60s. However, with its heavy doses of witty choreography by Janet Miller, nonstop comic bits, skillfully drawn characterizations, yummy period costumes by Bobby Pearce, and an elaborate set by Michael Carnahan that spills out into the house and lobby, this laugh-a-minute songfest feels more like a full-fledged musical comedy.

Set at a 1958 high school prom and then at the 10-year class reunion, the show proffers riotous parody of the saccharine, goody-goody attitudes of the '50s. An amateur girl group consisting of the class geek (Farah Alvin), a blond airhead (Bets Malone), a tough monkey (Beth Malone), and a stuck-up beauty (Victoria Matlock), the Marvelous Wonderettes perform suggestive, R&B-influenced rock tunes in a completely sexless fashion. Sporting oversized lollipops matching the colors of their dresses, they execute ridiculously inorganic choreographic moves that underline their white-bread rhythmic naiveté.

While the first act, made up of dippy '50s songs, is sidesplitting from beginning to end, the second half, featuring fabulous songs of the '60s, is somewhat less amusing, as the better music proves less easily parodied. The cast makes up for it, however, with its consistently compelling renditions of the great pop-rock classics — including "Respect," "Wedding Bell Blues," and "Son of a Preacher Man" — freshly arranged for this production by Brian William Baker.

Presented by David Elzer, Peter Schneider, and Marvelous NYC at the Westside Theatre (Upstairs), 407 W. 43rd St., NYC. Opened Sept. 14 for an open run. Mon., Tue., and Fri., 8 p.m.; Wed., 3 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 and 7 p.m. (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or www.telecharge.com. Casting by Jay Binder/Jack Bowdan.

http://www.backstage.com/bso/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003849758

There's a really good time to be had at The Marvelous Wonderettes, an infectiously charming homage to the music of the 1950s and 1960s, now making its New York debut at the Westside Theatre, buoyed by the talents of four marvelous women under the savvy direction of Roger Bean.

The show's setting is the gymnasium at Springfield High School (brought to life with an eye for detail and some swell crepe-paper decorations by Michael Carnahan) where four female students are providing the entertainment for their senior prom after "The Crooning Crabcakes," some members of the boys glee club, were barred from appearing because of a smoking infraction by their leader. The girls -- known as "The Marvelous Wonderettes" -- are naturally nervous: they're not only singing at the last minute, they're also all hoping to be voted prom queen.

As the girls entertain -- looking lovely in their luscious taffeta and crinoline confections (courtesy of costume designer Bobby Pearce) that sensible Missy (Farah Alvin) has made for them -- it's difficult for them to always stay focused on the choreography (devised with smartness by Janet Miller). For one thing, there's palpable tension between the statuesque and exceptionally popular Cindy Lou (Victoria Matlock) and tomboy B.J. (Beth Malone). Meanwhile, ditzy Suzy (the similarly named Bets Malone) is aware of some of the friction that exists between her singing chums, but she also manages to remain blissfully oblivious: she's just thrilled every time her guy Richie (who's running the lights) signals his affection for her with blackouts.

The girls' stories -- and their antagonism -- provide a terrifically whimsical backdrop for the real entertainment here: the nearly three dozen tunes culled from the mid-century pop charts. While their early renditions of "Lollipop" and "Mr. Sandman" delight, as things get hairier for the quartet, they group blend together in slightly more emotional ways.

Fortunately, Wonderettes isn't limited to the tight harmonies of girl-group singing. Each actress has more than ample opportunity to shine as a solo performer. Alvin delivers a rendition of "Secret Love" that starts off tentatively but ends powerfully and potently, and her take on "You Don't Own Me" in the second act -- which takes place at the girl's 10th reunion -- reveals the hidden strength behind her otherwise milquetoast façade. Beth Malone starts "It's My Party" with a "Shucks, I can't believe I'm singing this" irony, but ends the classic tearfully, an indication of this tough girl's vulnerability. Although she may talk with a voice that brings to mind one of the Chipmunks -- and she may seem more like a junior high student as she jumps off the risers and sticks her chewing gum on the microphone before singing -- Bets Malone's Suzy is a surprisingly adult creation -- which is proven beyond a doubt when she delivers "Respect" with electrifying gusto. Matlock's take on "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Leader of the Pack" display not only her versatility as a singer, but also reveal the depth of the character's bad-girl side.

Still, even as the girls' stories become more serious in the second half of the show, its light-hearted spirit never fully wanes, and audiences leave beaming -- and humming.

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/15245

By Deirdre Donovan

The Marvelous Wonderettes, l-r: Bets Malone (Suzy); Victoria Matlock (Cindy Lou); Beth Malone (Betty Jean); Farah Alvin (Missy).
(Photo: Carol Rosegg)

After high school I quit my job and left town as fast as I could. I wanted to be a movie star so I moved to Hollywood, California. After a few years I realized I didn't really want to be a movie star, I just wanted to be. . . somebody else. When that finally hit me, I called Mr. Stevenson at the Sweet Shoppe, got my old job back, and came back home. And right here in Springfield was the man who changed my life.-- .— Cindy Lou

It is altogether likely that playgoers who go to the Westside Theatre to see The Marvelous Wonderettes will soon return with a friend--or two--to enjoy another romp through the pop classics of the 50s and beyond. This confection of a show has already shooped-shooped its way through the Milwaukee Rep in 1999 and Los Angeles stages (see Laura Hitchcock's review), captivating all those who can't resist a catchy tune and a winkingly good story.

Consider the story as no more than an excuse to spin out a sweet compendium of songs that can melt anybody within earshot. Roger Bean's long-running hit is essentially a yarn about four singing girls who are having one swell time at their '58 senior prom at Springfield High. Act 2 brings before us the same girl quartet—-but we've fast forwarded to their 10-year reunion. They have gained wisdom and experience amid the grinding traffic of life. It's a simple story but it's that utter simplicity that's the beauty of this show with its sugared array of Eisenhower era songs.

So many musicals suffer from elephantiasis with their posh paraphernalia and special effects. But The Wonderful Wonderettes remains wonderfully small , with nothing fancier than a high school gymnasium, gussied up with banners, streamers, and decorations that shine with local color. Set designer Michael Carnahan seems to have given new meaning to the old saw: less is more. The set is anchored by a large platform up center with steps on each side for the 4 young girls to ascend. There are 4 microphones on stands with heart boxes that work in complete service to the musical comedy and romantic themes of the show.

The opening numbers conveys a pleasant amateurishness. Missy (Farah Alvin), Betty Jean (Beth Malone), Suzy (Bets Malone), Cindy Lou (Victoria Matlock) toy with 50s songs that we have already pre-digested and know by heart— from the gently demanding "Mr. Sandman," to the slurpingly-good "Lollipop," to the groovy "Son of a Preacher Man." Each song seems to come with its own nostalgic magic.

This is an unmistakably American show, with lots of audience participation. The girl quartet is incredibly apt at nudging audience members to join in the fun of prom night. The most conspicuous example comes with the spotlight song "Mr Lee." As the bespectacled Missy delivers her passionate, funny outburst revealing that she's fallen in love with one of the Springfield High teachers, Cindy Lou, Betty Jean and Suzy scour the audience for a flesh-and-blood stand-in. True, the "Mr. Lee" of the moment doesn't have much to do beyond sitting on a stool on stage and listening to his namesake song play out, but the spontaneity of the scene makes it altogether winning. The other sure-fire scene involving the audience is the campaign for the prom queen. Yes, there was a time when women were more likely to campaign for titles like prom queen or Miss Springfield rather than senator or vice-president or president— but one can envision the glass ceiling cracking watching these young girls go, go, go to gain the coveted title of Queen Of Your Dreams.

The acting and singing is uniformly excellent. These triple-threats not only have voices that can cut diamonds, but they also give a shot in the arm to the pop standards that defined the 50's and 60's. Director Roger Bean has kept a generous dose of human juice in the musical. He has somehow managed to convey the idealistic dreams of young girls on the brink of womanhood and then succeeds in turning their pipedreams inside-out with scenarios that suggest real life.

This lighter-than air jukebox musical offers us much more than charming bric-a-brac. It allows us to be backward time-travelers. No doubt the show is targeted to baby-boomers, to that generation whose youth coincided with a certain prosperity in America. Missy, Betty Jean, Suzy, and Cindy Lou may be more caricatures than characters in this fable but we accept them because, in the final count, they are amusing reminders of our own or our mothers' collective consciousness and past — and because they deliver a real and tasty slice of Americana.

A David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Marvelous Dreams presentation of a musical in two acts written and directed by Roger Bean.

Cindy Lou - Kirsten Chandler
Missy - Kim Huber
Betty Jean - Julie Dixon Jackson
Suzy - Bets Malone

The new production of "The Marvelous Wonderettes" at the El Portal Forum Theater is not only an expertly wrought showcase of '50s and '60s pop music, it is also brimming with a quality sometimes lacking in current shows: It's tremendously fun. Writer-director Roger Bean has created an affectionate valentine to the era, replete with charming characters and wry humor, but it's the four excellent performers who make this show shine. The cast -- all musical theater pros -- is exceptional, with lovely voices and terrific comic timing. The show is a delightfully good time.
It's the 1958 Springfield High School senior prom, and the Marvelous Wonderettes are providing the entertainment. Anxious, controlling, yet well-meaning Missy (Kim Huber) tries to keep her cohorts focused on their choreography, with limited success. Suzy (Bets Malone) is distracted by her boyfriend running the light board. She puts the gum she's constantly chewing on the mic when she sings. Cindy Lou (Kirsten Chandler) tries to steal the show, just like she tried to steal Betty Jean's (Julie Dickson Jackson) boyfriend, but the irascible B.J. isn't about to let her get away with either offense.

Jackson is bluntly hilarious as the vengeful B.J., and her tearful rendition of "It's My Party" demonstrates pretty much what that song was made for. Chandler is great as the ambitious Cindy Lou, who tries to project a particularly '50s vision of female stardom, an audio-animatronic picture of frozen cheer. She's even better in the '60s numbers, seemingly channeling Cher, her eyes wide with showbiz emotion, in "Son of a Preacher Man."

Malone is a joy as Suzy, and her Woody Woodpecker laugh is contagious. She's so convincing as the low-key, likable character that when she suddenly revs up and knocks "Respect" out of the park, belting it out with the best of them, it's both an impressive piece of singing and a satisfying turn in Suzy's story. Huber is fantastic as the somewhat repressed Missy, offering a nuanced perf of awkward moments and silent stress overcome by love. Her singing on "My Secret Love" is an astonishing revelation, and her suddenly angry version of "You Don't Own Me" amusingly shows the steel beneath her meek facade.

Janet Miller's choreography is superb, from things as sublimely silly as goofy shoulder thrusts to the ornate collection of moves illustrating the story in "Leader of the Pack." Jeremy Pivnick's lighting captures a multiplicity of moods, and Kurt Boetcher's prom set is detailed and effective.

Sets, Kurt Boetcher; costumes, Sharell Martin; lighting, Jeremy Pivnick; sound, Cricket S. Myers; choreography, Janet Miller; musical direction, Allen Everman II; production stage manager, Pat Loeb. Opened, reviewed Oct. 6, 2006; runs through Nov. 26. Running time: 2 HOURS.

THEATER REVIEW

'The Marvelous Wonderettes' at Laguna Playhouse
The musical still charms with its '50s sensibilities and songs.
By David C. Nichols, Special to The Times

July 16, 2008 As if in response to the midsummer heat, "The Marvelous Wonderettes" returns to captivate us, with an aerated glee that is virtually irresistible. In its splendid new Laguna Playhouse staging, Roger Bean's long-running hit about four singing archetypes at the 1958 senior prom has never felt more marvelous in its audience regard, or more wonderful to its nostalgic core.

The essential contours of this jukebox musical have scarcely changed since its 1999 Milwaukee Rep premiere, the smash 2003 run in Hermosa Beach and nearly two sold-out years at the El Portal Forum Theatre. It still unfolds at Springfield High on prom night, where our title canaries hectically sub as entertainment after a disciplinary debacle involving the Crooning Crabcakes.

Propelled by numerous '50s standards and a paper dream-catcher, the Wonderettes warble, clash and cavort in correlation to their individual personas and varying yens to be prom queen. That conceit, which ends Act 1 on a high, sets up Act 2, as the 10-year class reunion and deliberately pointed '60s chart-toppers serve up surprisingly affecting reversals.

What creator-director Bean and his exemplary forces do in Laguna is refine the populist concept to its zenith. Our first sight of Michael Carnahan's superb set -- a forced-perspective gymnasium complete with water fountains, crepe-papered girders and Springfield Chipmunk banners -- elicits a grin. Jeremy Pivnick lights it with candied expertise, and Cricket Myers' sound design keeps the canned accompaniment from distracting.

Most crucially, just as costumer Bobby Pearce pulls his fabulous designs for the Wonderettes' frocks from Butterick and TV Land, the triple-threat talents who wear them find authentic feeling even when joshing the iconography.

Playing bespectacled Missy, whose secret love provides the most surefire audience-participation device, the ever-amazing Misty Cotton radiates a hysterically enervated Donna Reed aspect that gives way to electrifying vocals. Darcie Roberts dons mantrap Cindy Lou's pumps with subtle assurance, her posing in the hilarious talent competition as droll as her amber-voiced intensity in Act 2 is arresting.

Their energies effortlessly meld with El Portal originators Julie Dixon Jackson and Bets Malone. Jackson imbues cut-up Betty Jean with delightful pugnacity and titanium pipes, while the priceless Malone turns gum-wielding Suzy into an ecstatic Eisenhower-era idealization, Barbara Billingsley on helium.

Seamlessly harmonizing under Brian Baker's musical direction, keenly executing choreographer Janet Miller's ingenious moves, they are sublime. So is this delicious confection. It opens off-Broadway in September -- don't miss your chance to catch a dream before the franchise goes global.

STAGE
Wonderettes' headed to off-Broadway

For its devoted fans, 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' is more than just a musical. Now the beloved '50s revue is on its way to New York.

Wonderettes
(Stefano Paltera / For The Times)

Critics Picks - Stage

By Diane Haithman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Pinkie-swear it's true: "The Marvelous Wonderettes" -- a modest jukebox musical about a high school girl group that has been taking audiences back to 1958 and prom night for more than 10 months at North Hollywood's El Portal Forum Theatre -- will have its first off-Broadway production in the fall.

News that "Wonderettes" is going from NoHo to New York is dreamy enough to make the show's ever-widening circle of fans -- call them the Wonderette-ettes -- just swallow their bubble gum. That group includes Kathy White, 57, of Irvine, who has seen the show "15 or 16 times" since it opened in October, often with friends in tow.

"I have seen a lot of theater, but there is something truly magical about this," White says of watching four powerhouse singers in pastel chiffon shoop-shoop their way through such golden oldies as "Mr. Sandman" and "Dream Lover" in the intimate 95-seat performance space.

"The last time I was there, I saw a guy that was probably 80 years old, grinning his head off, singing along to 'Lollipop,' " White says. "Then there was one time that this older gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Who's the doll in the green?' "

Then there's 71-year-old Steve Jacobson of West Los Angeles, one of the owners of a large maintenance company, who has seen "Wonderettes" five times; has brought, at last count, 84 of his closest friends "and paid for most of them"; and frankly believes you should enjoy this show whether you like it or not.

"I think that this is a show everyone in America should be forced to see," Jacobson says -- from the tone of his voice, only half-joking. "I like plays that do not make me feel like the world is going to hell in a handbasket. They were good times, the Eisenhower years. It's the best show I've ever seen, and I've seen Olivier, Ustinov, Alec Guinness." This astonishing comparison makes one wonder whether Jacobson saw these celebrated actors onstage or just happened to run into them.

Patrick Keller, 42, of Anaheim, has seen the show 10 times and counting. He's also had his photo taken backstage with the "girls" -- twice -- and even showed up one night wearing a T-shirt he'd had made with an image from the show's website. "I love that era; I always say I was born in the wrong year," Keller says.

The success of "Wonderettes," first performed more than eight years ago as a one-act show at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, is music to the ears of the show's author and director, Roger Bean, as well as to producers David Elzer and Peter Schneider.

The show's producers hope that all members of the cast from the El Portal -- Kirsten Chandler, Kim Huber, Julie Dixon Jackson and Bets Malone -- will be moving east to open the show in an off-Broadway theater of about 200 seats, yet-to-be determined, sometime in the fall.

Malone, 35, who plays Suzy, says her involvement with "The Marvelous Wonderettes" dates back to that first one-act performance in Milwaukee in 1998; Malone was also on board when the expanded show came to the Hermosa Beach Playhouse in 2003, before a legal hassle with a potential commercial producer put "Wonderettes" in limbo for several years.

"I think the key to the success of this particular show is the demographic of your average theater ticket buyer -- they went to high school when these girls did," Malone says. "It's a trip down memory lane."

In a sentiment echoed by the show's fans, Malone adds that you don't have to have lived through the '50s to be nostalgic for what the decade represents. "Growing up in the 1970s, I watched '50s-era movies -- for me, it's kind of like living out a little dream of being all those girls that I saw in the movies," Malone says.

Bean has written 10 jukebox musicals commissioned and produced by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. His shows include "Don't Touch That Dial!," "The Andrews Brothers" and "The Winter Wonderettes."

Though not yet born in 1958, Bean, 45, says he was inspired to write the story of this girl group by his mother, Lois, who was a song leader at Lynwood High School in suburban Los Angeles.

Bean has dedicated the show to his mother and borrows an old photo of Lois Bean's singing group to stand for Springfield High's Song Leaders in the program. He also borrows her maiden name for the Springfield High principal, Mr. Varney. Although Lois Bean died three years ago, some of her singing group members have come to the show at the El Portal.

"I always think it was such an innocent time, certainly in musical terms," Bean said in a recent interview in the El Portal lobby, appropriately prom-decorated with crepe paper streamers and red and pink hearts.

"Wonderettes" transports viewers "back to an easier time, before Vietnam, which was a real turning point in America," Bean continued.

He doesn't mind that the show is frequently dubbed "the female 'Forever Plaid,' " a reference to the musical revue about four young male singers killed in a car crash in the 1950s.

"At first, I was really resistant -- I didn't want people to think that in my brain I was saying, 'I'm going to sit down and write a big commercial hit,' " Bean says. "But now, by all means -- it's wonderful to be a success. There are 'Plaidheads' who go to see the show wherever it is."

In New York, the "Wonder- ettes" producers will team with Margaret Cotter, who produced "All Shook Up," the short-lived 2005 Broadway musical using the songs of Elvis Presley, and also has served as producer on the Chicago production of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," a four-character comedy that has been running at New York's Westside Theatre for more than a decade.

"It doesn't pretend to be any more than it sets out to be," says Cotter of "Wonderettes."

"All Shook Up" lasted only eight months on Broadway, but that doesn't deter Cotter.

" 'All Shook Up' came along after the Beach Boys and John Lennon," she says, referring to Broadway's 2005 jukebox disasters "Good Vibrations" and "Lennon." "I think critics were like, 'This is enough.' But this is on a smaller scale; it will be in an off-Broadway theater. If people can be drawn to a little theater in North Hollywood, they can be drawn to a little theater in New York."

If public demand keeps the show running in North Hollywood through the fall, a replacement cast will take over at the El Portal. Originally scheduled to close in December, "Wonderettes" has most recently been extended through Aug. 26.

Bean doesn't mind that he's found his niche with frothy jukebox fare.

"It's silly and light, but it's about love; the show is about love and memories," Bean says. "That's very emotional for a lot of people."

diane.haithman@latimes.com

http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/cl-et-wonderettes31jul31,0,7937971.story?coll=cl-stage

NEW YORK PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 25, 2008

Press contact: Adam Bricault/Bridget Klapinski (212) 505-2900 / abricault@thekarpelgroup.com                                                                                                                                                 

THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES

WRITTEN & DIRECTED

BY ROGER BEAN

SLATED FOR OPEN-ENDED

OFF-BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT

PERFORMANCES BEGIN TUESDAY, AUGUST 26

OFFICIAL OPENING NIGHT IS SET FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

WESTSIDE THEATRE

(407 WEST 43^RD STREET)

Direct from an 8-week special limited engagement at Laguna Playhouse (beginning July 8, 2008) and a record-setting 19 month run at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, The Marvelous Wonderettes lands at Off-Broadway’s Westside Theatre, with performances beginning on Tuesday, August 26.  Written and directed by Roger Bean, The Marvelous Wonderettes will have an Official Opening Night on Sunday, September 14.

A cotton-candy colored non-stop pop musical, The Marvelous Wonderettes features the iconic sounds of the fifties and sixties in a journey back to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where the Wonderettes - Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy - are four young girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts.  Brimming with such classic hits as “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” “It’s My Party” and “It’s In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song),” The Marvelous Wonderettes is a high-octane musical blast from the past.     

Writer/director Roger Bean has written several musicals originally created for and produced by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.  Route 66, Honky Tonk Laundry, Why Do Fools Fall In Love? and The Andrews Brothers have also been produced in numerous theatres across the country (Musical Theatre West, Delaware Theatre Company, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Phoenix Theatre).

The Marvelous Wonderettes will feature Set Design by Mike Carnahan, Costume and Wig Design by Bobby Pearce (Broadway’s Taboo), Lighting Design by Jeremy Pivnick, Sound Design by Cricket S. Myers, Musical Direction by Brian William Baker and Choreography by Janet Miller.

This production is presented by David Elzer (Jewtopia, The Laramie Project), Peter Schneider (The Lion King, Sister Act: The Musical) and Marvelous Dreams, NYC.  

The Marvelous Wonderettes earned an Ovation Award (Best Musical in an Intimate Theatre) and LADCC Awards for Best Choreography and Ensemble in its run at Los Angeles’ El Portal Theatre.

The Marvelous Wonderettes will play as follows at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43^rd Street): Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 7:00 PM, with matinee performances on Wednesday at 2:00 PM and Saturday & Sunday at 3:00 PM.  Tickets are available through Telecharge at www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200.  Tickets are $75.00, with a limited number of $25.00 Student Rush tickets available at the box office 1 hour prior to show.  A limited number of premium tickets are also available at $125.00.  For more information, please visit www.MarvelousWonderettes.com.

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