‘Wonderettes’ A Musical Trip

It’s funny how people − and music − can change in 10 years.

Theatre Palisades’ production of “The Marvelous Wonderettes” reminds us all of that and won’t let audience members leave without a tune or two playing in their heads. The smash off-Broadway musical written and created by Roger Bean opened Friday night at Pierson Playhouse and cleverly interweaves the characters’ backstories with over 30 of the most popular hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s.

At the 1958 Springfield High School senior prom four high school girls who have formed a singing group called “The Marvelous Wonderettes” are called on to replace a boys group known as “The Crooning Crabcakes,” whose lead singer was suspended from school for smoking behind the girls’ locker room.

In Act I Springfield’s trophy-winning varsity song leaders (“Go Chipmunks!”), Betty Jean (Kana Koinuma), Missy (Amanda Leigh Kraft), Suzy (Lauren Gaw) and Cindy Lou (Michelle Zelina), take turns dedicating a song to their own “dream lover” but numerous squabbles ensue after Cindy Lou steals Betty Jean’s solo “Allegheny Moon.” They harmonize such classics as “Mr. Sandman,” “Lollipop,” “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Teacher’s Pet” and “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight.”

Act II takes place in 1968 at the 10-year class reunion. The girls have gone their separate ways since graduation (one has even gotten married) but reunite on the gymnasium stage for another round of fun and entertainment, highlighted by pop classics like “Heat Wave,” “It’s in His Kiss,” “I Only Want to Be with You,” “It’s My Party,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” “Leader of the Pack,” “Rescue Me,” and “Respect.”

Koinuma, a former Palisadian, is memorable as the sassy Betty Jean. She played Marcy Park in Theatre Palisades’ production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Leigh Kraft sparkles in her Theater Palisades debut as the shy but witty Missy, Gaw is adorable in her portrayal of girl-next-door Suzy and Zelina delivers several vocal delights as the attention-seeker Cindy Lou.

Directed by Lewis Hauser, the show moves at a fast pace and the transition from song to song flows naturally with a quirky face or sarcastic one-liner. Music Director Brian Murphy, who began at Theatre Palisades nine years ago with “Baby” and continued with “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” “They’re Playing Our Song,” “Spelling Bee” and others complements the excellent choreography of Theatre Palisades mainstay Victoria Miller.

Joining Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Arnie Wishnick as Executive Producer for this production is his buddy, actor Steve Guttenberg, who served as the Palisades’ Honorary Mayor from 2002-06. Longtime Theatre Palisades member Shirley Churgin co-produces with Martha Hunter (whose favorite roles at Theatre Palisades were in “Moon Over Buffalo,” “Glass Menagerie” and “The Foreigner”) and Maria O’Connor (who played Suzette in “Don’t Dress for Dinner” earlier this season). VP of Production Sherman Wayne handled set and lighting design.

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” takes you on a musical trip down memory lane that you don’t want to miss.

Show times are 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday through December 14.