Have you ever experienced brain fog, saggy breasts or hot flashes? If you answered yes to any of those questions, the Luhrs Center was the place for you Friday night as it welcomed the national tour of “Menopause the Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change.’”
The show is exactly what you think it will be based on that title: an absolute riot. The nearly 1,500-seat Luhrs Center was almost sold out, and the vast majority were, perhaps unsurprisingly, middle-aged and elderly women. This audience knew what they had bought tickets for and was ready for a party.
One woman seated in the row behind me at times during the show said, “I’m glad I went to the bathroom before this” and “My cheeks hurt from laughing so much.”
The four-woman cast of Terri Dixon as Iowa Housewife, Valerie Fagan as Earth Mother, Kimberly Ann Harris as Professional Woman and Stacey Harris as Soap Star were just a delight. They shined together in parody numbers like “I Need a Vino” and “Walk Like an Egyptian” and in solos like Dixon’s “I Will Survive” and Ann Harris’ “Memory.” The fact that “I Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore” is not a musical theatre standard is a damn shame.
I am not the one to opine on whether this satirical production about the comfortability and hilarity of menopause was an accurate depiction, as I am a 20-year-old guy who benefits from The Slate’s partnership with the Luhrs Center and spent 90 minutes on a Friday night ignoring all of my stress and having an absolute blast. I was definitely not the only male in the room, but I may have been the only one born in this century.
I cannot end without noting that one of the pieces of merchandise that “The Change” was selling was a t-shirt that said “Oh Ship! It’s a Girls Trip!” I mean, it just does not get much more perfect than that.
“Menopause the Musical 2” is touring the country – including more stops in Pennsylvania – through June, and upcoming shows at the Luhrs Center can be found at luhrscenter.com.
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