A hot flash and a bottle of wine inspired Jeanie Linders to create her menstrual masterpiece Menopause the Musical, and the empowering performance will be making a stop in Columbus during its national tour.
The production will be held at the Southern Theatre from Jan. 22-27.
Set in Bloomingdales during a half-off lingerie sale, Menopause the Musical follows a vegan hippie (Ingrid Cole), a prudish Iowa housewife (Katie Ann Harper), an aggressive power executive (Cynthia Jones) and an aging soap star (Satomi Hofman) as they bond over hot flashes, memory loss, mood swings, lack of sex and eating binges to the tunes of popular ‘60s and ‘70s songs.
“The show is so popular with women because they see themselves on the stage,” says Jones. “Menopause has always been a taboo subject, but now it’s right there in your face. You see other women around you relating, and suddenly you’re not alone in your misery.”
Jeanie Linders wrote the 90-minute musical which includes 25 tunes with original lyrics that highlight the humor of menopause alongside the characters middle-aged angst. The Lion Sleeps Tonight is transformed into In the guest room, or on the sofa, my husband sleeps tonight; California Girls becomes I wish we all could be sane and normal girls and Puff the Magic Dragon transfoms into the workout ode Puff, my god, I’m draggin.
Menopause The Musical opened in a 76-seat perfume-shop-turned-theatre in Orlando, Fla. in March 2001. Since its debut, more than nine million women in 11 countries (and some unsuspecting men) have convened to experience “The Change” through songs and laughter.
“Men love this show,” Jones says. “They might not want to be there at first, but after the second or third song, they’re poking their wives saying ‘That’s you, That’s you, ha ha ha.’ They have more fun than the women in most cases.”
Performed for 90 minutes with no intermission, Menopause the Musical can be seen at the Southern Theatre Jan 22-27. Tickets are $45 and are available online at www.broadwayacrossamerica.com, www.ticketmaster.com and by calling 614-431-3600.