Celebrating the power of friendship, the Michigan premiere of Vanities: The Musical, runs through April 13, at Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
With book by Jack Heifner and music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, Vanities: The Musical focuses on the lives of three best friends from a small Texas town. At first blush, a production with ‘vanity’ in the title might seem superficial. However, this musical has depth, which is uncovered through its exploration of the bonds of friendship, giving the audience an intimate view as it ebbs and flows over time and distance.
In the fall of 1963, we meet Joanne (Caroline Moulios, Footloose ensemble), Kathy (Katherine Alexis Thomas), and Mary (Em Hadick, The Spitfire Grill) who are popular high school seniors and cheerleaders.
Kathy is the group’s leader who has every aspect of her life meticulously planned. And there is nothing she can’t create with Kleenex and chicken wire. Joanne is bubbly and naïve. Her main goal is to marry her longtime boyfriend Ted and have an idyllic life in the country raising their perfect family. Mary is bold and brazen, and can’t wait to leave behind her mom and the small town that she feels is stifling her.
This trio does everything together and can’t fathom a time when they are not in each other’s lives (“I Can’t Imagine). Since they have never encountered significant hardships, they have no reason to believe their futures won’t turn out exactly as they imagine. You can only have that wide-eyed optimism at 18 (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”).
Photo courtesy of Sean Carter Photography.
As planned, they all attend the same college in Dallas and are members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. It is the spring of 1968 and graduation is again around the corner. Kathy will graduate with a degree in P.E. with plans to become a teacher, Mary with a degree in Interior Design, with no plans to use it, and Joanne who never wanted a degree somehow managed to get two – one in Music and her MRS.
These characters are no longer the carefree girls we met four years prior and the differences in their personalities are starting to emerge. Especially with Mary (“Fly Into the Future”). Even Kathy’s future is not coming together as she hoped, which leaves her struggling with her identity and purpose (“Cute Boys with Short Haircuts”). Joanne is the only friend not questioning her future and while she tries to understand the changes she sees in her two best friends, she’s still sheltered and convinced everything will work out in their favor. Horizons are expanding and their friendships will be stretched, but will they break?
The summer of 1974 finds the women together in New York City, and while they are still in touch, their differences are even more pronounced. Mary is an erotic art dealer living life on her terms, while Kathy is seeking solace and direction for her life after an unsuccessful stint as a teacher at their old high school. Joanne is living the life she always wanted, but it’s not quite living up to her expectations (“The Same Old Music”). This was a complex time for women. Society still expected them to be wives and mothers like Joanne, but then women like Mary were challenging those expectations and made to feel in the wrong for doing so. This get-together intersperses moments of humor with harsh truths and as the scene ends, we’re left unsure if their friendship can recover. These women don’t want to hurt each other but end up doing so anyway. As Mary says, “We left each other far behind and never noticed we moved on.”(“Friendship Isn’t What It Used to Be”).
Grief has a way of putting what’s important into perspective and reminds us that time is a precious commodity. In the winter of 1990 Joanne, Kathy, and Mary find themselves back where they started – in their small Texas town for a funeral. Now grown with years of life experience under their belts, they have learned what is truly important. It is not having the perfect life or job but having friends who know all of you – the ugly and the beautiful – and still show up by your side when you need them the most.
It is easy to see a bit of yourself or a friend in each of these women. And because all the costume changes are done on stage and in full view of the audience, we get the added benefit of seeing their physical and emotional transformations. The mirrors (vanities) play a dual role in showing the exterior and interior reflection and evolution the women go through. While other characters are mentioned, these three women are the only actors on stage. The believability of their stories rests squarely on their shoulders and the opening night standing ovation indicated they had done a brilliant job in conveying the intricate nuances of female friendship.
Beauty may be skin deep, but this production of Vanities: The Musical has layers of rich, emotional meaning. All while serving as a funny, poignant, and powerful reminder that true friends aren’t easy to come by. As the poet Maya Angelou said, “Friendship takes work. Finding friends, nurturing friendships, scheduling face time, it all takes a tremendous amount of work. But it’s worth it. If you put in the effort, you’ll see the rewards of positive friends who will make your life extraordinary.” This is precisely what Vanities: The Musical celebrates. So, I encourage you to grab your special friend or gal pals and get caught up in this captivating story of sisterhood.
Vanities: The Musical runs 90 minutes with no intermission.
MBT has rated this show for high school age and older.
Vanities: The Musical is directed Travis W. Walter. David Caldwell is the music director and Debbie Williams is the choreographer. Scenic design is by Mia Irwin, with costume design by Karen Kangas-Preston, lighting design by Neil Koivu, and sound design by Brendan Eaton. Brittanie Nichole Sicker is the stage manager, and Stacy White is the assistant stage manager.
David Caldwell also plays keyboards and directs the band, which includes Louis Jones III (drums), Brad Linden (guitar), Jackson Stone (bass), and Ian McEwen (reed).
Tickets range from $39 to $48 and are available by calling the Meadow Brook Theatre box office at 248-377-3300 or going online at www.Ticketmaster.com. Student discounts are available at the box office. Groups of eight or more should call 248-370-3316 for group pricing.
About Sarah Hovis