Wednesday, January 13, 2010
El Portal Theatre Readies Broads! The Musical
Get ready to meet the “broads” of Millennium Manor. Broadway veterans Ivonne Coll (Tony-nominated Chronicle of Death Foretold), June Gable (Tony nominee for Candide), Leslie Easterbrook (original Broadway production of California Suite), and Barbara Niles (Jesus Christ Superstar) are four ladies of “a certain age” in a sparkling new musical with book by Jennie Fahn and toe-tapping music and lyrics by Joe Symon.
Directed by Jules Aaron and choreographed by Kay Cole, Broads! The Musical opens on February 19 at the El Portal Forum Theatre in North Hollywood, with four low-priced, “Early Bird” previews February 13-18.
Elaine and Myra are sisters residing at Millennium Manor Retirement Village in South Florida, where they team up with fellow seniors Louise and Nilda to put on an annual variety show in the clubhouse. When Louise delivers some unexpected news right in the middle of their act, the performance begins to unravel and the ladies have to scramble to pull themselves together - with hilarious, poignant, and tuneful results.
“Broads! began as an ode to my grandmother,” says Fahn. “She lived in a retirement community, but she was the life of the party. I wanted to show the vitality that these ladies share, and the importance of their relationships to one another.”
“Bringing these funny and touching women to life has been a labor of love,” adds director Jules Aaron. “The story of two Jewish sisters from New York and their middle-American and Puerto Rican friends (Coll is a former Miss Puerto Rico) really took off as we developed their club act and backstage relationships. The songs are delightful and fun.”
For reservations and information, call 818-508-4200 or go to www.broadsthemusical.com/.
