By Dale King
Waist Watchers, the Musical is a delightful bit of tune-filled satiric comedy that pokes good-natured fun at women as they try to stave off the rigors of aging, weight gain, the loss of sexual appeal and other foibles of advancing years. The show that’s been bouncing around South Florida for some time is now playing at Broward Stage Door Theatre in Margate.
The production premiered in October 2007 at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre under the name Food Fight! A Musical Comedy for Waist Watchers. It has since morphed into something pointed more specifically at the concerns of women who have a little extra meat with their motion.
Written by Alan Jacobson, with musical arrangements by Vic Glazer, WWTM strongly resembles other song-strewn compilations built around a central theme — like Menopause, the Musical and Cougar, the Musical.
Unlike the writers of some other vocal anthologies that come up short in the delivery of chuckles and song choices, Jacobson raises the bar by selecting well-known Broadway tunes, pop songs and even Motown entries as grist for his parodies.
So, “The World’s Greatest Ice Cream” is sung to the tune of “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha; “Viagra” follows the melody of “Maria” from West Side Story and “If I Were a Size 2” piggybacks on “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof. The Motor City favorite, “I Heard It through the Grapevine” becomes “I Went to the Buffet Line.”
Four performers with lengthy résumés, excellent vocal talents and lots of gusto keep this energetic show moving.
Set at Miss Cook’s Women’s Gym, WWTM tells of three women ostensibly interested in losing weight and shaping up. But as the show progresses, we find they are also there for some herbal tea and sympathy.
Miss Cook (Katie Angell Thomas), who may appear to be an aerobics queen, secretly desires younger men and Hershey chocolate bars — not necessarily in that order. She leads three weight-loss hopefuls — Cindy (Shenise Nunez), Connie (Angela Thomas) and Cheryl (Stephanie Genovese), through their paces while they talk frankly about related issues — the men in the lives, mainly, and the desire to rid themselves of cellular surplusage.
The show starts off with “I Hope I Lose It” (to the tune of “I Hope I Get It” from A Chorus Line), and continues with lots of catchy tunes, many clever, a few groan-worthy. It’s something of a coincidence that Nunez shows up here because she was one of the leads in Broward’s recent production of A Chorus Line.
Director-choreographer Dan Kelley trots out some unusual set pieces to accompany the songs. He uses large exercise balls for “Big Balls are a Girl’s Best Friend” (sung to “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.”) The girls and Miss Cook sing “Twisted Harmony” (to “Unchained Melody”) while trying to do yoga and Genovese leads the quartet in “If I Had a Bagel” (to “If I Had a Hammer.”)
Each performer gets a chance to display her sparkling voice. Angell Thomas, who portrayed Lily in Cougar, the Musical, encores that characterization. She sings “I’m a Cougar” (to “I am Woman”), keeps checking her phone for messages from guys and secretly consumes a Hershey bar with orgasmic glee.
Genovese faithfully portrays a geek-ish character who learns she’s pregnant and celebrates by singing “A Baby, A Baby” to the tune of Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again.” She joins Genovese and Angela Thomas portraying characters who fret about relationships with their husbands.
Angela Thomas notches a couple of outstanding tunes, including a near Streisand-quality rendition of “I’m Fat and I’m OK,” sung to “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and “Look at Me, I’m Rachael Ray” (to “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” from Grease.)
Packing a stellar voice, Genovese comes to Broward fresh from portraying Sophie Tucker in Sophie, Totie and Belle at Delray Square Performing Arts Center.
The quartet cracks up the audience with “Botox Queen” (to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”) and also offers “I’m Getting Older,” a send-up of a rarely parodied song, the Monkees’ “I’m a Believer.”
The show virtually flies by as it delivers two dozen songs in about 90 minutes. Dave Nagy, who makes the keyboard come alive, adds a delightful touch to the show. Live music is always better than canned.
There’s no intermission, so proceed accordingly.
Waist Watchers: The Musical is playing through Sept. 6 at the Broward Stage Door Theatre, 8036 W. Sample Road, Margate. For tickets, call 954-344-7765.