This show is sexy, fun and fast paced...just like the center of the strip where it plays.
Divorce Party The Musical opened on the strip this spring, and is generating heat with its hilarious
musical parodies and sizzling Las Vegas based cast. After the show I went backstage
for a little divorce party after party
to get to know this delightful and high energy cast a little bit better…and
ended up making five new friends!
Divorce Party The Musical was written by Amy Botwinick, who authored
two books on surviving divorce after she went through a three year “drama trauma”
herself. The show debuted in her home state of Florida, had runs in various cities
and now has a home in Las Vegas at Windows at Ballys.
“When we brought the show here,
because of my knowledge of the Las Vegas talent base, I insisted on an all
local ensemble. With award winning industry
professional Troy Heard as casting director, we were fortunate to find the
family we were able to create.”
- Jennifer Young, Producer
All of the performers do live in
Las Vegas, and the cast is a magical combination. Their five voices are
beautifully matched to the fun and saucy songs and to each other. This musical
includes some spicy, fun and up to the minute lyrics which are tailored
parodies of American standards.
In Divorce Party Las Vegas, Linda, who just embarked on the tumultuous
journey herself, is packing up her life and getting ready to start over, with no
idea how to do it. She is surprised by her big sister Carolyn, her cousin
Courtney, and former college roommate Sheila. These ladies, being a bit more
experienced in marriage, divorce and dating, decide to spend a couple of days
helping Linda to accept her divorce, move on, and embrace her new found single
status, with a divorce party! They hire a
hot masseur to relax Linda, a stylist to give her a fresh look…..in addition to
a few other surprise visitors.
Of the song parodies featured in Divorce Party Las Vegas, two of my
favorite are, Respect, which became D-I-V-O-R-C-E, and My Favorite Things, about the "miracle" of surgical cosmetic
enhancements.
Kelly Ward is Linda, the soon to
be divorcee, who has lost her mojo
after her sixteen year marriage fell apart. Over the course of the weekend, she
is “turned on” to a whole new world of dating and is intrigued as well as
terrified. Kelly has shined in previous Las Vegas productions such as Nunsense and Hairspray.
Jacquelyn Holland-Wright, is the
wise but sassy older sister Carolyn, who is smart enough to know that it will
all pass and her little sister will survive and thrive. Her rendition of I’m A Cougar Hear Me Roar, rocks the
house. Having seen Jacquelyn perform in the past I knew she would bring zest
and sex appeal to the show, and she did. A former lead in Mamma Mia, and EFX previous
to this she originated the role of Jocelyn in Soduko the Musical.
Michelle Johnson is Sheila, Linda’s
former college roommate. Her upbeat version of “Hair,” is comedic yet soulful
and gives the song a whole new meaning. Michelle has performed on Broadway,
national television, and much more. I saw her in a moving jazz performance last
year, and there is no doubt as to why she is referred to as the “Las Vegas’ First
Lady of Jazz.”
“Because this is a fairly new
show, we were able to put a little more of ourselves into the creation of the
characters than in some previous productions we have starred in.” – Robin Berry Vincent
Robin Berry Vincent as Courtney, is
the sexy and high energy cousin who has been divorced multiple times. She is
now experimenting with dating, her sex life and cosmetic surgery, and relishes
living judgement free. Robin has wowed audiences before in Guys and Dolls, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and sultry live jazz
performances.
Jeff Brooks, the one male in the
show, plays various roles with hilarious results! Jeff, the only cast member
not originally a local, recently moved to here from New York. “I got a phone call offering me the part and
I was given two days notice to move to Las Vegas for this show. I had never
even been here before. Living here since January, now I know there is a lot
more to this town than just the strip!“…Jeff’s talents were previously
honed in productions such as Into The
Woods, Chicago and Carousel.
Like many former and current
productions successfully brought to Las Vegas, Divorce Party Las Vegas was trimmed down from its original length of
just over two hours. The show now runs about 80 minutes and is packed with music,
laughter, surprises, and multiple “OMG” moments.
Tim Bennett, Resident Director
was previously the resident director in Las Vegas for the The Lion King, and other several other successful productions
nationwide.
 |
| Michelle Johnson, Kelly Ward, Robin Berry Vincent, Jeff Brooks, Me, & Jacquelyn Holland-Wright, Ballys Windows Showroom |
What makes Divorce Party Las Vegas such a welcome addition to the family of
Las Vegas strip shows is not just the cast, music, and sexy sass, but that everyone
leaves with something. Whether it be a few laughs at a situation in your own life that
you couldn’t see the humor in before, or the thought of calling a friend who
might need a divorce party of their own, it will make you smile (and maybe even hum
a song parody on your way out!)....
Understudies...Zipporah Peddle and Steven Arlen
Creative....The best of the best....Mark Schwartz, Dr. Amy Botwinick, Jay Falzone, Victoria Lang, Jennifer Young, Tim Bennett, Kat Winston, Alec Bart, Roxanne Andrews, Jason Hamblen, Troy Heard, Bradly Vieth, Karen Gibson, and W. Michael Close
Understudies...Zipporah Peddle and Steven Arlen
Creative....The best of the best....Mark Schwartz, Dr. Amy Botwinick, Jay Falzone, Victoria Lang, Jennifer Young, Tim Bennett, Kat Winston, Alec Bart, Roxanne Andrews, Jason Hamblen, Troy Heard, Bradly Vieth, Karen Gibson, and W. Michael Close
For tickets, link below...(Show is on every night at 8 pm but is dark on Fridays) Only on thru 6-19-14!
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