review - THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES - Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre

Sarah Davidson, Sarah Cleeland, Sara Sanderson, and Isabel Julazadeh
photo by Wade Moran

by Julia Bashaw

The Marvelous Wonderettes, the popular jukebox musical that revolves around four high school seniors who are performing at their Senior Prom, is the first musical presented at Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale since they, along with every other theatre in town and across the country, was forced to close down last spring. With over two dozen well-known songs, a very talented cast, and top-notch choreography, along with socially distanced safety measures in place, I felt very comfortable and safe during the entire fun-filled two-hour show.

The story opens on a High School auditorium stage that is decorated in pink lights, school banners, and a table in the corner with a punch bowl. Audiences are instantly transported back in time to a High School Prom that reeks of nostalgia. Four microphones are standing in a row on the stage, with different colored hearts attached to each stand. As the show begins a booming voice announces that it is the 1958 Senior Prom at Springfield High, and to please welcome tonight’s entertainment; The Marvelous Wonderettes.

Four women enter, in a different color dress that matches the heart on their respective microphone. Well done to the costume designer Richard “Mickey” Courtney for this adorable detail. These four women make up the Marvelous Wonderettes; Cindy Lou (Sara Sanderson), Missy (Isabel Julazadeh), Betty Jean (Sarah Cleeland), and Suzy (Sarah Davidson).

All of these women can sing and they are also all extremely talented. The harmonies created by these four women are astounding. Each one of them brings a unique tone and style to the group. Music director John Luke Osorio does a fantastic job bringing out the best qualities of each voice, with the harmonies in “Never Let Me Go” one of the best in the whole show.

They all project and annunciate very well when they sing, though they could slow down and project their dialogue better as at the performance I attended some lines were said too quickly and quietly which caused some jokes to be lost by the audience.

Director and choreographer Molly Lajoie, assisted by dance captain Karis Eliese, created the 50s style choreography in the show and it comes out very synchronized, entertaining, period perfect and not at all cheesy. Lajoie and Eliese put these actresses to work, with barely any moments of downtime from dancing. It is impressive to witness how many different dance steps these actresses had to memorize and how excellently executed they are. Their impressive footwork is something I noticed immediately as it is incredibly intricate yet these actresses move fluidly and in sync together. It was also a joy to experience live theatre again and be reminded of how much dedication people put into their performances.

The Marvelous Wonderettes have great chemistry together. They accomplish moments of great comedy while also showcasing pain and sadness. These four friends have a difficult history that continues to interrupt their performance and their friendship. Betty Jean and Cindy Lou have an unresolved business that Sarah Cleeland and Sara Sanderson enact very well with tension that can be felt by the audience. And the comical moments range from cartwheels performed in high heels to a bubble machine to a tambourine. The show could not be more ridiculous in its antics.

Sara Sanderson, who plays Cindy Lou, is fearsome. Sanderson couldn't be more confident as she commands the stage with every note and dance move. She wears a pink poofy dress and wears a blonde wig, yet you take her seriously for what she is: a high school senior that wants to be Prom Queen. How could audiences not understand that desire we all felt at that young age? Her singing voice is magnificent as is her dancing and acting. Your eyes are instantly drawn to her.

As Missy, Isabel Julazadeh can really hit the high notes. She does not hold back as she belts out songs in her tangerine dress and orange high heels. She executes her lines in a higher-pitched voice accompanied with mannerisms that are so amusing. The character of Missy is slightly controlling but Julazadeh makes these moments iconic with an impeccable delivery of lines, such as when she shouts dance moves out at the girls or reminds them to breathe between song lyrics. It is revealed in the story that Missy has a crush on one of her High School teachers. While that plot point is outdated and a little uncomfortable these days, so there is some awkward tension, Julazadeh does a very good job breaking those moments will some comical relief.

Sarah Cleeland has one of the harder roles to play in this production as poor Betty Jean keeps getting left out of songs and events throughout the night. Audiences also discover that she has some bad blood with Cindy Lou. Playing a character who is constantly being hurt all night is a difficult task but Cleeland succeeds by making Betty Jean have confidence, a sense of humor, and tenacity. She is dressed in a green dress with a bright red wig and exudes comfortability. She really shines in the song “Lipstick On Your Collar” and brings a strong level of energy throughout the entire production. Wig Designer, Sharon Jones, does an excellent job with all of these lady's wigs and hairstyles, and personally, Cleeland’s red wig was my favorite.

Sarah Davidson is a riot as Suzy. Suzy is written as the ‘air-head of the group which Davidson leans into and has a lot of fun. I burst out laughing at her antics several times due to how amusing she proves to be. It is revealed in the show that Suzy is dating Ritchie Stevens who is operating the lights for the Prom that night. Even though he is never seen, he uses the lights to communicate to her throughout the night. It is quite sweet and Davidson produces that genuine high school kind of adoration and giddiness in her blue ball gown dress. Davidson’s first solo song is “Stupid Cupid”. She really comes out of her shell and audiences see how talented she is. It is a gorgeous performance that makes audiences remember that they too were once 18 and in love.  

As good as these four actresses are, the show itself is a little unbalanced. Act one is near perfection but act two, which is set a decade later at their 10-year reunion, is more disjointed. This show was originally written by Roger Bean as a one-act musical, with the second act added later, and perhaps that is why act two seems all over the place, with more songs and less dialogue and the storyline a bit unfocused. None of these issues is the fault of this production or the actresses, but it is the cause of some issues I noticed at the performance I attended. The energy from the cast was significantly decreased in the second act and it took some time for the momentum to come back. There were also some microphone glitches in the second half and a fog machine that was not necessary. Fortunately, the choreography in act two is still incredible and the quality of the singing does not go away.

Something I noticed about returning to theatre in a post-pandemic world is there were occasionally awkward moments that the audience themselves caused. Moments of not knowing when to clap or laugh, silence when the actresses needed a response but the audience response was delayed. I believe it was a combination of a small cast and an audience that hasn’t seen theatre in a year and just doesn’t want to do anything to mess it up. With socially distanced seating that sets the theatre audience limit at only 50% capacity, it is much more difficult for the actresses to pull loud reactions out of the audience because there simply are fewer people. It is something I believe the world will navigate and get used to again and hopefully we will be back to 100% allowable capacity soon.

The Marvelous Wonderettes at Desert Stages Theatre runs until March 28th. CLICK HERE for more information.

Desert Stages is adhering to all local and state safety measures to ensure their audiences feel protected in these unprecedented times. Each audience member is required to wear their face masks during the entire performance to ensure safety and comfortability for everyone. Even the cast on stage wore clear face shields to protect each other and the spectators. The audience seating is spaced out with three seats between every two patrons. And no one is seated either directly in front or behind each patron.