Just as women’s roles have evolved over the past century, so have the songs which they have sung changed with the times, a fact made melodically clear in Respect: The Girl Em-Powered Musical, a pizzazzy docu-musical just opened at the El Portal Forum Theatre.
Staged and choreographed with sassiness by Tamara Kangas and backed by a nimble trio led by pianist Tom Mustachio, “Respect” uses top-40 songs from the 20th century to limn the expansion (and contraction) of women’s roles inside the home and out.
“Respect” is unadulterated, affirmative fun. Director Hinton Battle keeps the pace lively, the dazzle at a pleasing level and lets each singer have her moments.
RESPECT: A Musical Journey of Women uses Top 40 songs from the past century to document women’s social evolution, vibrantly personalizing what might otherwise be to some an unappealing history lesson.
Instead of operating like a blistering social critique, Respect comes off as a warmhearted, generous and life-affirming piece of entertainment pie.
Looking around the theatre I saw everyone smiling and you will too. This is one of the most uplifting and exhilarating shows I have ever been part of.
Women of a certain age are being celebrated — and doing the celebrating — in a pair of musical revues settling in for long runs on two Broward County stages.
Given the high production value of this show, its talented cast, great music and wildly appreciative mostly female audience, “Respect” has all the earmarks of being another hit on the order of the Gem’s record-breaking “Menopause: The Musical.”
A jukebox musical revue at its finest, Respect strives to tell the tale of the American woman’s journey from 1900 to the present through the Top 40 hits of the times.
