(OUTscene NW) Theater RE-view: Before the REAL Housewives, we had the Angry Housewives, Back on Stage at Artswest!

Brunk

by MK Scott

Way back over 30 years ago and before we first heard about DESPERATE Housewives or the REAL Housewives, there was the ANGRY Housewives during time when Housewives meant being a single mom, a submissive wife, single and over the hill and independent, but devoted to their man.

Also this goes way back for me as the Professional Theater scene and I fell in love and has created me lifelong friendships.

This Past weekend, I revisited my beginnings as I saw a little Seattle-bred musical called 'ANGRY Housewives' that was created in 1983 by A.M. Collins and Chad Henry and became Seattle's longest running musical  (6 years) and went from Seattle's Pioneer Square theater to all the way to Off-Broadway in 1986.

The Portland Production in 1984 (Courtesy Don Horn)

"Housewives" was also Portland's Longest running show, 4 years.  I saw it when it traveled from the dirty old Storefront Theatre in Old Town to Beaverton's Schubert Theater in Fall of 1986. This is when I first met my BFF, Kathy Philpott who played Jetta and was in the show the longest. In fact, many of Portland's finest musical performers was part of the Portland Cast including Greg Tamblyn as Wally, Cheri Price as Bevl,Wendy Westerwelle as Carol, and Dale Johannes as Tim. They all became my lifelong friends. In 1988, I saw the last production at the Storefront and 2 years later, Storefront disbanded after 20 years of operation. It was 'Angry Housewives' that kept them going and audiences coming.

So it was great that Artswest Playhouse in West Seattle was bringing the show back to close its history making season and as with the other shows this past season, "Housewives" was Filled.
As the Story goes...

"It's going to be FUN"                                     Brunk

Bev (Heather Hawkins) is a widowed mom to rebellious teen son, Tim (Trent Moury) and is desperate to pay her bills and as she is trying to sell Beauty products to her 3 Broke Girlfriends, Wendy (Janet McWilliams) comes up with up with the idea to enter a contest as an all Female, Punk Rock Band. The same contest that Tim is entering with his band.

Carol (Ann Cornelius) a full figured bawdy girl meets the owner of the punk club, Lewd Fingers (Brian Lange) and they really hit it off.

Wendy's adventure seeking Boyfriend, Wally ( Jeff Orton) also shows up to check up on Lewd and realize that they are old college chums.

Jetta ( Chelsea Levalley) is Mrs Yuppie married  to Larry (the Gorgeous, Mark Valley Miller) a bossy, pompous,  conceded ass who depends on Jetta for everything. Jetta keeps all her rage inside.

As they come together as the punk group, all that rage comes out as Jetta belts out, "Eat your F**king Cornflakes", as she pours booze all over her and throws cornflakes all over.

So far, my only gripe is that in the original Portland production, this number happened at the end of Act 2, and the first performance out of two was never staged. In the place of  the performance in Act 2, it was about saran wrap. Huh? "Cornflakes" was the biggest number of the whole show and it should have be at the end.

Back to Act 2, after winning the semi-finals, the girls want to continue, while Wendy is having her doubts. When Wendy doesn't show up, all the men, Larry, Wally, Lewd and Tim get all glammed up and end up performing themselves.

What I loved about this production was the production values and costumes were outstanding and some soothing Jazzy versions of certain songs that were original 60's do wop like with "Generic Woman" and "Angry Housewives" and kept the same and improved the style of "First Kid" and "I am not home".

Some of the standouts were Miller's Larry, Levalley's Jetta and Moury's Tim.

It was great to see some actors, I have followed in the past year like Hawkins and Orton, who both appeared in Artswest's production of the Little Dog Laughed and Orton and Miller who played the male leads in last year's HAIR, and finally Brian Lange, who last appeared as Bing Crosby in Judy's Scary Little Christmas. Speaking of JUDY, the director from that and Robbie Turner's revue was Troy Wageman and worked in his clever Choreography for 'Housewives".  All those performers are Seattle's Future Stars.
        
Angry Housewives at Artswest Playhouse continues through May 24th. Click HERE for Tix.