(L to R) Pomme Koch; John Hickok; Erika Henningsen; Brian Shepard (Top);R Ryan Duncan (Bottom); Badia Farha and Justin Gregory Lopez in JOY at George Street Playhouse. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
A new show called Joy is a musical enjoying a premiere run at George Street Playhouse. The show is about Joy Mangano, known to the world as an entrepreneur who invented the Miracle Mop. Although she continues to be a major success, it was a rough road getting there. With a book by Ken Davenport, Mangano’s inspiring story unfolds through good storytelling, an original score and a fine cast.
Casey Hushion directs the show. It is well paced as it moves through the ups and downs of Joy’s life. A critical part of the story is seeing all the times Mangano could have pulled back because of segments of society that were not yet ready to deal with a woman of her talents. The roadblocks were real and things that women of that time period had to deal with. The recognition of what she could do is what allowed her to preserve. Much of that inertia was because she wanted to provide a good life for her family. And the support she received from them increases as the story is told leading to a very satisfying ending.
Outstanding is the music written and performed for this show. AnnMarie Milazzo’s music and lyrics tell the story with a musicality that is very enjoyable to hear. A good sized ensemble cast uses choreography by Joshua Bergasse. Musical supervision is by Andy Einhorn and Orchestrations by John Clancy.
Bear in mind that this is a first run for this show; so there are some kinks that need to be worked out. But they are few and far between and they don’t interfere with entertaining the audience and giving a sense of inspiration which is perfect for this holiday season.
There are some concepts and moments in the show that are particularly relevant to the impact the show makes. The following is a summary of those moments.
A Time When Women’s Expected Talents were with Housekeeping
The show opens showing Joy as a young girl (Olivia Jones). The first hints of her mechanical ability are seen as she holds up something she made. Not much attention is paid to the item and we don’t learn what it is until later in the show.
The scene changes to her as a wife and mother living in a house with her mother, Toots (Vicki Lewis), daughter, Christie (Sami Bray) and husband, Tony (Trent Saunders). The two are in the midst of a divorce so Tony stays in the basement. It appears that her mother is housebound and Tony, a musician, is having difficulty making a living. So it all falls onto Joy’s shoulder.
Erika Henningsen plays the role of Joy Mangano. She creates a character that the audience can admire and root for. Henningsen’s singing is extraordinary as she brings meaning to the struggle she is working through. Click on the video shown here for an example of how powerful her voice is as she recognizes the struggle she has ahead of her in the song “Change Forever.”
Enter QVC
After receiving her pink slip from her job, Joy realizes she has a good idea as a way to make money for her family. She has a design for a mop that will be different from the traditional one. This departure from a traditional woman’s role to one of an inventor is one she has to prove. So with her own savings and investments from family and friends, she makes a prototype of the mop and manages to get some made for sale. Enter her father, Rudy (Stephen DeRosa). Rudy has a connection with a cowboy in Texas who develops the mold for the mop and production proceeds.
QVC was in its early years when Mangano’s Miracle Mop became a huge seller. The first time out on the air, it did not do well. But after QVC allowed her to go on and give a realistic sales presentation, the product sold out within a half hour. The song “We Sell Stories” is spot on for explaining the process of presenting items to the public.
Erika Henningsen in JOY at George Street Playhouse. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.
QVC’s executives look and act like an old boys’ club as they speak with Joy. There is one woman, Ronni (Badia Farha), who has an active role in the process as she performs administrative duties. Eventually, it is a happy time when she takes on the role of a marketing person with Joy’s account.
The set designs are impressive on the QVC scenes especially when the audience witnesses the boards displaying the number of sales increasing while Joy is demonstrating how to use the mop. The QVC scenes also show a major organization giving good promotion to women whose talents are now getting recognition.
The Cowboy Tries to Scam Joy
While QVC provides excitement and success for Joy, the opposite is true with the Texas cowboy. Through some mismanagement by her father, the production mold needed to make the Miracle Mop ends up belonging to him, not Joy. In order to be able to continue with her product, Joy must find a way to recover the ownership. She flies to Texas to speak with the cowboy.
The scenes with Cowboy Eddie (John Hickock) provide some of the most pointed looks at the attitudes of chauvinist men of the time. One of the most outstanding songs of the show demonstrates their audacity when they sing “Little Lady.” All seems lost. Therefore, the scene in the courtroom seem hopeless until the unexpected decision of the judge is passed down. And the audience cheered!
Final Thoughts about Joy the Musical
The holidays are a great time to take in a live show. This one is conveniently located in New Brunswick at the gorgeous New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Parking is convenient and good restaurants are available for meals or a light bite to eat.
George Street Playhouse continues to do an outstanding job in selecting and presenting new works. This show has the potential for moving to other theaters from here. Go see it now and see what all the excitement is about.
Performances and Tickets for Joy
Performances continue through December 30th. Tickets are on sale through the George Street Playhouse website.
For subscriptions and group discounts information visit www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org or call 732-246-7717.
