Cast announced for Chelan Valley Players production

Chelan Valley Players has announced the casting for their upcoming March performances of "Menopause The Musical®." This smash hit created by Jeannie Linders of TOC Productions, has only recently become available for community theatres.

Since March 2001, the hilarious show "Menopause The Musical®" has entertained and inspired women from coast-to-coast and internationally. The work of writer Jeanie Linders, "Menopause The Musical®" is a 90-minute production which includes 25 re-lyricized tunes from the '60s and '70s and culminates with a salute to women who are experiencing The Change. Set in a department store, where four women with seemingly nothing in common but a black lace bra meet by chance, the musical pokes fun at things such as hot flashes, memory loss, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and eating binges. The show's intended message is that menopause is a passage, but it should no longer be The Silent Passage. It is a stage in every woman's life that is perfectly normal.

The Chelan Valley Players production will feature Colleen Shanley-Penfield (Chelan) in the role of Professional Woman, Jayne Bowes (Okanogan) as Soap Star, Judy Johnston (Brewster) as Iowa Housewife and Sheryl Smith (Brewster) as Earth Mother. The show is directed by Serena Fiacco, recent choreographer of CVP's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Music director and conductor is Kathryn Castrodale and vocal director is Sharon LaMar. Cal Vaughn and Judy Johnston are co-producers.

The show will be performed at the historic Ruby Theater in downtown Chelan on three consecutive weekends beginning March 1, playing on March 2, 8, 9, 15 and ending on March 16 for a total of six shows. All performances will be matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include a chocolate dessert of your choice, available before and after the show on Saturdays and before the show on Sundays starting at 1 p.m. at The Vogue, 117 E. Woodin, Chelan. Tickets may be purchased beginning mid-February by calling 881-1112. It should be noted that this show is meant for mature audiences.

"Menopause The Musical®" encourages a healthy dialogue about issues of aging and women's health and provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness with female audiences. In addition, it strikes the funny bone of all who have been through menopause or anticipate it's arrival. With lyrics such as "it's a sign of the times, when your roots are gray and your memory's shorter" and "when I work out, I wanna know, how can I stop where the fat grams go?," written to tunes that are instantly recognized, the show can't help but put a smile on your face.

"Menopause The Musical®" has entertained audiences across the country in more than 100 cities, as well as internationally in 10 countries. Each week nearly 35,000 women of all ages and stages find their spirits lifted by the show's light-hearted look at menopause. It is estimated that nearly 9 million women in 11 countries have attended a performance since the show's opening in Orlando, Fla., in 2001.

Recognizing the show's great potential to engage and educate women on health issues, Jeanie Linders took the show on the road as Menopause The Musical Out Loud: Breaking The Silence Of Ovarian Cancer. The 2005-06 tour raised more than $500,000 for ovarian cancer research and awareness.

Contact Cal Vaughn at 682-5966 or Judy Johnston at 689-2348 for information.