Women's Opry

The fourth annual Women of Ocracoke Opry show was a hit, playing to a sold out crowd on Saturday night and a nearly-full house for the Sunday matinee. This year, the theme was Way Off Broadway. I don't have any photographs (most of the performers agreed they didn't want any taken during the show, so I didn't take any). I was also pretty busy changing costumes throughout much of the show, as I was in several group numbers, sang one song with DeAnna and one by myself. Anyway, I thought you might enjoy this wonderful review. (And no, of course, this was not REALLY in the NY Times...someone who shall remain nameless combined creativity and fun, and this is the result.)



Even on vacation, one is sometimes called to duty and such is the case here at the Deepwater Theatre on Ocracoke Island, twenty miles off the coast of North Carolina.

My wife saw the notice for the show: “The Ocracoke Women’s Opry,” it said. I said “No.” She said, “Oh, come on, it’ll be quaint and authentic.” I said, “No way. I go to Real Theatre two nights a week, my reviews make and break hundred million dollar productions overnight and I will not subject myself to an amateur production while I am on vacation. The answer is no.”

She, of course, was not dissuaded by my obstinacy and my “no” on Monday was a “maybe” by Wednesday and by Saturday, tickets in hand, we were going. The funny thing is, I heard at the door that the tickets had sold out earlier in the week, sometime between “no” and “maybe.” Hmmmm.

To my delight, the show was not “quaint,” as my wife had suggested, though “authentic” might be an appropriate descriptor. It was, in the end, well… good. Well, really really good. With only a little tarnished brightwork still asking for polish, the show in this little venue, on this little island was BIG, and bold and sexy and chock full of WOW!.

The aptly named “Way Off Broadway,” (just look for Ocracoke on a map) was a revue. Had I known it was a revue, my “no” might have actually held out until the tickets were sold out. Revues are theatre’s equivalent to the contents of a dorm-room refrigerator. But “Way Off Broadway” had all those things that make live theatre so enchanting, namely talent and drama and trajectory and connectivity and humanity and depth. I’m relieved, I’m happy, I’m elated to say “Way Off Broadway” had it all.

Each production – and there were eighteen of them – was announced by the MC, one Lou Ann Homan, a humorist and story teller from Indiana who did a fabulous job introducing the players and the songs. I shan’t review them all, but let me touch on some highlights:

There were stunning classics such as “Try to Remember” and “Send In The Clowns” and “Much More” rendered in big-city voices and polished tones. There was humor in a slapstick version of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” A fantastic updated version of “Money, Money” raised the bar another notch, and was followed on by “Take Me Or Leave Me” from Rent. Now, this is a song I have heard on stage a couple dozen times (I’ve been there and done that) but never with more feeling than I heard on Saturday night in Ocracoke. The first act finished with an unbelievable rendition of “Whatever Lola Wants,” bringing to stage for the first time a new talent we hope to see much more of, one Lida Jones of the Ocracoke Belly Dance Troupe. Her enthusiasm and gracious charm held the disparate parts of this troupe together, and you can believe me when I say there was no shortage of parts. Ooolala Lola!

At intermission, we wondered what could possibly follow the Belly Dance number. Well, we soon found out and were not disappointed, as recording artists Marcy Brenner and Kitty Mitchell wowed us with bells and whistles and trash cans and tin pots in a rhythm piece pounded out from Stomp! More glitz and drama and humor followed. “Sister Suffragette” (great costuming!) preceded a wonderfully heartfelt instrumental rendition of “Seasons of Love.” “Nothing” from A Chorus Line was cleanly and poignantly sung, the audience swayed along with “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and laughed along with “Stepsisters’ Lament.”

Now, sitting in front at a small venue, I thought I had the best seat in the house, until the penultimate number when a lucky guy, plucked from the audience, became Susie Kennedy’s “guest” on stage, as she performed a steamy dance to “Hey Big Spender.” (I actually went to the second show on Sunday, dressed in my best NYC hip fashions, hoping I would be chosen as Ms Kennedy’s “guest”, but you’d never guess what happened: That same guy was there again and quite unfairly was selected for the second show, too. I’m thinking it was a fix!)

The Finale bookended the opening act with a touching personal story and choral rendition of “Edelweiss” which transformed into a finale finale with all hands on stage that rocked that little theatre as only good entertainers can. Thank you, Women of Ocracoke, thank you, Deepwater Theater, thank you Ocracoke, it was a great show and a memorable evening. I’ll be back next year!