The Wonderettes are back! This seasonal celebration finds the girls entertaining at the annual Harper’s Hardware Holiday Party. When Santa turns up missing, the girls use their talent and creative ingenuity to save the holiday party! Featuring great ’60s versions of holiday classics such as “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Run, Rudolph, Run,” and “Winter Wonderland,” the result is, of course, marvelous! This energetic and glittering holiday package is guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages.
Nov 29 – Dec 22, 2024
By Roger Bean
Directed by Karen Sipes
SIDES
CHARACTERS
Missy (28) Always the over-achiever of the group, Missy has now blossomed into a full-fledged adult over-achiever. She is an elementary school teacher with cat-eye glasses. She has recently returned from her honeymoon with her new husband Bill, an audience member. She controls the evening’s events, even when Betty Jean is in charge: Missy is the one to cover for mistakes, and is always ready to jump in and save the day. She has an inner-sexiness (even slightly kinky) that comes out every once-in-a-while, much to her surprise and embarrassment. She has been best friends with Suzy since elementary school. (Soprano with belt. Range: F#3–A5)
Cindy Lou (28) Cindy Lou is the “bad girl” of the group, now reformed (to a point). She is sexy with a dry and sassy wit, and has a miles-high jet-black beehive, a cross between the Ronettes and early Priscilla Presley. She has a tattoo on her left upper arm that reads “Billy Ray,” her boyfriend who passed away a few years back (from The Marvelous Wonderettes). Until that time it seemed that things always went her way, making Betty Jean crazy. She has an incredible soft side and inner depth, revealed in her Act II monologue and ballad. (Mezzo Soprano with belt— sings lead vocal line on most group songs. Range: A3–E5)
Suzy (28) Suzy is happy-go-lucky, a little giddy, a little silly, and a little pregnant. She’s always willing to go along with anyone and anything, and she seems to giggle at just about anything. She finds great pleasure in everything she does; the sillier it is, the more fun she finds it. Her pregnancy has brought out her attention-deficit disorder, and she reverts to her childhood on the drop of a dime. She is married to Ritchie, her high-school sweetheart, who is running the lights for the performance. Her honey-blond hair is reminiscent of early Marlo Thomas/”That Girl.” Her best friend is Missy. (Mezzo/Alto with big belt. Range: C#3–E5)
Betty Jean (28) Betty Jean is the self-anointed clown of the group, always vying for attention from her best friend Cindy Lou. She loves that she is in finally in charge of the group, if only for this one performance. She has worked at Harper’s Hardware since High School and is now in Corporate Sales, a fact she’s very proud of. After a few tumultuous years, she married her high-school boyfriend Johnny, who also used to work at Harper’s Hardware. We learn that they have recently separated for good. She has a strength that belies her goofiness. This strength is what gives her empathy; she has no “poor me” in her attitude. This pays off in her Act I closing song. Her hair is red/auburn. (Strong Alto with big belt. Range: D3–Eb5)
Setting: Harper’s Hardware Store, 1968.