Almost exactly a year ago, I saw a workshop production of "Mommy The
Musical," featuring Heidi Godt, the lovely star of "The Breakup Notebook." It
was a 80ish-minute One Act about 4 mommies, from their children's infancy
through high school. Directed/choreographed by Kay Cole, and written by
Elin Hampton, it (as they say) "had potential." The biggest drawback was its
incomplete feel and an unmemorable score.

Here we are, a year later, and the show is back with a second act, a
appropriately X2 title "Mommy! Mommy! the musical!...musical!", and a whole
new (and--I'm pleased to report--catchy) score by wondercomposer Gerald
Sternbach. Godt remains (though in a different role) as do Hampton's
funny/touching book and her clever/spot-on lyrics. Broadway vet Cole once
again directs/choreographs with her accustomed panache. The end result is
a totally winning full length musical about motherhood. The always stellar
Ms. Godt is joined by Elizabeth Lauren Hoffman, Terri Homberg-Olsen, and
Michelle Azar (all absolutely wonderful) and a brilliantly gender-crossing
multiple-role-playing dazzler of a performance by Brian Beacock. Brian
Murphy's musical direction is likewise worthy of kudos.

Producer Sue Hamilton follows last year's award winning The Breakup
Notebook, surrounded by many of the same team in the same venue (The
Hudson's 2nd stage, on SMBlvd). TBUN's core audience was lesbians, but it
crossed over to entertain audiences of both genders and all persuasions.
MMTMM has an far bigger core audience (Mommies) and is likely to continue
TBUN's crossover success (I am not and never have been a woman or a
mommy) and lesbians will be pleased to know that 2 of the 4 mommies in the
show are a couple.

With the right word of mouth, Mommy! Mommy! the musical!...musical! is likely
to be around for a good long while!
MARCH 2007, HUDSON THEATRE, LOS ANGELES.

--Steven Stanley