SHOPPING! THE MUSICAL

SHOPPING ! THE MUSICAL….too good to miss
Whoever said money can't buy happiness
simply didn't know where to go shopping.
Bo Derek

Morris Bobrow has a way of exposing human realities we do not like to admit and the amazing thing is that the weapon he uses to rip through our politically correct facades is music. You cannot attend any of his deliciously funny musical productions without wondering, “How did he know we do it that way?” And no wonder. Bobrow is the recipient of four San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Awards for outstanding music and lyrics, the Back Stage Bistro Award for outstanding cabaret revue in New York, and two DramaLogue Critic's Awards. He obviously knows how to write and direct a show.

SHOPPING! is a stellar example of his talent. Bobrow has assembled an amazing cast to sing 24 songs and a reprise about that favorite of all American sports: buying stuff. The acting and singing are top notch, the energy and pace is choice and the 90 minute show seems like one gloriously funny moment of truth. Lydia Wirth and Andre Cravens created choreography for singers who are not dancers and Angela Dyer keeps the music going like a breathless romp.

This is an ensemble piece and although each singer has his moment, it is their enthusiastic working together that captivates the audience. When David Goodwin sings that his dreams to become a concert pianist have diminished into a job playing piano at Nordstrom’s, we all know the feeling. When he stands in line while his ice cream melts into soup behind an earnest Deborah Russo counting change and hassling clerk Kim Larsen, we remember when it happened to us. The musical runs the gamut of the shopping experience from street fairs to the delight of buying those useless tchotchkes at the five and ten cent store. Bobrow takes a few uncomfortable jabs at addictive computer shopping and the mystery of what the handling charge is all about. There is a wonderfully awkward moment when Kim Larsen sings “What Am I Doing Here?” buying lingerie for his wife. And who hasn’t worried just like Sara Hauter when she tries to find jeans that really fit. “It’s all about the butt,” she sings …and you know? She’s right.

Each number rings a familiar bell. We have all bought that, wanted that and wondered why we continue to spend so much time and money accumulating things we really don’t need. The husband’s agony when he shops with is wife and the search for sales resistance none of us manage to have….who has escaped it? The last song is the last straw. What happens when we bring our purchases home? Well you know as well as they do: it doesn’t fit; it doesn’t work; it isn’t what we thought it was…and yet when a new day dawns and our optimism is refreshed, what do we all do? You guessed it. We go SHOPPING!

Reality can be a bitter pill unless it is sugar coated in glorious melody and adorable dance. Treat yourself to this bon-bon that rings all too true and cannot fail to delight even as we squirm remembering when that very thing happened to us.

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.
Tammy Faye Bakker

SHOPPING! The Musical continues Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. at The Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Tickets: 800 838 3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com
Further information: www.shoppingthemusical.com