Feature

Respect: The Girl Em-Powered Musical

<em>Respect</em> covers nearly a century of popular songs, from &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t Help Lovin&rsquo; That Man of Mine&rdquo; to &ldquo;I Wanna Be Loved By You&rdquo; to &ldquo;Material Girl,&rdq

Respect: The Girl Em-Powered Musical
El Portal Theatre, Los Angeles
(818) 508-4200

***

“No doubt about it: Respect packs plenty of entertainment value,” said F. Kathleen Foley in the Los Angeles Times. Written by college professor–turned–playwright Dorothy Marcic and performed by a crack quartet of female singer-dancers, the two-hour show covers nearly a century of popular songs, from “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man of Mine” to “I Wanna Be Loved By You” to “Material Girl.” Because Marcic wants audiences to reconsider the attitudes toward women expressed by these songs, the show can feels heavy-handed and academic at times. But the songs are powerfully executed, and women in the audience who remember the days of the Equal Rights Amendment and bra-burning activism “will probably get a few goosebumps from the sheer feminist brio that informs the evening.”

Marcic only falters when she tries to connect the songs to her own auto­biography, said Julio Martinez in Variety. A digression involving the playwright’s own maternal lineage distracts from the show’s main themes and takes away from the musical’s true strength—namely, the “standout vocal abilities of the four ladies onstage.” Lead performer Susan Carr George displays deft vocal and dancing prowess on numbers such as “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” and “Whatever Lola Wants,” and Jackie Seiden proves a real find, belting out a broad range of fare, from the Chiffons’ “Sweet Talkin’ Guy” to Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” Though the script could use some judicious honing, Respect succeeds as a “tuneful reminder of the power and relevance of popular music throughout history,” and could have a future on Broadway.

Recommended

Iran claims to have built its first hypersonic missile
The Fattah missile unveiled by Iran.
Iranian Weaponry

Iran claims to have built its first hypersonic missile

Ukraine blames Russia for destroying major Dnipro River dam 'in panic'
Kakhovka Dam
Cui bono?

Ukraine blames Russia for destroying major Dnipro River dam 'in panic'

Why is Riyadh going it alone on oil cuts?
An illustrated image of oil rigs and oil barrels
Today's big question

Why is Riyadh going it alone on oil cuts?

Officials suspect dozens of girls in Afghanistan were poisoned at school
Girls in Afghanistan walk to school.
awful

Officials suspect dozens of girls in Afghanistan were poisoned at school

Most Popular

Orlando's Gay Days draws LGBTQ crowds to Disney World amid DeSantis feud
Gay Days at Walt Disney World in 2023
Come as You Are

Orlando's Gay Days draws LGBTQ crowds to Disney World amid DeSantis feud

Experimental drug shown to 'significantly' slow progression of brain cancer
Human brain scan.
Cancer breakthrough

Experimental drug shown to 'significantly' slow progression of brain cancer

Jamie Dimon 2024?
Jamie Dimon on Capitol Hill
Profile

Jamie Dimon 2024?