ON THEATER: ‘Wonderettes’ shows added

Laguna Playhouse audiences just can’t seem to get enough of “The Marvelous Wonderettes.”

The ’50s-flavored summer musical has been drawing packed houses and standing ovations ever since it arrived on the scene early in July. Its popularity has necessitated the addition of five extra performances.

These new shows are scheduled for the next four Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. A fifth was presented this past Sunday.

“The Marvelous Wonderettes,” written and directed by Roger Bean, turns back the clock to the 1958 Springfield High School senior prom where the four girls entertain as a last-minute substitute for a boys’ singing group. The second act takes place a decade later as the Wonderettes reunite for their 10-year class reunion.

“Their klutziness and internal bickering offset the fact that all four have world-class voices and can harmonize like crazy when required,” this column noted at the time. “Comedy and music haven’t battled this vociferously for the spotlight since the days of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.”

Audiences seem to agree, and ticket demand has been off the charts. But the show must close Aug. 31 because the Wonderettes are headed for an off-Broadway engagement.

Comprising the quibbling quartet are Bets Malone, Julie Dixon Jackson, Darcie Roberts and Misty Cotton. To again quote this column, the show “runs the gamut of late 1950s and early ’60s pop music, but not merely in concert mode. The four ladies intertwine their offstage lives into their performances, setting up each number with a personal vignette.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “The Marvelous Wonderettes”

WHERE: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday until Aug. 31.

TICKETS: $35 to $70

CALL: (949) 487-2787

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.