Motherhood the Musical

"The perfect Mom's Night Out!" - Lori, Brentwood, TN
"It was hilarious, wonderful and heartwarming! My life to a 't'!" - Christine, Nashville, TN
"I laughed, I cried, I leaked!" Jennifer, Franklin, TN

A baby is just the beginning. Motherhood is for life…
It’s the joyous journey and loving look at the blessings and perils of being a Mom. It’s climbing the emotional mountain only to find that there’s laundry at the top. It’s discovering how powerful your love can be and how quickly they grow up. It’s helping them find their way and not losing yours. It’s about laughing and crying, craziness and calm, smiles and tears…and all before breakfast.
Featuring the hilarious Top 10 Billboard Comedy Hit “The The Kids Are Finally Asleep”, the rousing “Costco Queen” and the tender “I’m Danny’s Mom”, this hysterically and poignant musical is a must see for anyone who is, has or knows a Mom. It will remind you that it’s not just about Motherhood…it’s about you.

by Bill Dorian
‘Motherhood: the Musical’ is an outrageously funny, unsentimental look at the ‘highs and lows’ of being a mother by WLAC radio’s Sue Fabisch (‘Mommy Time Radio,’ hosted weekly with Karla Lawson). The writing is crisp and deliriously original; the comic acting is feisty; and the music is catchy and stylishly varied.
Fabisch has the kind of sharp, sardonic sense of humor that always gets my attention. I love it when a writer has the chutzpah to make fun of things about which most people are painfully reverent. No apple pie or cupcakes here-just an honest (and side-splittingly funny) look at the tribulations of having your personal life overpowered by the ominous (and awesome) responsibilities of caring for children.
If you’ve ever had kids, “Motherhood…’ hits close to home and tickles the parental funny bone. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying their 90 minutes with the four actresses playing friends who share their witty observations on maternal bliss/‘maybe-not-so-bliss.’
Three women throw a baby shower for their friend, a naïve 20-something about to deliver her first child. There are traditional gifts and party-games-everything you might expect at an average shower. But the ladies also bestow the mother-to-be with tongue-in-cheek truths about motherhood. The extremely painful experience of giving birth is not sugarcoated, nor do they minimalize or glorify taking care of very-small-people-with-minds-of their-own.
In a frank and caring way, they attempt to arm their very pregnant friend with the knowledge they’ve gained through their own years of maternal experience. And the revelations are a riot.
The songs run the gamut of just about every musical style you can think of (except rap-but then I did say ‘musical’, didn’t I?). Gospel, blues, country, calypso, even one serious ballad, are all represented. But regardless of the pedigree, all the songs are clever and adroit-be they whimsy or earnestly thoughtful. The whacky songs include: ‘Costco Queen,’ ‘Ode to an Avon Lady,’ ‘The Vasectomy Song,’ ‘I Leak,’ and ‘Oops, I’m Pregnant Again.’ Fabisch draws her humor from her own experiences as a mother of ‘five-,’ ‘eight-,’ ’11-,’ and ‘46-year old’ children.
Eighteen original songs by Fabisch and four of her song-writing friends: Jesse Goldberg; Bill Flowerree; and Ilene Angel are featured-with Fabisch writing the majority of the songs by herself. The songs were written over a 10-year period, as Fabisch just started musically chronicling what she knew most intimately-the “good, the bad, and the ugly of motherhood.”
Fabisch is an award-winning songwriter whose latest album went Top 10 on ‘Billboard’ magazine’s Comedy chart. Her original songs are played regularly nationwide on radio. Fabisch has had a number of #1 hits recorded by other artists.
All the actresses playing the various ‘moms’ are delightful. Fabisch plays Barb, the over-worked, underpaid, stressed-out mother of five. Not only does she have the ringing voice you’d expect from a professional singer/songwriter, her sarcastic comic timing is delicious.
Janna Landry is Catherine, the lawyer, who works too much and barely sees her kids. Landry has a powerful but sublime voice perfectly matched to musical comedy-as well as a gift for turning a quick, comic phrase.
Jewel Lucien is Jenna, a single mom struggling to balance work, her family, and the recent loss of her sister. Again, we have a comic natural here with a soaring, almost operatic voice.
Jaclyn Brown is Julie, the 20-something about to embark on what is truly the world’s ‘oldest profession,’ being a mom. With a sweetly pitched voice seemingly attuned to the compassions of new motherhood, Brown plays the role with gentle, comic naiveté.
Direction and choreography by Ruth Rosen is fast-paced, appreciatively quirky and darned near perfectly timed for the genre. Very nice job.
‘Motherhood: the Musical’ only played one weekend at the Darkhorse Theatre on Charlotte Ave., but Fabisch is hoping to bring it back to a Nashville venue this coming Spring. She has also been in talks with producers with an eye toward taking the show to Off-Broadway in New York. I predict hit status.
For more information about ‘Motherhood: the Musical,’ go to www.MommyMusic.com