By MELINDA MILLER
MM'S BUFFALO STAGES
There is one more weekend to catch the latest offering from the MusicalFare Cabaret, “Well-Behaved Women” (through June 16). In this bright and brassy song cycle, four talented singers portray more than a dozen women, past and present, who dared to be themselves, with or without society’s approval. In doing so, they also dared to be remembered.
The topic may suggest this could be a preachy date, but rest assured, it is not. Composer/lyricist Carmel Dean animates these real-life characters with lyrics that are pointed and poignant -- and often unexpected. Davida Evette Tolbert, venturing from performing to directing here, totally gets it and guides her vocalists well, with excellent (as usual) support from music director Theresa Quinn, performing herself as the onstage pianist.
Fittingly, the evening starts with Leah Berst as a relatable Eve, providing a template for so many other women who did find their way into history and legend – by getting the blame rather than the credit.
Was it really God’s plan to make her the scapegoat for all of man?, Eve muses, before owning up: “I know the trouble I could have saved if only I’d been well-behaved.”
And then ….. they’re off! Jump ahead to a mere 2,000 years ago to hear from the real warrior woman Boudicca (an irrepressible Sam Crystal), who fought albeit unsuccessfully to keep Rome out of Britain. Fast forward to Harriet Tubman, portrayed by Timiyah Love, who gives a soulful, mellow touch to her invitation “Come join me on the (Underground) Railroad.”
We see that heart again in Love’s version of Malala Yousafzai, whose song is not that of a Nobel Peace Prize winner but of a wounded schoolgirl, calling out for her father.
Brittany Leigh Morton does Virginia Woolf as she wonders about another woman, imagining what great works we might have had if Shakespeare had a sister who also was allowed to write. Morton really hits home, though, as a feisty Mary Magdalene, “The Only Girl at the Table,” as she contends with mansplaining at one of time’s most famous suppers.
Also in the role call: artist Frida Kahlo (Crystal again, in Spanish and English), several women athletes, a long-suffering wife, four Supreme Court justices and, interestingly, the Statue of Liberty, reminding listeners that this country was known for welcoming the tired, the poor and those yearning to be free. Still, even Liberty doesn’t preach to us. In her eyes, this is something to celebrate.
At a near-perfect length of 75 minutes, “Well-Behaved Women” is a refreshing evening (or afternoon) out. Arrive early to get in your orders – the tunes pair nicely with a glass of wine (red OR white), cocktail, mocktail and/or some snacks, then sit back, sip and enjoy. Such is the beauty of a cabaret!
A little FYI: The title comes from academic historian laurel Thatcher Ulrich, who theorized in a 1976 article that “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” and made a little history herself by creating the enduring slogan.
“Well-Behaved Women” concludes its two-week run with shows June 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. and June 16 at 2 p.m. at MusicalFare Theatre on the Daemen University Campus, 4380 Main St., Amherst. Tickets are $43 at musicalfare.com. Free parking is onsite.