SURREY — The “Bittergirl” phenomenon went from being a play to a book to a musical. So what’s next, a circus act? An ice-dance show, or maybe a movie?
Annabel Fitzsimmons, who co-created the play in 1999, isn’t exactly sure what the project's next chapter will be, although she has some ideas. But this she knows for sure: It’s a blast bringing the story to the stage as a full-on musical.
“It’s fun seeing it all come alive with all these great songs, with a live band,” said the Toronto-based writer, who was in Vancouver recently to help launch an Arts Club Theatre Company production for a tour of Metro Vancouver venues.
Show dates for “Bittergirl: The Musical” include a week-plus run at Surrey Arts Centre’s main stage, from Wednesday, Feb. 22 until Saturday, March 4.
The “cathartic and catchy” show charts the breakups of three women and the antics that ensue. Girl-group hits from the 1960s and 1970s provide the soundtrack for the musical, written by Fitzsimmons (nee Griffiths), Alison Lawrence and Mary Francis Moore at a time when all three were, more or less, living in failed-relationship hell.
Indeed, as the song goes, “Baby, where did our love go?”
The touring show stars Cailin Stadnyk, Lauren Bowler, Katrina Reynolds and, as the lone guy among them, Josh Epstein. The all-female band features Madeleine Elkins (guitar), NoeLani Jung (drums), Linda Kidder (bass) and Diane Lines (keys, musical direction).
All that energy on stage should make for a fun night out, for both women and men in the audience, even with the bad-breakup vibe of the show, Fitzsimmons agrees.
“It’s not a sad story by any means,” she explained.
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PICTURED: Katrina Reynolds, Lauren Bowler and Cailin Stadnyk (from left to right) in the Arts Club's production of "Bittergirl: The Musical." (Photo: Emily Cooper/Arts Club)
The original play, which starred the three writers, dealt with the fallout of one of them getting divorced, one just dumped by her longtime live-in and the third facing yet another failed short-term romance.
Next came the book, “BITTERGIRL: Getting Over Getting Dumped,” filled with relationship advice that struck a chord with readers when it was published in 2005.
As a musical, the script debuted in 2015 in Charlottetown and has since played across the country.
“Music was really a key part of the original play, and we took it a step further with a live band,” Fitzsimmons told the Now.
Perfectly, in time with the growth of the characters as the stories unfold, the sounds of the sweeter, simpler 1960s-era music in the show graduate to the more empowered, singer-songwriter lyrics of the following decade.
A post at Thebittergirls.com elaborates on what audiences should expect from the show.
“This trio of women scorned experience heartbreak, hilarity, fairy-tales gone wrong, tequila, mounties, love, honour, car-keying, repeated viewings of ‘An Affair to Remember,’ fake splenectomies and meetings of Breakups Anonymous.
“And then there are the men! The ones who want to alphabetize your CDs, the ones who give you shoelaces for your birthday. See the bittergirls list all of those things you should have told him the truth about. See Barbie and Ken break up! Laugh very hard.”
The Arts Club version of the musical is directed by Valerie Easton, the first woman to do so.
“That’s another interesting element with this version, seeing how it’s produced with a woman in that role,” Fitzsimmons said. “I can tell you that there is a different feel with it here in Vancouver, absolutely.”
Following this current winter tour of theatres from West Van to Mission, “Bittergirl: The Musical” will play the Arts Club’s Granville Island stage in June and July.
At Surrey Arts Centre, special performances include pre-show appetizers (on Feb. 22), post-show dessert and coffee (Feb. 24), a “Paint and Play” art camp for kids (Feb. 25, 4 p.m.) and VocalEye audio description (March 4, 4 p.m.).
Show tickets range from $41 to $55, depending on date and time. For details, call 604-501-5566 or visit Tickets.surrey.ca.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com