BWW Reviews: THE OLDEST PROFESSION is Fun and Full of Heart

David Holloway, with assistance from Betty McCormick, directs the production with pretty even pacing and ensures that the transplants from New Orleans to New York City are as likeable as any of the women in STEEL MAGNOLIAS. The first act seems a bit long, but the emotionally driven and touching second act really makes up for it.

Monica Lynn Passley's musical direction and Sandi Morgan's choreography for the songs create ultimately fun, star-power moments that allow the women a chance to break the fourth wall, flirting with the audience before their characters are lured to their Big Easy Bordello in the sky. Any imperfection in singing is overshadowed by the zeal and charisma of the actress, selling the moment to the audience with every ounce of energy and soul that she can muster.

Sandi Morgan's Lillian is the character the audience gets to spend the least amount of time with; however, by the end of the first act, the audience sees her as a strong, aging woman still full of the vixen qualities that brought her to the profession in the first place. Despite working the gray-haired circuit of Upper West Side retirement homes, she is still charming and alluring for clients and audience alike.

As Mae, Carolyn Montgomery, is the bookkeeping madam that is on the threshold of senility. She goes above and beyond to protect her girls and their positions, at one point threatening to cut another woman of the street with a switchblade as her "stable" looks on. She is strong, yet elegant-never wanting the manners of her girls to slip in front of clients or her. Carolyn Montgomery plays Mae as an aging Miss Mona from BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE, and the characterization works brilliantly in the production.

The ambitious and cantankerous Ursula, played by Mary Lou Roschbach, cannot wait to become madam and hurts feelings on her climb into the position. She is a shrewd businesswoman that essentially removes the pleasure from the job once she is in power. She unapologetically is everything that Mae was not, which Mary Lou Roschbach expertly employs to provide a fascinating dynamic and tension in the show, which really allows the second act to leap off the stage and into the heart of the assembled audience.

Edna, portrayed by Lisa Schofield, is vivacious and successful. She is Mae's top earner having had a $100 night at the top of the show. Despite the ability to flaunt her successes, she is the penultimate team player and inspires her coworkers to her level by supporting their efforts, praising them for whatever they earned. Lisa Schofield presents a character that knows and understands her sensuality and has a self-confidence that drives her clients wild with desire.

As Vera, Cheryl Tanner, gets the chance to affect the audience the most in the play's final scene-swiftly creating an audible gasp in the auditorium at the performance I was at. Vera is delicate and vulnerable the entire show, which allows the audience to have even more sympathy and empathy for her character's arc from beginning to end. Cheryl Tanner's performance brings the show from being just a fun, little piece that parallels the country's economics to having a powerful, heart-rending poignancy that still can elicit an emotional response today (31 years after it was written).

Set Design by David Holloway and John Stevens makes great use of the space, and uses a decided and delicate realism to adequately capture the look and feel of an Upper West Side park. It is complete with a park bench that is strikingly similar, if not an exact replica, as those seen in any New York City park. In the Upstage Left corner is the entrance to a Victorian parlor that suitably serves as the Big Easy Bordello in the sky and that has believable décor and designs to it as well.

Lighting design by Steve Carpentier is simple but effective. He keeps the cast well lit, and utilizes mounted spots on the ceiling for the musical performances, which allows the space to feel as if it is transformed into a cabaret as much as possible.

David Bradley's sound design ensures that the piano accompaniment is just right. The audience can easily hear the actress's vocals with the piano being just loud enough to be distinctly audible, but it never gets in the way of the performance.

Theatre Southwest's production of THE OLDEST PROFESSION is mostly a fun, light-hearted show. It has a few moments that make it poignant and powerful, ensuring that Paula Vogel fans and theatre fans in general will find a nice dose of politically charged depth in the show. Even with the depth, the heart is what is truly satisfied by the performance, making THE OLDEST PROFESSION a show that is more about having a good time at the theatre. Unlike other Paula Vogel shows, this one really does not concern itself with making audiences uncomfortable or filling their minds with thought. All in all, this show celebrates the sisterhood of working women, no matter their chosen profession.

THE OLDEST PROFESSION runs at Theatre Southwest on Clarkcrest Street until November 17, 2012. For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.theatresouthwest.org/ or call (713) 661 – 9505.

Photos courtesy of Theatre Southwest.

"Ladies, get out your money." Madam Mae (Carolyn Montgomery) tallies up the ladies' earnings for the day.

L to R: Mary Lou Roschbach, Sandi Morgan, Carolyn Montgomery, Cheryl Tanner, and Lisa Schofield.

Funeral toast: "Here's to Lillian. The finest woman to ever walk the streets."

L to R: Mary Lou Roschbach, Cheryl Tanner, Lisa Schofield, and Carolyn Montgomery

Two working girls (Lisa Schofield and Cheryl Tanner) at lunch or on strike. (Edna and Vera)

L to R: Lisa Schofield and Cheryl Tanner

Mae (Carolyn Montgomery) protects her girls from unfair competition (or competitors).

L ro R: Sandi Morgan, Lisa Schofield, Carolyn Montgomery, Cheryl Tanner, and Mary Lou Roschbach