Bridgewater is maturing rapidly as a soloist. Wow, what a voice! Her powerful range touched gentle sultry moods while her body shook almost in a gentle jingle while her instrument filled the theatre with that feeling of soothing authority. The audience felt her appearance was too brief as she delivered a tribute to Roberta Flack’s Feel Like Making Love; then journeyed on a The Slow Boat To China before George Benson’s Masquerade closed her capsule.

Trinidad Guardian

 

Make no mistake about it, Menopause Out Loud!, the comedy cabaret show that is filling the Capitol Event Theatre in Toronto, is by women, about women, for women. But men don’t have to be sheepish about attending and laughing out loud, along with their wives, partners, or girlfriends.

This is a broad comedy in both senses of the word – it’s all about what happens to women when “the change” arrives, and the book and lyrics, by Jeannie Linders, are played for laughs, laughs, laughs, with a lot of mugging for an audience that is 90% women who are and laughing and cheering from start to finish.

The lyrics, all sung loudly, are written to music that menopausal women will find familiar – hits from the ‘50s, ‘60s and from the disco era. The middle-age cast – who says there are no good roles for older women? – is in fine voice from start to finish, except for a couple of Beach Boys songs that lack the magical harmonies of the originals. Alana Bridgewater is particularly powerful as Power Women but Jayne Lewis (Soap Star), Nicole Robert (Earth Mother), and Rose Ryan (Prairie Housewife) more than hold their own.
Canadian Actor Online

 

Alana Bridgewater, a powerhouse vocalist and actor with an impressive list of jazz and theatre credits, will perform the larger-than-life role of Killer Queen, the cold-hearted boss of Globalsoft.  Alana began her career at very early age as a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus and the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, where she was quickly promoted to soloist.  She has toured with jazz great Joe Sealy and his quartet, was a member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and was the voice for Toronto’s 2008 Olympic Bid Song.  Her recent credits include In A Jam (CBC Television), Little Shop of Horrors (St. Lawrence Stage Company), Womens’ Blues Revue in Toronto and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Stage West).  Alana is currently starring in Menopause Outloud at the Capital Event Theater.