I’ve been hybernating so far
this year because the weather has been unusually cold and rainy, but when my
friend, Coral Beach, asked if I wanted to attend the play, Menopause The
Musical, at The Grand in Galveston the second week of Feburary, I jumped at the
chance.
When the day of the event
arrived, it was—RAINY AND COLD!! But that didn’t dampen our spirits. We planned
to have dinner before the play, but Coral claimed the honor of making our
reservations, and she wasn’t giving me a clue. Turns out, her husband, Joe
Murphy, hit a winning streak on poker night, and graciously donated the money for
our culinary delight. How sweet is that???
Coral decided on Rudy &
Paco Restaurant, just a few doors down the street from The Grand. The food is
pricey, but delicious. I opted for the grilled shrimp and Coral ordered the
fish. But no meal is complete without the grand finale—CHOCOLATE! So we shared
a slice of chocolate mousse cake with fresh berries sprinkled on top. HAPPY
VALENTINE’S DAY TO US!!
We walked through the rain
and barely-above-freezing temperature the short distance to the theater,
arriving fifteen minutes before the curtain call, but something was amiss. The
doors to the auditorium were still closed, so we were forced to stand in the
lobby. This was opening night for the play and apparently there were audio problems
holding up the works.
The lobby began filling up
fast with hundreds of menopausal ladies, ages 50, 60 and up, plus a tiny
sprinkling of men (what were they thinking???). We were jammed in tight,
wearing our heavy overcoats, and wielding umbrellas and hefty handbags—let the
HOT FLASHES BEGIN!!! Fortunately, someone had the presence of mind to open the
back door to the lobby, sending a wintery breeze wafting through the room.
AHHH!!! Relief!!
After a 30-minute wait, we
heard music playing inside the auditorium. The doors opened up and we all
rushed to our seats. Here Coral and I are at left, waiting for the production
to begin.
The musical features four
women who meet at a department store and share, through modified lyrics in
familiar songs from the 60s and 70s, their woeful tales of hot flashes,
forgetfulness, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and chocolate binges. Everyone
in the audience could relate to their experiences, and found ourselves laughing
and toe-tapping throughout the show and the amazing musical performances by talented
actresses.
At the end, the audience was invited up onto the stage for a
high-stepping kick routine—Rockettes style.
In spite of the weather, it was a wonderful evening of laughter and fun!
Thank you Coral and Joe for my best Valentine’s Day
celebration ever!
