spotlight
The First Wives Club
A World Premiere At the old Globe -
the reinvention of A Comedy ClAssiC
by bill biss
(l to r) Barbara Walsh, Karen Ziemba and Sheryl Lee Ralph in The First Wives Club
Many film buffs remember the classic teaming of songs, and then Rupert and myself in terms of ‘what is
of Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton the story to tell? I think it is vital NOT to tell the movie. All great pieces
in the 1996 film called The First Wives Club. Now, the of theatre, they start as one thing. This began as a book in the 1980s. In the 1990s,
premise of this film and book by Olivia Goldsmith is being reconstructed for the it was made into a film. Now, almost at the end of the aughts, let’s hope that it’s
Broadway-bound and new theatre musical of the same name. An outstanding going to make a great musical (laughter).”
new score has been created by the wizards of Motown and Rock and Roll Hall of Elaborating on this transformation, Zambello adds, “It was important when
Famers Holland-Dozier-Holland. These three men etched a musical path for The we first looked at it to think about the themes that were inherent in the author’s
Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five and countless other musical luminaries mind. It’s very much of course about family and about divorce, about what the
with their songs. women’s journeys were and about how the women bettered themselves through
Tony-award-winning Rupert Holmes wrote the theatrical book for this show their friendship. In a way, the novel doesn’t focus on vengeance and getting back,
and the esteemed and award-winning Francesca Zambello, well known for her it focuses on these three women bonding together through the suicide of their
skill and excellence, directs The First Wives Club. This is a rare opportunity to catch dear friend, which brings them together. So, those themes were something that
the show in August over the course of its run at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre Rupert and I wanted to think about as we saw the piece for today! I think that
until August 23. In a recent “first look” at The First Wives Club, The Rage Monthly the message of empowerment for everyone, a rediscovering of self-esteem and
spoke with director Zambello, star Sheryl Lee Ralph (known for her star turn as self-confidence and the meaning of friendship were crucial things.”
Deena in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls) and the sensational The musical production is very much set in today. Zambello stresses this
singer Sam Harris. All three are bubbling over with enthusiasm for this world important point, “When we look at the topography today, it was very important
premiere musical production of The First Wives Club. that it wasn’t about just three middle-class white women, but rather that we
Francesca Zambello explains about the impetus behind any musical produc- should make one of the characters black. So, it seemed logical that the woman
tion, “I cannot tell you…when you start a new musical, the process is so very, very who was the star in the movie, played by Goldie Hawn, could be a fantastic black
different than anything else. You begin with an idea, a germ of a thought; let’s performer. Also, we have this incredible music by HDH who wrote so much for
make a musical about? Usually the journey takes several years, musicals take a three women [The Supremes]. So, it seemed logical for us to go into that pocket of
long gestation period. It’s sort of like ostriches… their eggs are underground for the black couple, the Jewish couple and the very WASP couple. This was definitely
three years or something.” Continuing, she elaborates, “It’s really a process that something that I felt would represent our world and our life as it is today for The
happens between Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH) who came up with a number First Wives Club.
28 RAGE monthly | August 2009
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