Taffetas and Cardigans Wear Well

A few phony tears and a couple of high pitched wails provide the only drama and that's just fine out at Broward Stage Door. You can sashay out there and catch A Taffeta Wedding and bam, you're back in the fifties and sixties and listening to “Sh-Boom,” “Shoop Shoop,”“Oop Shoop” and to reduce the spittle content, twenty-one other hits like “Sincerely,” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” and “Do You Wanna Dance.” And of course there's “Running Bear” and “Botch-A-Me” and “Put Your Head On My Shoulder.” And wait! There's more!

Rick Lewis wrote The Taffetas then naturally he wrote The Cardigans and then inexorably came a A Taffeta Wedding in which the four Taffeta girls marry the four Cardigan boys and then, mirabile dictu, the wedding is staged live during a 1964 musical television show promoting Galaxy Beauty Products. Such fun.

The four girls, supposed sisters in wonderfully plastic wigs and smiles and each in a blue, yellow, pink or lavender pastel taffeta dress with matching shoes, scarves, headbands, microphones and stands, line up across the stage and sing. Very well indeed. Then they introduce their grooms-to-be, The Cardigans, four preppy lads who are also excellent singers. Sometimes the eight of them move a little, sometimes they speak a little and sometimes they even try a joke or two, but none of that matters because this show is about the music. That's all and that's enough.

If you heard this stuff in the fifties and sixties I guarantee it's still with you. And even if you weren't around then it behooves you to catch A Taffeta Wedding for a little musical education. It won't hurt. Promise.

Meredith Bartmon, Rebecca Cesario, Chloe Golden, Ellen Senn, Garrett Bruce, John Debkowski, Matt Falber and Andrew Oberstein are the professionals. There's one amateur, young Cheyenne Lentz, making her tap dancing and singing debut. You'll be surprised.

This is a small show, very professionally mounted and, ultimately, simply charming.

Arthur Whitehead produced and directed the original The Taffetas in New York and he directed here at Broward Stage Door. Sergio J. Puig is the musical director with musical staging by Michael Leeds. Sound by Martin Mets, lighting by Ardean Landhuis, costumes by David Graden.

A Taffeta Wedding runs through January 16, 2011 at The Broward Stage Door Theatre, 8036 West Sample Road, Coral Springs. For info call 954.344.7765 or visit www.stagedoortheatre.com.