Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter Musical Is the Hilarious High We All Need
Now Playing at Arena Stage in Washington
WASHINGTON, DC-What kid doesn’t have issues? And what parent doesn’t try to figure out how to find solutions?
In Sarah Silverman’s semi-autographical story, The Bedwetter, reflecting her difficult childhood, we meet Sarah (Aria Kane), her divorced parents, an older sister, Laura (Avery Harris) who snarkily ignores her, her agoraphobic mother, Beth Ann (Shoshona Bean), her father, Donald (Darren Goldstein), and her feisty grandmother, Nana (Liz Larsen). We also learn of the two elephants in the room, little Sarah’s bedwetting and a baby brother who has died.
Ten-year-old Sarah’s coping mechanisms are humor highlighted by a potty mouth that she gets from her serial-cheater father and Nana. Blessed by the uncanny ability to do celebrity fart impressions, Sarah’s comedic talents and sharp-as-a-tack comebacks eventually win over a gaggle of schoolgirls, Abby (Emerson Holt Lacayo), Amy (Elin Joy Seiler) and Ally (Alina Santos) who decide to accept Sarah into their tight-knit group.
Excited by an invitation to Amy’s birthday party, where she entertains her new friends with dirty jokes, Sarah is shocked to learn the party is also an overnight pajama party to watch the Miss America pageant (cue Bert Parks). Sarah’s anxiety kicks into high gear and she calls her mother, hoping she’ll tell her to come back home. Uncharacteristically, Beth Ann tells her to “have fun”. Despite Sarah’s efforts to stay awake all night, the inevitable happens. Somehow, she doesn’t get caught out. Not yet. It’s only later when Sarah has her girlfriends over and Nana arrives helpfully offering jumbo packs of diapers at Sarah, that the girls catch on and turn their backs on her.
Based on the advice of one of his lovers, Donald decides to take Sarah to a nutty hypnotist who tells her, “Imagine a stream in a forest.” Sarah asks him, “Is that the best analogy for a bedwetter?”. After that fiasco, he then takes her to Dr. Grimm (Rick Crom who plays seven roles in five different wigs – I asked.), a therapist who prescribes massive amounts of Xanax – cue the life-sized, tap-dancing, yellow capsules.
At school, Sarah is repeatedly scolded by the prim and proper Mrs. Dembo (Alysha Umphress) who is organizing a talent contest once won by her former student who became Miss New Hampshire (Ashley Blanchet). Hailing from the same state, the girls are enamored of the beauty queen who appears in several fantasy sequences.
Through it all, there is laughter and poignancy, gags and pratfalls, coupled with touching moments from an outstanding cast of Broadway luminaries that shines brightly both vocally and comedically. I promise you will fall in love with little Sarah, her goofy, well-intentioned, salesman father, her Manhattan-swilling grandmother, her adoring mother and her at-arm’s-length sister.
Written by the irrepressible comedian, Sarah Silverman with Joshua Harmon and super-charged by uber-successful composers Adam Schlesinger and David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit) to include the high-wattage choreographer, Danny Mefford of Dear Evan Hansen fame, Book by notable Joshua Harmon, award-winning Director, Anne Kauffman and backed by famed Tony and Olivier Award-winning Broadway producers – Tom Kirdahy of Hadestown fame, and Broadway royalty Barry and Fran Weissler of Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, Chicago, La Cage aux Folles and Waitress, this production has all the signs it will go straight to Broadway.
Based upon “The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee” by Sarah Silverman. Lyrics by Sarah Silverman and Adam Schlesinger; Orchestrator and Arranger, David Chase; Set Design by David Korins; Choreography by Danny Mefford; Costume Design by Kaye Voyce; Lighting Design by Japhy Weideman; Sound Design by Kai Harada; Video Design by Lucy MacKinnon; Hair and Wig Design by Tom Watson.
Highly recommended!!!
Through March 16th at Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 554-9066 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.
