Mary Poppins vs. Cruella de Vil
By yoyomama administrator on October 6, 2009 | Filed Under events, faces & places
“Every day I start out Mary Poppins but I end up Cruella de Vil.”
- Mom’s the Word: Remixed
As I donned my glad rags and assured myself that most people I encountered on my night out wouldn’t be able to see the Arrowroot cookie smudge on my purse, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Mom’s the Word: Remixed.
Many mama themed shows, though well meaning, can run the risk of coming across with saccharin sweetness – a kind of a Chicken Soup of the Soul overload. This was definitely not the case with Mom’s the Word: Remixed.
There were delicately poignant, heartfelt, lump-in-your-throat parts. But then there were wonderfully hilarious, rip roaring “did they just say/do that?” moments. It all contributed to a fantastic roller coaster ride that left me wanting more.
Mom’s the Word: Remixed covers such a range of issues; everything from dealing with the concerns of a premature baby, to marital discord to juvenile delinquency. “The only reason a subject isn’t covered is because we couldn’t give it enough time to deal with it properly. Like bullying. Having a child that’s bullied or a child who bullies is a pretty big subject and the show is already so huge. We needed a little lightness in the show! We deal with some pretty heavy stuff.” Mom’s the Word: Remixed writer and performer Deborah Williams shared with us.
The play has seen thousands of performances, five translations, 14 new productions in 10 countries. It’s staying power is clear, and is certainly not limited to moms. [Mom's the Word: Remixed is] “ for anyone who is doing that hands-role, so it can be daycare workers, teachers, nannies. It’s just harder to sell “primary care giver is the word”. ”
As the audience filed out of the theatre after the performance, I think everyone felt a little lighter in the knowledge that a lot of the challenges we are confronted with everyday are universal. According to Deborah: “The best part about doing this play is knowing that most people feel better about their home lives after they see what’s going on in our homes. Everyone is off the hook. Men included. They see that they aren’t the only ones who are arguing with their wives/partners and don’t have a sex life. We all feel better.”
As Deborah Williams puts it, the take-home message of Mom’s the Word: Remixed is simple: “Don’t do it alone. We’re all going through the same stuff. No matter how well someone’s hair is done, we’re all in little cubicles of domestic hell. When it gets bad, have a cry, find someone to talk to, and laugh at yourself.”
Mom’s the Word: Remixed performers and writers (Linda Carson, Jill Daum, Alison Kelly, Robin Nichol, Barbara Pollard, and Deborah Williams) have certainly achieved what they set out to do, and I can’t recommend it enough. Catch the Arts Club Theatre’s must see production on now at the Granville Island Stage until November 7th, 2009. Tickets are available online, or call 604 687 1644 for more information.
[...] “A fantastic roller coaster ride that left me wanting more” –Sarah Loewen, Yoyobelly [...]
[...] know they’re new because they’ll have a little pumpkin next to them. And our review of Mom’s the Word: Remixed is now up on our blog, we laughed, we cried, it moved us. Truly a must-see for all [...]
On the game TV show – Jepardy – This is the question “Every day I start out as Mary Poppins but I always end up Cruella DeVil!” The response would be “what is bipolar!”