Bernice Bobs Her Mullet, 9/19

I was lucky to attend the opening night of Bernice Bobs Her Mullet. There was an excitement in the audience that stayed with the show, despite a late start due to sound problems. I was looking forward to a cute, funny, typical teen musical comedy, and that is exactly what I got.

Bernice is a young redneck who leaves her hometown, Eau Claire, to experience life in the big city – Little Rock. She stays two weeks with her spoiled, popular, ditzy cousin, Marjorie, and soon discovers the politics of popularity. Tempted with the thrills of popularity, she must choose between staying true to herself or getting swept up in the glamour of being well-liked.

For the most part, the show is an enjoyable, fun, comic experience, featuring one-liners such as: "Don't judge the retarded girl from Texas; it's not her fault she's from Texas." This is just one of several laugh-out-loud moments. The show is certainly predictable, but you’ll still enjoy seeing the story unfold, anyway. It has its good deal of cheesy moments, but it is refreshing that the nicest girl doesn’t end the show by learning to be nice no matter what. The twist here will surely give you a laugh.

It is also effective that most of the cast double as Eau Claire characters and Little Rock characters, though their stage time as the Eau Claire characters are limited. The show takes an amusing shot at itself, allowing this double-casting to serve as an intelligent Wizard of Oz reference.

The score adequately fits the show, as the songs that come from the Eau Claire characters are distinctly different than those that come from the Little Rock characters. The formers’ songs sound more southern and country, and have a general optimistic and accepting tone to them. On the contrary, the latters’ songs sound more pop, and have a more pessimistic, satiric form to them, such as one of the score's highlights, "Hate Yourself." Though treated comically, this song offers an important, true insight into the life of an adolescent girl: to be popular, you must hate every aspect of yourself. As Bernice becomes more accustomed to city life, the tone of her songs change to a less country, less confident feel, and more of an insecure, innocent feel, such as her realization that she wishes she could be more like Marjorie, “More Like Her.”

My only issue with the show was its treatment of Marjorie, and the popular girls in general. The line between satiric portrayal and an over-the-top portrayal is a fine one, and Hollie Howard, as Marjorie, crosses it. Some antics, such as the shaking-of-her-butt, were funny, but…her voice, the way she talked, and the overdoing of ditziness were just too much for me. This could just be a personal issue, because many members of the audience seemed to enjoy her antics. But, for me, the general annoyance I had with the character distanced me more from the show than I would have liked to have been.

Not to say that Ms. Howard herself lacks talent; on the contrary, she is able to show off some of her distinct skills in “Hate Yourself,” as she performs a cartwheel, and does a split.

As for the rest of the cast, Garrett Long is a perfect fit for Bernice. She is able to convey natural southern tomboyness, self-worth, and total confidence in her outsider status at the first dance she attends with Marjorie. She also appropriately portrays Bernice’s questioning of her own values and beliefs, and then her transition to caring about what others think. Ms. Long has good stage presence, and is immediately likable. She also has a strong voice, and her emotional songs are especially effective.

It is good to see Ann Morrison (original Broadway cast of Merrily We Role Along) back on stage. She is the first one to enter the stage, and deservedly receives entrance applause. She is good as the mother of both Bernice and Marjorie, but her roles are unfortunately secondary in the adolescent story. Another standout in the cast is Nick Cearley as Otis, a freshman who has just joined Marjorie’s clique. He delivers several comic moments, including the song, “What An Awkward Moment.”

But without a doubt, Jeff Hiller steals the show, as a recently graduated Jesus freak, and a “transsexual” barber. Both character enter in a larger-than-life fashion, and Mr. Hiller maintains their larger-than-life personalities. Given the least amount of stage time, Mr. Hiller makes the biggest impression with the limited time he has.

Bernice Bobs Her Mullet isn’t the kind of piece that will leave you contemplating the suffering of human existence, but it will certainly keep you laughing, smiling, and will provide you with a cute, enjoyable night at the theater.