NEW MUSICAL, LITTLE BLACK DRESS, CELEBRATES LIFE'S GREAT MOMENTS WITH LAUGHTER, TEARS AND RAUNCH

Jennette Cronk, Jenna Cormey, Clint Hromsco,
Danielle Trzcinski in "Little Black Dress The Musical"
Photos by Rebecca McNicholas 

IMHO, "Little Black Dress The Musical" (aka LBD), is a show that is perfect for GNOs and fans of raunchy improv humor. A combination of original songs, audience participation, improv and a smidgen of drama, the brand new musical is in search of a wider audience in its initial tour.

Written by predominantly women, the show hits the mark on many topics that will resonate with women of all ages, and even some men. From first kiss, to first sexual encounter, job interviews, proposals and eventually funerals, the LBD has played an important part of many lives.

In a nutshell, the story centers on best friends Dee (Danielle Trzcinski) and Mandy (Jennette Cronk) who at age 13 pledge to be BFFs for life and to take a dream trip to "Paree!" when they grow up. When Dee's mom (Jenna Cormey) takes the girls to a boutique to find dresses for their upcoming school dance, they are introduced to and fall in love with the LBD.

Jennette Cronk as Mandy and Danielle Trzcinski
as Dee in "Little Black Dress The Musical"

The rest of the show covers the progression of time where the two womens' futures diverge, but they hang on to their friendship despite many setbacks. Dee marries Mark (Clint Hromsco) and has a baby girl Madison, while Mandy remains defiantly single as she forges her own path in life.

There are times in the show where the actors call on audience members to share their own memories of first kisses and bachelorette parties, which leads to some unexpected shenanigans. The night I went, one woman was so startlingly raunchy that the performers struggled to keep a straight face during the "A Night You'll Never Forget" number. There is always a risk in improvised segments, as they can often slow a show down, but again the ladies (and gentleman) had it under semi-control. LOL.

Danielle Trzcinski as Dee
in "Little Black Dress The
Musical"

The set is simple (perfect for road shows and local theater companies), the LBDs could have been a tad more stylish, and some of the choreography and staging was a little dodgy, but overall it charmed the audience who gave the performers a rousing, well-deserved ovation at evening's end. Both Trzcinski and Cronk are powerful singers, while Hromsco and Cormey both do quadruple duty in the show and always hit the comic bullseye.

Kudos to all the talented folks who brought "Little Black Dress The Musical" to life including creators Amanda Barker, Natalie Tenenbaum, Danielle Trzcinski and Christopher Bond who also directed.

"Little Black Dress The Musical" is at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City until December 15 only, so if you suffer from FOMO, hustle on down and buy your seats ASAP at www.centertheatregroup.org.

-- Lisa Lyons