Have you ever wished there was a Jersey Boys for women? Add a Betty Crocker cooking contest and I’m sold! “A Taste of Things to Come” is a new musical at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago. The musical explores the changing lives of four women living in the Chicago northern suburb of Winnetka during the 50s and 60s. While Dave and I had a date night to see “A Taste of Things to Come” in Chicago, this would have been the perfect show to see with my best girlfriends. In addition to the fun premise of women bonding over the shared activity of cooking, this show tackles a lot of real-world topics relevant today, including gender roles, sexuality, feminism, racism, and more. “A Taste of Things to Come” is fun, empowering, and inspires an ongoing conversation about women in society today.
1. The all-female cast is top-rate.
The four actresses in the show, Libby Servais, Marissa Rosen, Cortney Wolfson and Linedy Genao, delivered solid Broadway-worthy performances with strong acting and singing. They had great comedic timing with their line delivery, and the audience had a great time watching them perform. Their onstage chemistry is undeniable. I believed they really were their characters and that they really were friends; the four actresses completely became their characters onstage.
2. The original music is catchy.
Some of the songs were so catchy that I wished there were a dance floor in front of the stage for the audience. I could not get the opening number “What’s Cookin'” out of my head after leaving. (We sang it all the way to our car after the show!) The composers Debra Barsha and Hollye Levin did a fabulous job of creating fun, catchy, get-on-your-feet numbers. Check out the music for yourself here.
3. The choreography is delightful.
I thoroughly enjoyed the accompanying choreography to all of those catchy tunes. Act I in particular had several fun numbers complete with costume changes and choreographed dancing with moving kitchen counters. The choreographers made great use of the stage space, as well as all the props onstage. This made for a really visually appealing production. There was certainly never a dull moment!
4. Food and cooking are central to the plot!
I know, I know, this is what you’re all here for, right? As promised, “A Taste of Things to Come” features lots of interesting popular recipes from the 1950s, especially from the Betty Crocker cookbook. It was especially amusing to hear mentions of recipes that would raise eyebrows by today’s culinary standards, such as a tuna and Jell-O pie or lime cheese salad. Whether you’re a chef or you occasional try to attempt a recipe from Pinterest, you’ll definitely appreciate the food aspect of the show. This will especially resonate with you if you cook for your significant other or family at home.
5. It sparks conversation about gender roles.
The characters in “A Taste of Things to Come” grapple with gender role issues that continue to be just as relevant today as they were during the fifties and sixties. It was especially interesting to see the stark contrast between the four characters in the fifties during Act I and the characters in the sixties during Act II. While some of the characters have dreams of doing something more than being housewives who cook and take care of the kids in the fifties, they are able to actualize those dreams in the sixties as the traditional gender roles began to change. The show also explores female sexuality as the characters discover the Kinsey Report, which included frank never-before-seen information about sex. The show sparks a critical conversation about how far we’ve come, and how much more progress we need in women’s rights.
Buy tickets for “A Taste of Things to Come” in Chicago from Broadway in Chicago.
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