By Emma Castleberry
The Asheville production of Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’® will present three performances on February 3 and 4 at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Presented by GFour Productions, Menopause The Musical 2® is a sequel to the original Menopause The Musical®, which has been seen by more than 17 million people and remains the longest-running musical in Las Vegas history, with nightly performances at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
“There was a time when my grandmother couldn’t even say the word ‘menopause,’” says Ingrid Cole, who plays Earth Mother in the production. “We are singing and dancing about it. It’s a celebration of empowerment and womanhood. Laughter is the best medicine.”
The sequel follows the four women who met at a department store in the original production as they set off on a cruise. Cole performs alongside LaDonna Burns, who plays Professional Woman; Terri Dixon, who plays Iowa Housewife; and Rebecca Fisher, who plays Soap Star.
Cole has been a member of Menopause The Musical® since 2005, when she was 35 years old and hadn’t started menopause. “Now I am in menopause,” she says, “singing and dancing about hot flashes while having hot flashes. The friendships I have acquired with these women are amazing. I have friends that I call family now. I’m honored they wanted me to be a part of the second coming. I try to do my best with the lyrics and the script, adding humor and humbleness along the way.”
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is located at 18 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville. Tickets can be purchased at WorthamArts.org or by calling the box office at 828.257.4530. For more information, visit MenopauseTheMusical.com.
