cleaVage

Book by Laura Goodenow and Ronald M. Friedman, M.D.

Music & Lyrics by: Ronald M. Friedman, M.D.

Directed & Music Directed by: Rebecca Lowrey

Produced by: MusicalWriters.com Productions at

Norma Young Arena Stage, Theatre Three, Dallas, Texas

Audience Rating: PG-13 (not recommended for children or young teens)

Running Time: 120 minutes (plus 15 minute intermission)

Accessible Seating: Available

Hearing Devices: Available

Sensory Friendly Showing: Not Available

ASL Showing: Not Available

Sound Level: Loud

Audio/Visuals to Prepare For: Mature themes throughout

Reviewed by Stacey L. Simpson

It isn't every day you see a brand-new musical about the invention, history, and medical evolution of silicone breast implants. cleaVage was created and composed by Plano plastic surgeon Dr. Ron Friedman, who was inspired after seeing Hamilton to write a musical about the history of the implant, and co-written by playwright Laura Goodenow. cleaVage takes a strange slice of Texas medical “her-story” and turns it into a one-of-a-kind, “uplifting” theatrical experience.

Directed and music-directed with sharp flair by Rebecca Lowrey, the musical takes us from 1962 Houston all the way through the early 1990s. It tells the story of plastic surgeons Dr. John Conan (a delightfully sleazy Joshua Sherman) and Dr. Hank Rousseau (Landry Beckley), whose creation changes beauty, culture, and medicine forever. Along the way, we follow the journey of Tammy Brie Harley (Samantha Padilla), a down-on-her-luck mother who becomes an early patient, and Glenda Byrne (Layla Ghaeini Leveret), a breast cancer survivor whose connection with Dr. Rousseau gives the story its emotional center. Narrator and emcee Dee Dee Richer (played with star charisma by Lee Walter) guides the audience through the decades as a host learning about the procedure while contemplating top surgery.

What makes cleaVage soar is its infectious, “Non-Stop” (see what I did there?) energy. The live band onstage led by Lowrey on keys rips through an eclectic, high-octane score that hops seamlessly across genres—everything from theatrical pop and driving rock to country-western twang, polka, and even a sultry tango. There are even a few nods to the creator’s Hamilton inspiration, with some rap battles playing out.

Under Lowrey’s direction, the show boasts nice pacing. The humor is quite bawdy, as you’d expect. Pun-lovers will rejoice in the plethora of boob jokes but the puns don’t stop there. I particularly enjoyed a moment in which a character discusses something that is “French made” and we are immediately treated to a “French maid” visual pun. It’s delightfully goofy fun. Lowrey and the surefooted, talented cast deftly balance the comedy with tender moments, honoring breast cancer survivors, bodily autonomy, and the complex real-life human stories behind the medical history.

The colorful, versatile set designed by Logan Gabriel Frederick provides a dynamic playground for the cast. Jessie Wallace and Logan Coley Broker deserve recognition for the fabulous costume and wig design. The show features a staggering number of lightning-fast quick changes—especially by the hardworking ensemble—and I enjoyed the subtle, brilliant shifts in fashion that authentically reflect the changing eras from the early 1960s to the 1990s. The courtroom scene was probably my favorite: all those colorful pantsuits as the ensemble executed Christina Kudlicki’s loose-limbed, energetic choreography looked great and boosted the musical number to even higher, er, peaks.

The supporting cast and ensemble—including Nick Moore as Dr. Hugo Arnault, and Tamya J. Simmons, Stephanie Felton, Lindsey Kay Smith, Joseph Kaminski, Daniel Hernandez, Natalie Hinds, and Jason Philip Solís—bring boundless charisma and spot-on comic timing to every scene, as well as some amazing voices.

Treat yourself to this bold, original story written and brought to life right here in North Texas. Grab your tickets to see cleaVage at Theatre Three before this run ends—you'll leave the theater with a huge smile, new cocktail-hour discussion material, and a renewed appreciation for our incredible local theater community!

Runs through November 1. Tickets at https://www.musicalwriters.com/cleavage/#tickets

Tata for now!

Stacey L. Simpson