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| Caroline O’Connor |
You know you’ve made it big when someone writes a play for you to star as all six of its leading characters. In the American premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith’s Bombshells, acclaimed Aussie actress Caroline O’Connor plays six women all about to explode – kind of like of ticking bomb.
Women (or the men who love them) can likely identify with at least one of these characters: a frazzled mother, a nervous bride-to-be, a lonely widow, an abandoned wife, a competitive teenage talent show contestant and an aging diva who’s seen her share of disappointments. O’Connor mixes humor and compassion to tell their stories.
“It’s about the bombshells that happen in women’s lives,” she says. “Some people have said, ‘Here we go again – widows, mothers, abandoned wives…’ But the response of the audience tells a different story. One moment they’re really laughing, slapping their thighs and exclaiming ‘That’s me! How does she know?’ and the next they’re in tears.”
O’Connor is used to performing multiple personalities and takes on multiple roles herself. Not only is she an actress, but she’s also a singer and dancer – award-winning at that. And she’s played French songstress Edith Piaf, Judy Garland, Velma Kelly in Chicago and Anita in West Side Story. Now, she’s here.
Following sold-out runs in four different countries – Australia, Canada, England and Scotland – Mark Clements is directing Bombshells for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Clements, the Rep’s new award-winning executive director, began his tenure this season after his work appeared in more than 100 major theaters throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Still (somehow) not intrigued? The Rep makes it easy to try it out with affordable pricing – $20 for patrons under 40 for select performances. Go to therep-entourage.com to order tickets. On, Tuesday, Nov. 23, and Wednesday, Nov. 24, the Rep also offers pay-what-you-can tickets ($5 minimum donation is suggested).
Bombshells runs Nov. 22-Dec. 19 in the Rep’s Quadracci Powerhouse. For tickets, call 414-224-9490, or you can buy them online.
One more not to miss: MAM After Dark: Under the Table – Fri. Nov. 19, 5 p.m.-midnight. UWM’s dance and digital media departments combine video and performance art, MAM’s European Design exhibition and the Chakaia Booker installation.
