The Vagina Monologues is an international phenomenon. Since its birth in 1998, Eve Ensler's compilation of women's reflections on their most private part has become an annual event, with performances in hundreds of schools, colleges, community venues and professional stages around Valentine's Day. It's also a self-described "global movement," V-Day, dedicated to ending violence against women and girls.
In the Valley, student versions are mounted annually, and last year two community productions also took to the stage. One of these, under the banner "Valley V-Day," returns this weekend in Northampton. It's produced and directed by Rachel and Pam Hannah and sponsored by the Commonwealth Center for Change (C3), the Valley's mutual-support network for artists and organizations. Ticket sales benefit the Prison Birth Project, a local organization working with women and girls in the criminal justice system.
"Although the intro says, 'Women love to talk about their vaginas,' most women don't usually sit around and talk about these things," Rachel Hannah says. The monologues, ranging from raunchy to uproarious to heartrending, provide an outlet for women to reclaim their bodies, to educate each other (and, not incidentally, men) and to subvert the traditional sugary notion of Valentine's Day. Hannahs' production is performed by a cast of 20, including one man, who used to be a woman, and whose performance gives a new spin to the monologue titled "Because He Liked to Look at It."
The Vagina Monologues: Feb. 6-7, 7 p.m., Northampton Center for the Arts,17 New South St., Northampton, www.valleyvday.com.
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An international phenomenon of quite a different stripe is The Lion King. In its 12-year run on Broadway and in multiple productions worldwide, the show counts audiences in the millions and box office receipts in the billions. Being both childless and wary of shows with words like "spectacular" in their ad copy, I had managed to miss this juggernaut until the U.S. touring company opened in Hartford last week for a three-week run at the Bushnell.
What I knew about the stage version of the Disney movie was that it represents the animals of the African savannah in the form of, yes, spectacular puppets and spectacularly costumed humans; that it somewhat expands the movie's coming-of-age storyline; that it has given welcome employment to hundreds of black performers; and that the score is by Elton John and Tim Rice.
What I didn't realize is what a mishmash of visual, musical and choreographic styles it is. Director/designer Julie Taymor's eye-popping creations of the animal "extras" are paired with literal recreations of some of the cartoon's characters, especially the comic-relief bird, meercat and warthog. Garth Fagan's choreography occasionally gestures toward African dance but more often looks like any old Broadway number. And most surprising, none of the really good songs are actually by Elton John and Tim Rice. The most interesting—and stylistically relevant—parts of the score, including some luscious African harmonies and rhythms, are the work of other, barely credited writers.
Taymor's brilliant imagining of the production's fauna (and flora), together with the large cast's lively performances, make the show memorable and well worth catching up with. But in the end, The Lion King on stage is a triumph of design over intention.
The Lion King: Through Feb. 14, The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, Conn., (888) 824-2874, www.bushnell.org.
