From Menopause to Mommie-dom, Writer/Producer Jeanie Linders Adds to Her Theatrical Family

ORLANDO, Fla., May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's all about The Bump and everything that comes after! The new creation by hit writer Jeanie Linders - The Mommies - A Musical Blog™ - launches its first season Friday, May 6, 2011, in hometown Orlando, Florida, poised for an open-ended run at the Plaza Live Theater where Linders recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of her international hit Menopause The Musical®.

Openings for 2011 for The Mommies include sit-down runs in Port Washington, Long Island; Jacksonville, FL; and an open-ended run at the Royal George Theatre in Linders' original hometown, Chicago. To date in 2012, twelve markets are in negotiation for extended runs.

An aborted request by an MTM licensee to rewrite yet another four-woman show about the topic of motherhood led Linders to partner with the comedy writers and stars of the '90s NBC sitcom The Mommies, Marilyn Kentz and Caryl Kristensen. She wanted to create a show that stepped away from the "four women meet at X and sing about Y" show formula that Linders spawned with the launch of her show Menopause.

"The Mommies - A Musical Blog™ is not only about the joys and the 'oh, (sigh) joys' of mothering," according to Linders, "but it embodies the lifestyles of today's moms who shop, socialize, share tips, and seek solace in cyberspace."

The five female actors communicate on stage by texting, blogging, and Facebook. "The women don't sit on a couch, look and talk to each other," Linders said. "As with the multi-millions of blogging moms around the world, they communicate their frustrations and celebrations online on iPhones, Blackberries, iPads and Macs. We got clearance for the familiar 'You've Got Mail' from AOL."

The unique, multi-level set was designed by Disney Imagineer Cindy White to replicate a computer screen with open Apps framed in multi-hued lights. Two video screens move from messages to "mommy-and-me" screensavers that showcase mothers and children from the 50s to the present, all submitted online through http://www.themommies.com or by friends, family and even a Linders lawyer or two.

Staging of The Mommies was designed by Linders to be in the "now."  

"I saw this show as a Glee for mothers," she said. "Unlike Menopause in which the music was parodied or re-lyriced, all 16 songs are original and run the gamut from rap, hip hop and pop to country, ballroom and an amazing ballad, I'll Always Be Your Mother. Songs like Poop!, Post Partum Blues, and Living in a War Zone are choreographed in the style of today's hottest YouTube videos."

Music supervisor and composer CT Hollis worked with the multi-talented Michael Andrew who is also in production with Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes on Jerry Lewis' Broadway-bound Nutty Professor. LA rock and blues producer Jimmy Hunter also was tapped for the original music, which will be available on iTunes. Other souvenirs like belly tattoos and Mommies Rock tees and tank tops will be sold at the shows and, of course, online.

As with Menopause The Musical®, Linders' production company MOC/TOC Productions Inc. will handle the U.S. and foreign productions of The Mommies - A Musical Blog™. With the exception of Australia, the writer/producer took her first show around the U.S. to more than 450 cities and to 14 countries including translations into Korean, Hebrew, Filipino, German, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish.  

"I've learned a lot about the business in the ten years since I wrote Menopause as a newbie," said Linders. "With The Mommies, I've got a great team who knows the business, understands my vision, and has actually earned the right to take credit for our work. We are excited about entertaining another generation of women; like our finale, we believe 'Mommies Rock'!"

Media Contact:

Diana Pratt
[email protected]
321-274-1970

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE MOC/TOC Productions Inc.