Divorce Party The Musical

There was a human size vibrator on stage! I think that will be the first and last time I will ever see that in my life! It was a good play. Not a lot of people were there the evening my sister and I went so it was very intimate. The play itself was really interesting. I personally don’t seeing a woman in LA acting like this after a divorce but I guess they were poking fun at it in it’s entirety. Thank you Ms. Katie B. for the tickets. I know this review is LONG overdue but better late than never they say :]
I don’t really remember much about the play besides the human size vibrator haha!!! Oh and that I was handed a handheld vibrator during intermission.

Things I learned from DP the musical:
1. Hollywood has run out of middle-​aged actresses who can sing, forcing them to cast much younger women wearing padded buttocks and belly suits
2. Old people (e.g., my grandparents’ age) find vulgar jokes about vibrators and nipple hair hilarious
3. Musicals are the new locale to purchase sex toys.
4. A completely unrelated surprise male striptease at the end of an otherwise mediocre musical more than makes up for a lackadaisical post-​intermission performance
5. 20-​something men do NOT enjoy said surprise male striptease. (duh).
If i was, oh, about 20 years older than I am now, I may have given this one a 5 star rating, but seeing as how I know NOTHING about getting divorced (or married for that matter!), I couldn’t really relate to this musical in a way that the audience was supposed to. Now, granted, I knew that I was a bit young to fully appreciate this musical going into the thing, so with that being said, I guess DP fulfilled every expectation I had for it…
The first half of the show (e.g., pre-​intermission) was actually pretty funny. There were several moments that I’m sure I was blushing as I uncomfortably heard people my grandmothers’ age laughing at jokes about vibrators and hairy nipples. But the vulgarity was rather amusing. I was pretty distracted though by the fact that 50% (2 out of 4) of the women in the musical had fake buttocks and belly ‘implants’ to better represent middle-​aged women; can’t you just cast heavier set and/​or older women? This is a pretty superficial complaint, but this is Hollywood damnit, and i KNOW there are hundreds of women who can sing that fit the desired age/​build requirements for DP’s characters. Just found that a bit odd.
Never in my life have I seen (or wanted to see!) 60+somethings handling rubber ducky vibrators and rabbit-​dildoes, but apparently musicals are the best venue for selling sex toys to the elderly. I realize ‘elderly’ sounds harsh, but I guarantee i was at least 40 years younger than quite a few audience members!
Do not, I repeat, Do not under any circumstances take a male date to this musical. I think he wanted to kill me after the utterly unnecessary male striptease ended. SO came out of left field! I never thought I’d see my first male striptease in an audience filled with senior citizens. or while on a date… surprise! Haha.
Overall though, the musical was entertaining. It was really drawn out though; I could’ve done with just the pre-​intermssion songs. The venue (El Portal) was really nice, and I’m sure I’ll visit again in the future. But only if the performance is geared toward a younger (a LOT younger) crowd.

Had the opportunity to see this musical at the El Portal Theater for the first time and had a great time! i brought the BF and was a little nervous with the fact that he was only 1 of maybe 4 males in the audience full of women. luckily, he made it out unharmed. LOL
let’s just start off with how very PINK the staging was, the décor from the lobby leading into the theater were all very… pink. since i’ve never been there before, i dont know if thats normally the way it is. the size of the theater was small, probably the smallest theater i’ve been to so far in LA. which makes every seat a GOOD seat! the cast of 5 were super talented with their exemplary singing, dancing and acting skills. they all played their characters well. i love the use of modified popular culture music in this musical, it really makes it a lot more fun when you recognize a song remade into a comedic performance.
the story was good with a predictable ending. there was only one male actor playing all the male characters, extremely well. i give him props for his ability to change characters, sometimes multiple times in one scene. i love his facial expressions, i couldn’t stop laughing.
there was a short 15 minute intermission which is always nice. and by the way, ladies, you don’t want to miss the end of the musical. it’s quite… entertaining.

Came here with my husband (yep, I was one of those wives who dragged their poor husbands to this musical) to see this musical and I surprisingly enjoyed it. When I first heard about this musical (through Goldstar weekly emails), I was kind of interested just from reading the synopsis of the musical. So when Katie B. was offering free tickets, I jumped at the chance.
Anyways, I thought the story of the musical was predictable, but still liked the theme of your girlfriends picking you up and sticking by you. I thought the main character (the character who needed some major help after her divorce) had an annoying voice, especially when she sang. The high mousey voice just bugged me throughout the 2 hour musical (there’s a 15 minute intermission and surprisingly there was not a long line at the clean ladies’ restroom, with plenty of stalls).
Some of the jokes seemed kind of corney and some were just not quite age appropriate for kiddies under 18 (although these days, I’m sure the younger generations already know a lot about these things).
Yes there is only 1 male actor in the musical and he definitely hustled in between his scenes with wardrobe changes. Actually, 90% of the time when he was on stage, those scenes just seem to be funnier. (and yes ladies, towards the end, this male actor does a strip tease, but straight men, don’t worry because the man won’t show his manhood… sorry ladies who did want to see that though)
I think the beginning of the musical was a bit slow and I wasn’t really into it right away. I guess I just had to warm up to it.
During the 15 minute intermission, there was a lady who came into the theater to inform audience members about all the «toys» (including a rubber ducky vibrator) and show souvenirs. She was rather an entertaining woman.
Anyways, overall, really enjoyed this musical and would recommend this as a ladies’ night out. And wives, if you do end up dragging your husbands, I am sure they will survive. My husband did find a few things quite humorous.
Oh and by the way, free parking is right behind the theater (on Weddington). The lot is unattended, but we had no break in with our car.

It was silly, ridiculous, and not for the innocent. To be honest, I didn’t really expect to like it but I did. Did I love it? No. But I was entertained and I do like it.
Not all moments were great, but there were moments and the cast and production value was surprisingly good.
It’s suppose to be silly and one needs to strip away a lot to get to the core message that divorce is not easy but life needs to move on at some point.
SPOILER ALERT. I oddly saw the stripease coming at the end though some of the audience seemed surprise. Honestly, the guy characters screamed stripper is coming and the cliché of a male stripper is definitely something anyone should expect from this play. Or maybe my mind just goes there. Just thank your lucky star the guy has a great body.
So, don’t plan on taking youngsters if they are even allowed – which I doubt.

First and foremost loved the theatre. It has multiple stages which I felt was reminiscent of a movie theater. Never been to a theatre like this pretty snazzy. Also they concession guy was super nice, sampled some almond brownies and had a glass of wine while I waited for my play to begin. (CASH ONLY concession).
My thoughts on the play are somewhat complicated. Although I’m no where near getting married nor getting a divorce I empathized with the character. Every girl has been through a really hard break up where for a moment it feels like your world is turning upside down, so from that perspective I felt bad for the character. So I don’t think you have to be a divorcee to enjoy the play because its funny, the songs are witty, and **SPOILER ALERT** there’s a strip tease at the end: x.
BUT there were a couple of elements that were distracting.
1. The theatre was EMPTY only the first 6 rows had guest but everything else was empty. Kinda awkward. Was hoping it wasn’t because a lot of Unilocalers flaked but it was just odd that it was so empty.
2. The wig of the black lady had a tag showing!!! All I could do was stare at the huge tag poking out in back. I thought it was purposefully done but since it wasn’t addressed in the play I’m assuming it was just a wardrobe malfunction.
3. The dialogue seemed pre-​recorded. It was distracting cus some mics were higher than the other. So some voices were more muffled than the other. Don’t know for certain if it was pre-​recorded but the different sound levels made it seem that way.
Overall though it was a blast. During intermission we got to play with some of the adult toys featured in the play. Also they gave us $ 20 off the infamous Rabbit toy. The marketing in the lobby was great. Lots of props to play with and it felt like an actual party! Loved the vibe and atmosphere. Was well worth the trip, and since this was the first Elite event I went to with my mommy, I cherished it even more! :D
THANKS KATIE B! Great show

I don’t recommend «Divorce Party The Non-​Musical.» A «friend» of mine once played the lead, and it was one of the least favorite roles in my life, I mean, his life. His co-​lead actress (and wow could she act) was not a trained singer, but more of a loud and shrilly screamer. Fast-​forward, I do like the idea of celebrating someone else’s divorce in song (and fingers-​crossed, perhaps dance), and throwing a good ol’ «bah-​bye jerk party musical» — bring it on!
Being the rugged and typical non-​emotional, non-​feeling, and non-​communicative dude… and knowing this musical was written from a feminine POV, I really tried to be open-​minded with the theme. To prepare myself, I watched the entire box set of DWTS season 3, Sex and The City I and II (a miracle that I got thru it, but Carrie’s clothes were ADORABLE especially the polka dot cocktail dress), went shopping for shoes (oohhhh Jeffrey Campbell’s), and tried to crochet some new slippers (FAIL! One fit my thumb, and the other a Shaq-​size snuggie). Sigh. Lastly, on my drive to the El Portal in NoHo, I blasted one of my favorites songs, «Man, I feel like a woman», by Shania Twain.
. I was ready. I was SOOO ready!
Things went my way from the start: 1) Light traffic down the ¹⁰¹⁄₁₃₄ freeways, 2) An easy to find free parking space in the smallish theatre parking lot, 3) No line-​up for ticket pickup; 4) Quick service just a few doors down at the Federal Bar for a burger and brew, then 5) Back to theatre for a perfect row J aisle seat (ie. room to get my grove on, just in case, I gotta dance), and 6) I could see quite easily over the big hair immediately in-​front of me, which I was prepared to trim it down as necessary.
I had been to the El Portal once before, but not a good sign — I don’t recall at all what it was for. Anyway, a half-​filled theatre gave plenty of extra room to move if so desired. After 90 mins, I did desire, as my once lovely and quite comfortable seat felt as if I was sitting on shards of broken glass. At the intermission, I moved to another seat, and nope — didn’t help much. The buns were hurtin’.
The play was a 4-​person female cast, with 1 guy who played 8 very funny, mostly over-​the-​top roles (this is way cheaper and easier to find than boy octuplets who also act). The cast are all talented actors, and featured both solid solo vocal performances, and they harmonized very well together. The script was cute and took us all thru the various stages of divorce, backed up by well-​known songs with lyrics befitting for the subject. Some songs were extremely clever and risqué, and even I learned a few things about vjj’s and personal massage devices. #BLUSHING.
All in all, it was better than my expectations. cute, and I laughed quite a bit. However, it was a longggg musical… starting at 8pm and finished at 1025pm. I could have done with 4 less songs, and in particular, the post-​intermission scenes dragged on.
Thanks to the El Portal Theatre, Unilocal’s Katie B., the cast, production, and crew, and special mention to my large bladder for a great evening!

I had never been to the El Portal Theater before, It was a very pleasurable experience all around. I went to see Divorce Party The Musical because I had heard from people in other cities, that it was a fun play to see with a friend or partner.
My husband was out of town, so a girlfriend (married) and I headed out for a night away from the kids and husbands!
When the play started, our expectations were this will be fun, but perhaps more relevant if we were or planning to get divorced… However, once the play began, we couldn’t stop smiling! The music was fun and the story line was exactly what it says. Divorce Party… although we aren’t divorced, my friend and I felt that many of the topics they (the character and her friends) discussed really hit home with most of our married friends. It was fun to see that other people have similar issues, and solutions to marriage! It was uplifting and encouraging to see women support each other, have fun and stick out their marriages when in some cases giving up would be so much easier!
Kudos to the writer’s for making it a light and fun night out for everyone. married, single, divorced, whatever!!! It was a fun girl’s night out!

Are you over 40? Are you female? If you didn’t answer yes to both those questions then divorce party is not for you. The friend I took with me described it well its like a piece of the pink sugary bubble gum we had as kids its sweet for only a short period of time then it loses all flavor. This show became very hard to watch as it went on. The cast is talented but the show lacks substance.

Ive never been to No Ho before and never realized how much excitement surrounding the El Portal Theatre! My eyes were wide open nosing around the vicinity and was just wowed by every corner !
Private parking lot was located directly behind the El Portal Theatre with free parking.
I was greeted immediately by the front desk and then was greeted again inside. The theatre is really cozy and smaller than other theatre’s I’ve been to. Though I enjoyed it being so close that you can see the people on stage clearly!
I love the story line and its fun for a group of girls — but still raunchy enough for a male audience. I like that they used popular melodies people know and just switch it with crazy lyrics relating to the Divorce party!
The surprised strip show was pretty exciting at end for me, not so much for my man! haha

Thank u Unilocal,Katie B and El Portal for an interesting night at the theatre. Ticket pickup was flawless the El Portal is cute theatre and the employees working the event were really attentive and nice. I have never ventured into Noho before and loved exploring the area.
We were noobs running late for the play and paid for parking in the lot behind the Federal Bar, wished we would’ve known about the free parking in the back of the theatre fellow Unilocalers mentioned.
The theatre is small and intimate. Good location for shows and with the Federal Bar next door u have a great place for before show bites or after hour cocktails.
I read the LA times review of Divorce Party before the show after I rsvp’d for the event so I was prepared to partake of a show that the critics weren’t particularly fond of but was ready to have a good time and enjoy the bawdiness. I’d have to agree with the critics the storyline was awful. There were songs about vibrators, grooming your pubic hair, plastic surgery, jews, gays, and being a cougar and all this was in regards to celebrating the strength of being a divorced woman and being a survivor. I would feel bad for any woman that followed any of the awful misguided advice that the show imparted. It attempted to be light, and funny but it was sad and hard to watch, especially the scene with the ladies passing around a very large bong.
I felt bad for the actors. They seemed like talented people singing and dancing their way through the night but the storyline was really bad. The older people in front of us waited until the actors had their backs turned and then crept out of the theatre before intermission. Half the row behind us didn’t return after the intermission. Ironically, I think they all paid for their admission whereas us Unilocalers who were comp’d admission seemed to stay for the entire show.
There was a happy highlight of the evening. At the end of the show the male actor ripped off his undershirt in a magic mike style strip tease and threw it into the audience. A grey haired grandma dived in the air for the shirt and when she so happily caught it we died laughing. It made her night and honestly made our night too. When the actor scooted offstage completely naked, covered in whipped cream, with only his top hat strategically placed, I think she stood up and gave him an extra wink. That was the best part of the show and that was totally off script. It was great to see the show bring that level of joy to someone.
If you wanted to take home a little extra something to remember the raunchy night by u could pick up a mini pocket rockets as a memento for those ladies who wanted to experience more joy courtesy of Divorce the Musical in privacy at home. It was displayed in its full pink, vibrating glory at the merch table.

Thanks so much Katie B and El Portal Theatre for the tickets to Divorce Party The Musical! Very much appreciated.
I had never been to the El Portal Theatre in the NoHo Arts District and I have been wanting to check this area out for some time as many have mentioned the small theatre district and revamp.
A private parking lot — with free parking is located behind the building.
The theatre is cute (no Pantages or Ahmanson) — it may have been an old movie theatre at one time, it was built in 1924 and I can imagine it being restored and looking really good but it is a bit run down.
I can’t say I loved Divorce Party — maybe it’s an age thing, I’m not sure — I felt like it was a play for women in middle America or much older women which may have made it a bit tough for me to appreciate and relate to. The story line was a bit cliché — woman with two kids is getting a divorce (she’s overweight, not taking care of herself, eating ice cream and crap food) so on and so forth…
I don’t think women in LA sulk on their couches eating pints of Ben & Jerry’s, Dorito Chips and ordering Pizzas during a divorce. Sure Britney had her meltdown a few years back but that also included a shaved head and umbrella beating! This musical was sort of hard to watch at moments — perhaps it was just hard for me to watch a woman with very little self worth, or one being out of shape and eating garbage food and being so out of touch with reality because she’s forgot who she was all her years married — I was a bit disgusted and it sort of just frustrated me to even imagine some women do this.
The stage, extremely noticeable wigs on everyone and horrid wardrobe were also very distracting. I’m not sure when/​where this play is set and the program didn’t state but I felt like it was the late 80s early 90s although I think it was meant to be present day.
I understand the story is about her girlfriends coming over, bringing her back to life, having a good time and helping her get back on her own two feet but it was just hard to stay through the second act.
I think a play like this would do well in select cities but for a woman my age, having been born and raised in LA it just didn’t cut it.