Playing with Barbies might seen like an innocent pastime, but tonight Barbie isn't just going on a date with Ken - she's going to rehab.
Bloomers, the all-female musical comedy group, will perform its fall show, "Barbie shows her Bloomers" tonight from 8 to 10 p.m. at Houston Hall.
The first exclusively female musical sketch comedy group in the country, Bloomers was established at Penn in the 1970s. The staff of entirely undergraduate students direct, produce, choreograph and manage each of the group's bi-yearly productions.
The show, around 50 minutes long, does not have a central plot and instead consists of random sketch pieces each three to five minutes. The cast will be doing satiric musical pieces and even some tap dancing.
Accompanied with music played by the all-female Bloomers band, the sketches satirize pop culture and will even poke fun at the upcoming 2008 presidential election. Be warned: One is sure to get impersonations of Sarah Palin and a slightly less serious presentation of her policy proposals; George Bush is on the list as well.
Rounding out the show is a 15 minute medley. The theme for the show is Barbie goes to rehab, "a jab at all the pop stars who have been going to rehab lately," College junior Michelle Burton said. The medley will have music by one exclusive artist.
Making the world of Barbie a reality, the cast constructed a stage fit for the storyline with tons of color, and of course, pink. The show's writer, College senior Jennifer Jackson clarified, "It's not really Candyland . You'll see a twist on Barbie's dream house."
Included in the list of props are wigs, beards and masks. The costumes, designed and made by College junior Sarah Marcus, are described as "colorful and fun" by Burton.
Tickets are $7 if purchased in advance on Locust Walk and $8 at the door. There will be encore performances tomorrow and Saturday at the same time and place as tonight's performance.
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