Review: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND: THE GOLDEN GIRLS MUSICAL at Lyric Theatre

OFC Productions maintained their status as one of the Rochester area's premier producers of high-quality, entertaining musical productions with their recent staging of Thank You For Being A Friend: The Golden Girls Musical. Though it's based on the iconic sitcom of the late 80's/early 90's, you need not be a diehard fan of the show to appreciate the slapstick jokes, musical numbers, and geriatric humor of the show.

Four women over 60 are spending their golden years together in a wicker-filled bungalow in Miami- the varicose-veined vixen, the brainy ball-buster, the lovable airhead, and the wisecracking spitfire. However, when gay pop superstar Ricky Martin (Hector Manuel) moves next door, his loud outdoor parties keep the quartet of cheesecake-loving retirees awake.

The solution pits the gays against the girls at the annual Shady Oaks Retirement Home Talent Show: if the women win, then no more parties; if the gays garner top prize, the sassy seniors must serve as the party's clean-up crew. Singing, dancing, and hilarity ensues!

Starring Hunter Ekberg, Shawn Gray, Eric Vaughn Johnson, and Eric Schutt as the geriatric trio that we all know and love, The Golden Girls Musical really brought something for everyone. Be it hilarious drag, physical humor, sentimentality, psychedelics, or good old-fashioned barbing between lovable grandmas, The Golden Girls Musical had the audience busting a gut from beginning to end. It's a testament to the OFC's understanding of their audience, and their commitment to quality, but also downright funny, theatre productions.

OFC Productions enhances the arts throughout the Rochester area for all ages through shows, events, and work-shops. Their next production is The Bodyguard: The Musical. For tickets and more information, click here.