There is nothing quite like the awakening of spring and the joy that comes from watching the early buds of the season burst open in a glorious array of flowers and leaves. Springtime is magical journey of discovery which is why it’s the perfect time of the year for Pioneer Theatre Company to present the musical comedy “Cowgirls” which premieres March 25th through April 9th.
“Cowgirls”, which is based on a book by Betsy Howrie with music and lyrics by Mary Murfitt, follows the journey of Jo Carlson, played Leenya Rideout, who is trying to save her father’s once famous country western saloon by booking the Coghill Trio which she thinks is a country music ensemble but in actuality is a classical music trio. The result is a journey of self discovery and a musical awakening as the Coghill Trio works frantically to transform themselves into the Cowgirl Trio.
“It’s our journey of learning country music and how to be a strong pioneer cowgirl woman,” says Jessica Bradish who plays Lee the third member of the Coghill Trio. “We discover a new part of who we are and we all learn a bunch of country tunes and do a big concert at the end which is really fun.”
What makes “Cowgirls” different from most musicals is that there isn’t an orchestra and everybody in the show plays different instruments on stage in front of the audience. In a typical musical the cast will stop and break into song to tell the story but in “Cowgirls” the music is actually part of the plot and not necessarily driving it.
“It different as all the music is played live on stage so you really get to see everything that is going on,” says Bradish. “It’s thrilling to watch a show where all the actors also play instruments and you actually get to watch as musicians learn to play new instruments which is very much part of the plot.”
Like many in the musical theatre business Bradish learned to play the piano when she was young but was mainly focused on singing and dancing. Over the years she learned to play the guitar and the violin out of necessity as there is growing need for actors who can play instruments as well as sing and dance. In “Cowgirls” her character plays the cello which initially was a problem as she didn’t know how to play the cello and only had a month to learn.
“When I was out in New York they rented me a cello and I took a bunch of lessons and learned to play the cello for the show,” relates Bradish. “You’re probably never going to be completely prepared for what they’re going to ask you to do but it’s exciting to be able to push your boundaries and learn new things.”
Fortunately for Bradish she only plays the cello on three songs so she really only had to learn how to play those particular songs as the rest of the time she plays the guitar. Bradish admits that she loves the challenge of learning enough about the cello to make it seem like she is proficient in playing which is part of what makes “Cowgirls” such a fun production. The other part is the story line itself and the merging of musical worlds as the women bond over a common musical goal and work together to save the saloon.
“It’s really a show about women finding a inner strength and finding that sort of pioneer spirit and taking leaps that you’re not necessarily comfortable with,” says Bradish. “It’s very meaningful especially for younger people to watch these women go on this journey where they keep growing and experiencing new things.”
Tickets for “Cowgirls” are on sale online at www.pioneertheatre.org and at the PTC box office. U students can get tickets for as little as $5 during “Student Rush” which are available an hour before any performance.