FringeNYC 2013: Molly Marjorie Rosenblatt Needs A Man (And Other Stuff)
Meet Molly Marjorie Rosenblatt: New York's hottest mess. Broke, hopeless, and seriously into Brooklyn hipsters (but she's got an Astoria zip code). Don't miss this hilarious original one-woman musical about not having it together. Celebrate your mess!
Official production websiteShow details/ticketing at FringeNYC
Review by Megin Jimenez · August 11, 2013
While you might have a sense of what you’re in for when you sign up to see a one-woman musical about a lonely aspiring actress, you may still experience a moment of adjustment as you confirm that indeed, a single performer is taking the stage and belting out a narrative about internet dating. Musical theatre by definition is larger than life, but Molly Marjorie Rosenblatt Needs a Man (And Other Stuff) scales it all back; at times, there’s a singing-into-the-hairbrush vibe, although Mallory Schlossberg, the one-woman in the title role, keeps the pace moving along with unflagging energy, while the steady accompaniment of Joel Esher on the piano offers a little company on the stage.
Anyone unfamiliar with the pecking order of cool in the outer boroughs of New York City gets a crash course from Molly, who has hit rock bottom, finding herself unemployed, broke and single, her dreams of making it on Broadway dashed. She seeks escape from her dumpy Queens basement apartment and desperate existence in the beds of many hip Brooklyn boys, who are identified only by their OKCupid handles (WburgTaco10 is the main boy). Schlossberg, who also wrote the book, dissects the allure of gentrified Brooklyn in her lyrics. Molly is honest about the borough's appeal, which for her is more material than spiritual: she lusts more over the juicers, fine whiskey, superior “coolness ratio” and well-appointed lofts she samples more than any creative endeavor her lovers allege.
Doing it all—writing, composing, singing, acting and dancing—is a tall order for any creative soul, and Sclossberg succeeds at a couple of these feats more than others. The lyrics are witty and pack a lot into their rhymes. Hyper-local details clearly support the characterizations and scenarios. The movement is at times half-hearted and has not been cleared of the fidgety quality of rehearsal. The hour-long running time is just about right and fitting for the ultimately light-hearted tone of the show.
Preview: Interviews with Artists from Molly Marjorie Rosenblatt Needs A Man (And Other Stuff)
We're asking artists from each show to answer questions about themselves and their work to help our readers get a detailed advance picture of the festival:
All About My Show · Mallory Schlossberg (Writer)
- Complete this sentence: My show is the only one in FringeNYC that...?
I'm pretty sure it's the only one woman musical! And when I say one woman musical - forget everything you know about "solo shows." It feels like a musical...in which there happens to only be one actress (which I also am). - What do you think this show is about? What will audiences take away with them after seeing it?
It's about - as the catchphrase of the show says - "celebrating your mess." It's about being a twentysomething woman in NYC and not getting anything right, but it's not didactic about fixing your life up, and it isn't cliche. The best thing I've heard from audiences in the past (I performed earlier versions of the show at The Magnet Theater) is that it's "so relatable." Hopefully audience members will see themselves in parts of Molly, and laugh as she screws up! - Why did you want to write this show?
I think this is an important story. I wrote the first song in summer 2011 after a not so great date (there's online dating in this show!), because I found a line that the guy said to be so hilarious that it had to be written about (I don't want to give it away - you'll see it in the show!). I love comedy, and I think that anything that can also be maudlin or "womp womp" has the potential to be hilarious. I also love "the magic if." What WOULD happen if a plucky actress gave up EVERYTHING...to pursue a man? Then what happens? I wanted to write a musical with which people could identify. I think we've all come to New York with dreams (Molly comes to be an actress), have felt the need to give up, have dealt with the depressingly hilarious dating scene, have taken a walk of shame (or pride), have met the wrong guy, have worried about finances. I think it's important to have a show that doesn't say, "you can fix it all" but that says, "it's okay to be where I am!" - Who are some of the people who helped you create this show, and what were their important contributions to the finished product?
Every single member of the team has been integral to the process. I think the most important contribution was made by The Magnet Theater, which let me develop the show over the past year and a half. - Which character from a Shakespeare play would like your show the best: King Lear, Puck, Rosalind, or Lady Macbeth -- and why?
Rosalind, probably. She's an independent lady, and As You Like It is a classic rom com! Not to mention, there's a quote from As You Like It (she doesn't say it, but her exiled dad does) -- "sweet are the uses of adversity." I sort of think that parallels "celebrate your mess."
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