“The Times they were a changin’”…And women were doin’ the changin’”
A thoroughly interesting, informative and absolutely delightful musical opened at Taproot Theater this weekend: The Hello Girls, which while entertaining, tells the story of the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit, colloquially knows as The Hello Girls, during World War I. They were the first females in the American military. With music and lyrics by Peter Mills, adapted from a book by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, under the superb direction of Karen Lund, it depicts changing attitudes towards women at a unique moment of history.
After the entry of the US into World War I in 1917, in response to the shortage of manpower in the army, Commander in Chief of the American Expeditionary Force, General Pershing, decides to recruit French speaking female telephone operators to work in France, for the American army. Out of 7,000 applicants, 223 were accepted.
Throughout their training and even in France, the Hello Girls had to struggle against all sorts of obstacles presented by male chauvinist attitudes within the army and elsewhere, but they prevailed and managed to get to the front lines shortly before the armistice and out-performed the men. Ironically, their struggles again the male chauvinism embedded in the army and society did not end with the war.
At one point, while arguing about whether women should go to the front, one of the Hello Girls points out that the argument that women do not risk their lives in battle is a pseudo-justification for denying them the vote. (As if the risk of childbirth, in those days, was not equal to dying on the battlefield-my opinion)
WW I was a catalyst to implement a lot of the reforms people had been talking about since the French Revolution of 1789; such as Universal Suffrage, Democracy, self-determination of nations, women’s rights- particularly the right to vote.
Right after World War I, monarchies fell, Democratic and Socialist Republics were proclaimed, Empires were dismantled, women in several European Countries, but not France, were granted the right to vote. In the U.S. the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution was passed granting women the right to vote in all states. In England, women were granted the right to vote on November 21, 1918, precisely ten days after the end of World War I.
In the UK, the right to vote was obtained partly by the pre-war advocacy of the mighty Suffragettes, but primarily because women had contributed so much to winning the war. Since 1914, when the war in Europe had started, due to the stalemate of trench warfare, it had just been a human abattoir. Capable men were in such short supply, that women manned the factories. British and Commonwealth women were also the nurses working under very dangerous conditions, often dying by artillery shelling. The Hello Girls were American women who contributed to the war-effort, in a significant way, as communication was vital to winning the war.
The Hello Girls was not a serious history lecture, it was extremely amusing, and not like a traditional musical with a lot of sentimentality. It had a certain cabaret style, the lyrics were just plain verbal gymnastics, with wit aplenty, puns, rhymes, and great double-entendres, which the superb cast nailed every time, with razor sharp comic timing. Also, the appealing choreography by Katy Tabb punctuated the comedy in the script with precision and was executed energetically by the whole cast.
As an ensemble piece, this cast worked well together but particular stand-outs were Cassi Q Kohl as Grace Banker, the supervisor of all the Hello Girls. Kohl portrayed all the steely determination of women of that era who managed to succeed in a man’s world. Other standouts were Rebecca Cort, as a wise-cracking New Yorker, with some of the best lines which brought down the house.
Then there was Rico Lastrapes as Captain Joseph Riser, whose role in the play was to “supervise” these woman soldiers who were constantly pushing the explicit rules of the army as well as the invisible ones. Lastrapes has a lovely speaking and singing voice and sang with passion.
Since a lot of the action took place in the final days of World War I at the front, the special effects replicated the artillery bombardments, the primitive airplane bombings, and the less than luxurious living conditions. Credit is due to Mark Lund for the Set and Sound design and Ahren Buhmann for the lights.
With Mike Nutting as music director, it was just to die for and it was set right behind the stage. Conducted by David Taylor Gomes with Jeremy Lynch on violin, Matthew Tevenan on cello, Scot Sexton on Drums, Jeremy Steckler on Double Bass, Rico Lastrapes on Clarinet and Rebecca Cort and Jeremy Steckler on guitars.
Generally I do not jump at the chance to see musicals, but The Hello Girls was an exception because it was not sentimental, and did not follow a formula. Also as a serious piece about a serious historical subject with great relevancy to contemporary times, it was not in the least preachy or didactic but just sheer fun from start to finish.
It was more or less sold out on opening night so get your tickets immediately. There is also a fabulous art exhibit Small Observations: Works by Maggie Ramirez Burns in the Lobby.
The Hello Girls. Taproot Theater, 212 N 85th St. 98103, North Seattle, Tues-Sat, Matinées and Eve. Wed. July 19 PWYC. Til July 30. Street Parking is feasible. check out Small Observations: Works by Maggie Ramirez Burns-an exhibition of papercut art in the lobby.
Tickets: https://www.taproottheatre.org/shows/2023/the-hello-girls/“>https://www.taproottheatre.org/shows/2023/the-hello-girls/
