Florida Studio Theater’s second version of Guitar Girls contains some nice surprises. Only two of the cast of five play guitars. One of the cast is a man. Concentrating not on the women performing but on songs and developers’ fine script, the show sparkles in tribute to leading American female singer-songwriters and their creations. Their range includes Loretta Lynn, Dixie Chicks, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. After a rousing group rendition of “Down at the Twist and Shout” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” Tamra Hayden acts as major narrator, guitarist, and vocalist. She’s particularly memorable being the Loretta Lynn-like “Coat Miner’s Daughter.” In Act 2, her “Big Boned Gal” achievement seems effortless. Cat Greenfield, the other “girl guitarist,” solos frequently, notably (and naturally) with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Girls with Guitars.” Her “Poor Me” is a defiant answer to love that’s been lost. She makes Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” colorful and Janis Joplin on “Mercedes Benz” almost breathless. On keyboard throughout the show, Anna Stefanic breaks out for one song in Act I but most powerfully later in an extended “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King. Her excellent keyboard accents both the show’s opening and closing. FST favorite Jannie Jones plays “only a mean tambourine” but is major vocalist leading into a group “Amazing Grace” and she then takes over “Suds in the Bucket.” She ends Act I leading an all-out group “Sin Wagon.” She returns soloing in Act 2 with “PMS Blues” that’s both sexy and funny. Jannie tells of Rosetta Tharpe writing one of the first African American songs, then leads into “This Train.” Jannie’s soaring “I Will Always Love You” has listeners spontaneously on their feet applauding. Sole “guitar guy” Joe Casey also scintillates singing “Kisses Sweeter than Wine” and imitates Johnny Cash with “Ring of Fire” (actually co-written by Cash’s wife June Carter). He proves essential to “Bound for Glory”—an enhanced ending of “This Train”—a duet with Tamra Hayden. Susan Angermann’s costumes decorate the stage as well as the performers with their variety of color and texture. Everyone dons sport boots for a country-western theme. The women’s tunics, though, have blaring hues and patterns, buckles, fringes whereas Joe’s pants, shirt, and vest are in subdued blue, gray, black. All the technical work is well done in a show where lighting and sound are so important. Director Catherine Randazzo assures that every aspect of Guitar Girls flows into a natural whole. She makes it seem the cast and crew are as delighted as she aims their audiences to be.
