Once upon a time, in a land not so far, far away (Sparta, NJ, to be exact,) a formerly swinging NYC single found herself 7 months pregnant with her 2^nd child, peering out her suburban home window into a heavy downpour and wondering, ‘What the hell happened to my life?’ Her next thought: ‘Crap! I bet the basement’s flooding again!’ So, down the stairs she lumbered, to find that yes, water was seeping through the basement door, but wait! What’s this?  Water was dripping steadily through the basement ceiling, too! Up the stairs she pounded to the laundry room, where she discovered the washer hose had loosened from the washer and water was pouring over the floor. But before the fair maiden could attend to the Kenmore, shrieks of pain emanated from the upstairs bathroom! Off she ran, as graceful as a Sumo wrestler, upstairs to the locked bathroom in which her beloved 2-year stood encased. Quickly nabbing a hangar, she popped the lock to behold a ‘Carrie’-like scene–her daughter, bleeding and screaming.  Apparently, Daddy left his razor on the sink again, and she wanted to ‘shave like a big boy.’

Believe it or not, we laugh about that day now.  In fact, our kids’ ask for the story to be recited. It’s moments like these that you can’t plan for as a parent, and that RATED P The Musical captures perfectly.  Moments of sheer happiness, moments in which you feel your heart has left your body an empty shell, and moments in which you feel you’ll burst with love and pride.

“Much of RATED P is inspired by my stories and my friend’s stories – either from our childhoods or our lives now as parents,” says Sandy Rustin. In fact, back in August 2010, the local Maplewood community got a sneak peek of Rated P at the musical’s first public reading, and subsequently provided valuable feedback, comments and criticisms. “People found it funny, poignant–there was something universal in the parenting experience to be shared,” says Rustin, a mother of two and Co-Artistic Director of Midtown Direct Rep.

Unique to this show is the local New Jersey nature of both the theatre company and the production.  Midtown Direct Rep is SOPAC’s theater company in residence, comprised of local Broadway actors, musicians, directors and producers, dedicated to showcasing Broadway talent, locally.  RATED P The Musical includes director of RATED P, Jeremy Dobrish, a father of two living in Maplewood.  He promises that, “if you’re parent, a grandparent, someone thinking about becoming a parent, or if you’ve ever HAD a parent, RATED P will resonate with you.”  Cast members include: father of two/South Orange resident David Josefsberg (The Wedding Singer, Les Miserables, Altar Boyz); Millburn native Courtney Balan ([Title of Show], Cry-Baby, In My Life), father of two/South Orange resident Bradley Dean (A Little Night Music, Spamalot), and mother of three/Maplewood resident Joanna Young (The Drowsy Chaperone, Les Miserables, Grease).  These four actors play 80 (that’s eighty!) characters over the show’s span.

Now, after nearly a year of re-writes, revisions, and rehearsals, RATED P takes the leap from page to stage. Rustin’s hopes? “The challenge is, you want the show to be perfect, but it’s a brand new show, a work in progress.  We’re very aware that the show is in the infant stage, but we’ve spent this year making it be the best it can be, the most exciting...and speed is exciting!  Most musicals have a 7 year incubation...ours had 10 months.” Hmmmm... almost like...pregnancy?  Catch RATED P The Musical at SOPAC, before it grows up, moves out and hits Off-Broadway!

We're teaming up with the South Orange Performing Arts Center to offer two lucky couples a set of two tickets to this fun new show!

The Prize: Two sets of two tickets each to "Rated P: The Musical" at South Orange Performing Arts Center on Thursday, May 5 at 8pm.

How to Enter: To enter the contest leave a comment below telling us how parenthood has changed your life (yes, in one sentence, ha ha). Comments must be entered by 5pm on Friday, April 29. Two winners will be drawn at random and notified on Saturday, April 30. Please leave your correct email address (one that you check frequently) when you leave your comment because that is the only way we will be able to reach you. If you do not respond to our email notification within 48 hours, another winner will be drawn. Email addresses of entrants will not be collected, sold or otherwise abused.

“Rated P: The Musical”. Thursday, May 5-Saturday, May 7 at 8pm. Sunday, May 8 at 3pm. Tickets $35.-$45. Not appropriate for children. BONUS: Join the cast and creative team for a talk back after every performance.

Book & Lyrics by Sandy Rustin
Music & Lyrics by Dan Lipton & David Rossmer
Starring Courtney Balan, Bradley Dean, David Josefsberg and Joanna Young
Directed by Jeremy Dobrish
Musical Direction by Meg Zervoulis
Musical Staging by Rachel Bress
Set Design by Steven Capone
Lighting Design by Michael Gottlieb
Costume Design by Bobby Pearce
Sound Design by Jill BC Du Boff
Wojcik/Seay Casting
Photo: Jeff Larkin