43
Rust Belt's 'Godiva' is clothed in issues
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Rust Belt Theater Company’s latest original production is based on a thousand-year-old legend but has a theme that’s very much in the present.
“Godiva: A Burlesque Musical” tells the story of a group of women in a small town who band together to stage a burlesque show.
It was inspired by the story of Lady Godiva, in which a woman disobeys her wealthy husband and is forced to ride naked through the town as punishment.
Each character in “Godiva” has her own reason for wanting to participate in a burlesque show, but the major theme of the musical is positive body image: realizing that everyone is unique, and beautiful, in their own way.
Robert Dennick Joki wrote “Godiva” with musical collaborator Josh Taylor, and also directs. Marisa Zamary plays the lead role of Amanda, and is also the choreographer.
Song titles for the musical numbers give a framework for the humorous story’s plot points: “Grin and Bare It,” “My Eyes Are Up There,” “The Happiest Family in Town That Everyone Hates,” “Big Girls Don’t Move Like That,” “Remind Me How To Dance” and “Let Down Your Hair.”
The premiere of “Godiva” will be Friday at 8 p.m. in the Calvin Center building, 755 Mahoning Ave. Additional performances will be Saturday, and also May 1, 2, 8 and 9. Call 330-507-2358.
The impetus for “Godiva” was the Community-Supported Art program launched last year by the Legal Creative, a Valley organization that supports the performing arts. Joki was chosen as one of nine participants in the program. He started writing the music last spring, creating five pieces — three of which made it into the script — for the CSArt program.
The Rust Belt Theater visionary discussed “Godiva” in this exchange with The Vindicator:
Q. Judging by the song titles, “Godiva” is a comedy. What is the plot?
A. It’s a comedy, but there are also some serious themes and subplots. It is loosely based on the legend of Lady Godiva. The central character is Amanda, the soon-to-be ex-wife of the mayor, Richard, who has made life difficult for her since the separation. She rarely gets to see her daughter, Willow. She also has a difficult time finding work because Richard has had her blackballed. She and a group of her friends decide to band together and make a statement.
Q. This is the latest in a series of original musicals in which you and Josh Taylor have collaborated on the songs. Tell me about your musical partnership.
A. Josh and I have different approaches to song writing, but we collaborate pretty well together. Josh is an excellent guitar player, and his background is mostly rock. I write for piano and voice, and my background is mostly in show tunes, and, believe it or not, country music. Most of Josh’s stuff is instrumentally driven, while mine is vocally driven. A typical collaboration starts out with me composing a simple piano version of a song. Then I record a demo track with my own voice and send it to Josh, and also the actor who will be performing it. So while the actor is learning it, Josh is arranging the orchestration. Meanwhile, I move on to the next song.
Q. Promoting positive body image is a noble theme. Was it something you had been kicking around for a while?
A. I’ve been wanting to do a show like this for a while. I was just waiting for the right time and the right group of people to come along. I’ve assembled a large cast of beautiful, talented, courageous and diverse performers. And I think I’ve put more of myself into this show than anything I’ve ever written. I hope audiences get as much out of it as we have.