ORLANDO — There are plenty of humorous moments in the musical The Pin-Ups Girls, starting with the opening premise: a girl band quartet is short one singer — who is in the hospital ready to give birth. Since that’s a perfectly understandable reason for missing their performance at a local VWF chapter, they ask Joel to fill in for her.
A dude singing in an all-girl quartet? Yes, indeed, and as you can probably imagine, that scenario results in plenty of funny moments provided by the show’s creators, James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin.
At the same time, this musical revue now being produced by Winter Park Playhouse has a unique feel compared to some of their recent productions. As I noted, the women perform at a VFW hall, where they stumble onto a stash of letters from soldiers, some of them dating back decades. As they read letters from soldiers while serving in World War I all the way up to the war in Afghanistan, singers Joel, Leanne, Dana and Megan perform songs from those different eras. The letters are alternately humorous, sometimes romantic … and heartbreaking. This is a patriotic show likely to be deeply moving to anyone who has served in the military or has a service member in their family.
The Pin-Up Girls is being performed at the Playhouse now through April 25, and it’s a show likely to have wide appeal for its talented cast and strong emotional pull.
What is the musical The Pin-Up Girls?
The Pin-Up Girls owes its inspiration to actual letters that Hindman and Lodin discovered. As Hindman notes, “Jeffrey and I spent months gathering letters from service men and women and their families – some as far back as World War One. The more we read, the more these heroes of war became … people: people with loves and losses and dreams for their future. And we wondered, with the closing of so many VFW Halls, what will happen to these stories? With a new twist on tunes from Gershwin to Beyonce to Hip-Hop, we put together our favorite stories to celebrate all the women and men who have served our country.”
Developed in 2024, the cabaret-style show has been performed at numerous venues, including the Playhouse on Park, the New Jersey Repertory Company, and Casa Mañana. Musically, it’s an eclectic mix of songs, from the Andrew Sister (“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”) to Nancy Sinatra (“These Boots Are Made For Walkin'”) and more. Along the way, there are imitations of Bob Hope, Dean Martin and other celebrities performing at USO shows for U.S. troops. The show is a touching reminder of the sacrifice these soldiers made to protect their nation.
How is the Winter Park Playhouse Production?
Under the skillful direction of the Playhouse’s artistic director and choreographer Roy Alan, the show rapidly finds it comedic footing, as poor Joel struggles to fit in among the girls; the casting of Adam Biner as Joel really pays off, since Biner appears to have been born with a startling talent for razor-shape comedy and soaring harmonious vocals.
Biner gets tremendous help, of course, from his cast mates: Mahalia Gronigan as Leanne, Hannah Laird as Dana, and Avianna Tato as Megan, four Winter Park Playhouse regulars who instinctively understand the feel and groove of the Playhouse’s productions. They’re hilarious at the best comedic scenes, but also touching when the show glides into more poignant moments. That’s especially true when some of the letters describe the way military conflicts bring soldiers together — united in a mission they believe in — but can also result in devastating tragedy.
The show is also moving for paying tribute to the role women have played in the armed forces and in military conflicts over the year.
Plus, there’s always the fine humor of Leanne’s smartphone constantly ringing, as they get updates from the hospital where a baby is about to be delivered. The show’s heartfelt emotions and energetic renditions of old classics are irresistible.
Where Can I See The Pin-Up Girls?
The Pin-Up Girls is being performed by The Winter Park Playhouse at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins St., in the Mandell Theatre. The Winter Park Playhouse’s longtime theater at 711 N. Orange Ave. in Winter Park is closed this season for renovations, and will reopen this summer. In the meantime, the Playhouse continues to perform at its current location at Orlando Shakes.
The show runs for an hour and 45 minutes, with a 15 minute intermission. It will be performed through April 25 and this production includes a “Dear Sweetheart” speciality cocktail.
Ticket prices are $47 for evening shows, $45 for seniors during evening shows, $42 for matinees, and $20 for students ages 15-25 years, active military and theatrical industry professionals. Student rush “$10@10” offers $10 tickets (for students 25 years and younger) are sold 10 minutes prior to a performance when seats are available.
To purchase tickets or for more information call the box office at 407-645-0145 or visit online at www.winterparkplayhouse.org.
Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright and author of the terrifying book “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.
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