Presented by Abby Goldfarb
Review by Eve Nugent
Sprout Studio at Greenside @ George Street
Enter Abby Goldfarb: pink hot pants, a bright smile, and a unique story to tell. Raised in New York City by five mums – picture extreme left-wing politics, Subarus, hair that never quite made it beyond the ear – Goldfarb’s unconventional upbringing lays the foundation for Most of my Moms Are Gay, a funny, candid and moving piece of autobiographical musical theatre.
The show opens with a song about her (almost) immaculate conception: a turkey baster, a male friend’s generous donation, and a dream. With her biological mum Carolea – born Carol Leah, a name which wasn’t interesting enough apparently – having fallen miraculously pregnant under such circumstances, who does Abby feel a personal connection to? Jesus, of course.
The following 45 minutes unfold through thirteen powerhouse ballads, charting Garland’s journey from an irregular childhood to troubles with OCD, her mums’ divorce and the bewildering experience of being forced to coming out as straight. Along the way, she recounts a disappointing career struggle on Broadway, before arriving at the show’s central realisation: a life filled with success and conventional achievement isn’t necessarily the most impressive or rewarding one.
Directed by Eddie Grey, with music by Jody Shelton and Goldfarb herself, the show is a celebration of individuality – she shares her hard-earned wisdom about overcoming the fear of failure and learning to embrace the things that make us peculiar. She now lives with her wonderfully loyal, kind, gentle, gorgeous and loving dog. Oh, and her husband, too.
Goldfarb is a true performer – her voice is outstanding, filling the intimate Sprout Studio at Greenside with enough force to suggest she could easily command a venue sizes larger. Yet the small space proves well suited to the intimacy of her vulnerable storytelling, connecting the audience to both the performer and the human behind the songs.
This is a production with a promising future. You will leave feeling thoroughly Goldfarbed.
A Production with A Promising Future
Most of My Moms Are Gay runs Venue 236, Sprout Studio at Greenside @ George Street at 20:15
Running time – Fifty minutes
Review by Eve Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Her primary devotion is acting, predominantly at Bedlam Theatre with her fellow students, but also with French group ‘Les Escogriffes’ who perform annually at the French Institute of Scotland.
Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she enjoys playing the flute, piano and guitar. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
