Belles Soeurs musical a 'celebration of women and the human spirit'

One thing Lisa Horner learned from playing the lead role in the Charlottetown Festival's newest show is that "women get it done" on and off the stage.

Belles Soeurs: The Musical features a cast of 11 women of different ages It centres around a housewife (Horner) whose life is turned upside down when she wins one million customer loyalty stamps from a department store.

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It takes place at a time when women stayed at home raising their kids and looking after their husbands and they leaned on each other to survive.

Women get it done. We know how to support each other to get it done. That's a big lesson and wonderful discovery in this process.- Lisa Horner

"The most important thing I've come away from it with it with is how important female relations are and how we've supported each other," Horner told Mainstreet P.E.I.

"The show is about that and 11 actresses are doing the exact same thing off stage. I'm only speaking from a female perspective, but women get it done. We know how to support each other to get it done. That's a big lesson and wonderful discovery in this process."

'Quintessential Canadian play'

Horner must not be the only one who feels that way. Michel Tremblay's Les Belles Soeurs has resonated with audiences around the world, said director Adam Brazier, noting the "quintessential Canadian play" has been translated in more than 30 languages.

The Charlottetown show is an English musical theatre adaptation of the play.

"To bring this to a musical theatre audience is to elevate the story in such a way I believe will give it more access to a larger demographic and make these characters more beloved, because they really are beloved characters," Brazier said.

'The music's fantastic'

After a successful run with Mamma Mia this summer, Brazier said Belle Souer is "different than an Abba-type musical" but just as fun.

"The music's fantastic," he said.

The composers, Neil Bartram and Brian Hill, met as members of Charlottetown's Young Company several years ago, Brazier said.

It's an amazing celebration of women and the human spirit.- Adam Brazier

Horner said the music will sound familiar, but it's completely original.

"[Bartram] will come up with a chord that brings a tear to your eye instantly and then you're laughing hysterically at a turn of phrase that Brian's written two lines later," she said.

"It's such a fun and funny evening," Brazier added. "It's an amazing celebration of women and the human spirit."

The show runs from Sept. 13 to Oct. 1 in the Homburg Theatre.

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