With such great musicianship and fine singing, Cowgirls would be a feast even without a plot. But the story's ingredients -- distinctive characterizations and suspense -- add flavor to lyrics and sound.
Central character Jo Carlson (Angela C. Howell, strong in song and demeanor) must have a blockbuster weekend to save her family's saloon-with-stage shows. She's booked the eastern, classical Coghill Trio to do the trick.
Just as Jo misunderstood the name "Coghill" as "Cowgirl", the ladies mistook her Hiram Hall to be a Kansas equivalent of Carnegie Hall. Will Jo be able to whip the trio into shape during a day and night? Will the three very different women draw her into following into her mother's and others' cowgirls music-making tradition? Will the much- married blonde waitress and aspiring singer Mickey (assertive while true to type Chelsea Costa) and Jo's assistant Mo (energetic, sweet Emily S. Grosland) hinder or help?
Violinist Mary Lou (pretty Sarah Hund, competently conflicted) evidences the most trouble going "From Chopin to Country" and elicits pity doing so. Outstanding pianist Franca Vercelloni as the very different, pregnant Rita expresses joyfully being inspired with "I Wanna Be a Honky Tonk Girl." (Dale Jordan's woody country saloon design is believably a big part of her inspiration.) Vercelloni also excels on a keyboard and an accordion. Equally versatile on stringed instruments, including guitar and mandolin, Joanna Parson's lesbian Lee is first to taut women's power and elicit loyalty from her fellow musicians with a secret sorority song.
Director Mary Murfitt's pleasant numbers, with and without vocals, run a nicely arranged gamut from religious to hoedown to ballad on 20 instruments. Her experience of years of performing them translates seemingly effortlessly into how they're presented at FST. The show within the show, with flashy props and costumes, draws audiences in further to an involved surprise.
Cowgirls should please fans of country music and those who aren't but will become such during the performance.
