Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Melissa Etheridge’s amiable theatrical memoir MY WINDOW generously chronicles the rocker’s life and career

• By drediman
• October 24, 2022
• No Comments

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to catch My Window: A Journey Through Life, Melissa Etheridge’s new Off-Broadway mostly-solo show at New World Stages. Set in the mold of other theatrical memoirs — particularly Bruce Springsteen’s blockbuster appearances on Broadway — the show (which features additional material by Linda Wallem-Etheridge) amiably chronicles the 61-year-old rocker’s life and career from her humble beginnings in Kansas to raspy-voiced international pop icon.

In the confines of a relatively small Off-Broadway venue, the piece refreshingly registers like an intimate confessional — a far cry from the arenas the singer-songwriter has conquered in the past. The evening’s first act is a carefully plotted encapsulation of her stop-start rise to music stardom, while the post-intermission segment finds Ms. Etheridge in a more searching mode (particularly with respect to her various romantic relationships and the tragic recent passing of her son), which gives the show’s latter half a somewhat meandering quality. Given the relative “don’t ask don’t tell” discretion that has accompanied much of her career, it’s nice to see how unapologetic she is about about her sexuality as she recounts her desires and various exploits as an out-and-proud lesbian.

Even if Ms. Etheridge isn’t the most naturally gifted of storytellers, she’s a savvy performer, and she gives her adoring, sold-out audience exactly what they came for (with the amusing onstage support of her roadie-like assistant Kate Owens), brilliantly placing her hit sings at key moments of her life’s journey. Most importantly, Ms. Etheridge is a generous stage presence, and she has no qualms stretching her story (thus far) to nearly three hours. Indeed, by doing so, Ms. Etheridge and her director Amy Tinkham seem intent to make sure that her enthusiastic fans get their money’s worth, and they do.

RECOMMENDED

MY WINDOW: A JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
Off-Broadway, Play/Musical
New World Stages
2 hours, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Through October 29