Who run the world?! GIRLS!!! That certainly seemed the be the case on Saturday, January 21st, 2017, the day that hundreds of thousands of women marched on cities all over the world, demanding the protection of women’s rights, in light of a new administration that seems determined to strip them of such.
By sheer coincidence, this was the very night I happened to see Ménage a Trois, a trio of powerful, talented women, who took to the stage at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, singing anthemic songs - some of love gone wrong, some of the longing for love, and some about taking control of their own lives, emotions, and sexuality.
Ménage a Trois are Lacey Angerosa, Nyseli Vega, and Bianca Madison, and let me tell you, these women have some chops! Lacey has performed regionally, on cruise ships, and in New York theater. Her roles include ‘Patti’ in Smokey Joe’s Cafe and ‘Mimi’ in Rent. Nyseli has appeared in the all female improv show Pillow Fight, Off-Broadway in iLLa: A Hip Hop Musical, and in Orange is the New Black. Bianca has studied with Heidi Marshall, Julio Agustin, and Jen Waldman, and has performed professionally throughout the U.S. She was recently seen as ‘Nora’ in Vinyl on HBO, and has appeared in The Life, and In The Heights.
The three forged a friendship while working as part of the singing waitstaff at a popular eatery in the Times Square area. Not only were they proud feminists, but they also had strong ties to the LGBTQ community. Soon, Ménage a Trois was born.
The show opened with a gorgeous tableau, in which the girls were discovered onstage in a haze of magenta-hued lighting, backs to the audience, fists in the air. In the opening medley of Beyonce’s “Get Me Bodied/Freakum Dress,” they took their power immediately, with lyrics like ‘Can you get me bodied, I wanna be myself tonight, Wanna party, wanna dance, wanna be myself tonight’ and ‘Ain’t no shame, ‘coz I gotta get mine.‘ The medley became a celebration of female strength and sexuality - a fun, hot way to start the show! That was followed by Lauryn Hill’s megahit, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” - a plea for self respect, and the two numbers combined as if to say “Be strong and have fun, but don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of!”
Patter was kept to a minimum in this show and fairly soon, after an appropriately gospel tinged “Take Me To Church,” featuring gorgeous vocal riffs, we came to the quiet simplicity of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Done with all three ladies seated, the song was delivered in a simple but lovely three-part harmony.
Nyseli took the evening’s first solo moment, with Rag N Bone Man’s “Human,” which showcased her powerful belt, particularly on the refrain. That was followed by another group number; “Damaged,” by Danity Kane, where the girls’ vocals brought to mind two of my favorite singers: Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson from the B52’s.
The next solo was Rhianna’s “Love On The Brain” - a sweaty, bluesy shouter, with Bianca begging for love, even if she’s ‘being played like a violin.’ She got down and dirty, singing ‘No matter what I do, I’m no good without you, and I can’t get enough. Must be love on the brain.’
A driving 90’s medley featured each young lady taking on an iconic song of the era, and culminated in delicious counterpoint, with all three of them singing their numbers in tandem.
Finally, Lacey’s solo spot was the decidedly upbeat “Expensive,” in which she expressed her self-worth to the object of her affection: ‘Cause you kiss me like I’m dreaming, like I’m one in a million...‘cause I know I got that somethin’ and it won’t cost you nothin’, I already feel expensive enough.’
As a matter of fact, the final leg of the show was all about self-worth and self respect - Lesley Gore’s timeless “You Don’t Own Me,” in gorgeous harmony, and the energetic “Wings” by Little Mix, done in a sort of modern swing time/military tempo. After downing shots from the bar, they launched into Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)”, prompting one of the audience members to pull out a sign she had brandished at the march that afternoon, which read ‘ROLL UP YER SLEEVES, LADIES!!!‘ When they closed out the evening with “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, the crowd was up and dancing, waving their arms in the air and cheering!
Now, I’m not a fan of rap or hip-hop, so I thought I’d be on the fence about their encore, “My Shot,” from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway smash, Hamilton. However, the inclusion of tight, staccato harmonies helped win me over...to a degree. But the crowd loved it, and that’s what really counts!
One tiny bit of negative criticism: there were scattered moments, mostly when the girls were singing more softly or in their lower registers, that I found myself straining to decipher lyrics or hear the vocals over the music. The sound was a bit muddy, at times - perhaps there may not have been enough high end in the sound system, perhaps the singers were a bit too close to their mics, or perhaps the band could have toned down their dynamics just a touch, but again, this was a minor quibble, and easily fixable.
The band - Jon Conver on guitar, Nick West on bass, Cyrill Bavier on keyboards, and Misia Vessio on drums, were tight and funky, playing hot arrangements created by the group as a whole. The set was current and exciting, and I often found myself tapping my foot or bobbing my head in time with the songs.
This was only Lacey, Bianca and Nyseli’s third performance as Ménage a Trois, yet they already seem to have an ardent following. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be hearing a lot more from them. I can see them as activists, working up the crowd at a future Women’s March, winning them over at Pride Parades, and of course, performing their act at clubs and theaters across the country. With talent like this, these girls WILL run the world!
