Guest Blogger Barbara Bova, PhD: Review of Show: Siren's Heart

Siren's Heart {about Marilyn Monroe} is a wonderful musical originally shown at Theater For The New City -- it is currently at The Actors' Temple Theatre. The play runs for 90 minutes with 8 original songs.

Louisa Bradshaw captures the sensitivity and kindness of the real Marilyn/Norma Jean from her room in Purgatory. Marilyn talks/explains/contemplates/sings about her life and death with us and we relive it with her. She remembers with fondness her appearance before 17,000 troops in Korea--there she sensed complete love and acceptance. with absolutely no lack of self-confidence with them, her live audience, (and also with us her live audience) and thinks that perhaps she would have gone on to become a stage actress. It also shows the downturns in Marilyn's confidence as her GI appearance was downplayed by someone close to her. But in yet another example of Marilyn's kindness she forgives everyone. I highly recommend this one-woman show.