Alice Jankell directs a cute, clever and sincere exploration of 17 years of mommyhood on the Upper East Side. Anyone familiar with this species of woman will enjoy the familiar concerns: babies preferring Beethoven to nursery rhymes, infants making the right moves to get into Harvard, middle-schoolers spending hours grooming for ultra-chic bar mitzvahs. More seriously, the musical acknowledges frustration with and even dislike of children, which most of us shy away from admitting. And while motherhood is the primary theme, the material touches on other questions: frenemies, mental illness and divorce, as well as ridiculous online-dating profiles. The cast is led by Tiffan Borelli (who could be the love child of Kristin Chenoweth and January Jones), Christine Toy Johnson and Christiana Little. These talented ladies ably juggle the score’s cunning rhymes (music and lyrics are by Pamela Weiler Grayson) and toss off irreverent jokes that catch the audience off guard. It seems that at this Fringe, hope springs maternal.—Amelia Bienstock
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