Jay Falzone Files For "Divorce Party - The Musical"

As more gay couples win the right to marry, some are already discovering the pitfalls of marriage that straight couples have known for generations. That's the premise of a new musical premiering this month in West Palm Beach at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

And while Divorce Party The Musical doesn't deal with gay marriage per se, there are definitely plenty of universal themes for all couples, says the show's director and lyricist, Jay Falzone, who married his partner of three years in New York City in 2011.

In a phone interview, he chuckles, "I was married over a year ago myself, but it's really not about those issues. There are some gay plot lines, but the show is really about relationships and friends and sisters and how they change and move forward."

Falzone describe the show as a parody about a phenomenon that has swept the country in recent years, divorce parties. In this new show, three women throw their own divorce party for a longtime friend who recently divorced.

Falzone, the veteran of many similar shows that have toured the South Florida area including Shout: The Mod Musical, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, and Cooking with the Calamari Sisters, joined the project more than two years ago at the invitation of producer Mark Schwartz (Menopause The Musical).

He teamed up with self-help author Dr. Amy Botwinick (Congratulations on Your Divorce - The Road to Finding Your Happily Ever After), and went about adapting many popular songs with witty new lyrics. Audiences will instantly recognize "Say a Little Prayer," "Let's Get the Party Started," "Boot Scootin' Boogie," and even "Greased Lightning."

The result is a show packed with plenty of comic mayhem and even a touch of "naughty," as the characters, including one who is a lesbian, go through this new ritual to move forward with their lives.

Reflecting on his own marriage, Falzone asks, "Why does the relationship change now that you're married, just because of a piece of paper and rings?"

He and his husband certainly don't have the typical marriage, spending up to 11 months each year on the road with his shows, but that's a lifestyle they choose.

"We love New York, we love our apartment. We'd love to spend more time here, but we're involved in very successful shows," he says. "People kind of impose on marriage these expectations that things will be different and I think that's why some people end up in divorce."

Falzone doesn't have any plans to call a divorce attorney any time soon, but for now, he's happy to help others move on from their failed marriages with his new show.

Divorce Party The Musical
Tuesdays - Sundays through Feb. 19
Rinker Playhouse, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Tickets start at $25 at Kravis.org