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In 'Respect,' women gather strength in song

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Alison Burns, Nadeen Holloway and Heather Krueger star in "Respect: A Musical Journey of Women," opening Thursday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

By KATHY L. GREENBERG | Tribune correspondent

Published: June 16, 2009

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TAMPA - From one decade to the next, music has undeniably evoked a powerful bevy of moods and memories. Dorothy Marcic harnessed this power in her musical "Respect: A Musical Journey of Women," but she took it one step further. She reconstructed the story of 20th century women through Top 40 hits from 1900 to today, illustrating women's evolving rank and esteem in society.

"The [thematic] arc of the show goes from women being codependent to independent," said Marcic, a former professor at Vanderbilt University and a Fulbright scholar. "I think of the show as all about women learning how to gain respect and ask for respect and how to have self-respect."

The production opens Thursday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Four women sing and narrate a century's worth of women's history, playing figures like Rosa Parks and Coco Chanel to explain each era. Theatergoers will hear "Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home," a song from 1902 about a woman who throws her no-good guy out of the house but begs him to come back. "My Man," which Fanny Brice made famous in the 1920s, forgives infidelity for the sake of male companionship. George Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me" is "the highest ideal of a song for women getting taken care of," said Marcic.

World War II gave ladies muscle, as they found work outside the home when the men went off to battle. But by the 1950s, they were ordered back to the kitchen with "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake." It took another decade before women — namely, Aretha Franklin — started demanding "Respect," with others announcing "You Don't Own Me" and "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."

By the 1980s, Whitney Houston declared the "Greatest Love of All" was for herself, and that ballad made way for Martina McBride's "This One's for the Girls" in 2003.

"These are inner-strength songs, where we don't have to be angry anymore," Marcic said.

An organizational and management consultant, Marcic had been using music in her leadership programs for years to "spice things up." In 1999, a presentation in Orlando for the Bahá'í — a religious group that emphasizes gender equality — led to a book contract, then a CD and then a one-woman musical that she performed throughout the United States. In 2004, "Respect" went commercial.

Marcic made it clear that the show is not some fluff piece about feminism. It's entertainment with depth.

"This is not a musical revue of a bunch of songs. It relates to people's lives and their pain and their joys. The songs are set in a context so people can understand what they meant and why those songs came out at that time," Marcic said.