Motherhood in All Its Majesty

You’ll function on less sleep than you ever thought you could. You’ll clean up things that you never thought you would. And you’ll trade in the convertible for a minivan.

Welcome to Motherhood, an entertaining musical that’s playing at Trinity Repertory Company through July 1. Groups of women lined up outside the theater before the show and judging from the laughter throughout the production, it hit a chord.

The action opens with Amy (Lisa Manuli), a perky blonde caressing her belly, three weeks from the due date of her first baby. She’s starry-eyed about the prospect of motherhood, singing “Nothing but the best for my baby,”—at least until her three friends, mothers themselves, arrive to give her a baby shower.

Brooke (Becca McCoy), a lawyer who is never without her mobile device, wonders if she’s doing the right thing when she has to miss a play or soccer game. Barb (Mary Kathryn Kaye), a stressed-out mother of five, notes how motherhood has affected her. And Tasha (Jewel Lucien), a single mom, reflects on the loneliness she feels every other weekend when her kids are with their dad.

But despite the laundry and the whining, it’s clear how much these women love their kids, and how while they might celebrate when they finally get their kids to sleep, the idea that they’ll grow up and leave some day gives them pause. “I’m the richest woman in the world, because I’m Danny’s mom,” Barb sings.

Most of the musical is very funny. Some of the best numbers are “Costco Queen,” celebrating Brooke’s fascination with bulk shopping; “How Great They Were,” and “Baby Weight Blues,” reflections on how bodies change with babies; "Do It," about getting romantic after you've had kids; and “Good Drugs,” on the wonder of epidurals.

In the end, it’s a celebration of maternity, leaks and sags and all.

For more information or to buy tickets, go to trinityrep.com.