Let's face it - being a mom may be the greatest job in the world, but it's also one of the most exhausting occupations out there.  Most days it's a wonder I'm even able to find time to brush my teeth, let alone throw on some makeup.  So when I was invited to a cocktail party and a performance of the new Broadway musical Baby It's You!, I lept at the chance!  A girls' night out? Count me in!

After some drinks and mingling at the oh-so-swank Paramount Hotel, our group headed to the beautiful Broadhurst theater and settled into our seats.  I had no idea what to expect from the show and didn't even know what it was about (and, frankly, didn't even care - I was just happy to be out!).  What a treat it turned out to be!  Baby It's You! tells the story of Florence Greenberg, a 1960s Passaic, New Jersey housewife whose ambition and intuition led her to find (with the help of her teenage daughter) and nurture a group of talented young women whom Greenberg transformed into The Shirelles, one of the greatest girl groups of all time.  The incomparable, Tony Award-winning actress Beth Leavel (who was recently nominated for yet another Tony for her performance in the show) is perfectly cast as Greenberg, who not only launched The Shirelles but also created Scepter Records and became the music industry's first female powerhouse.  Like any working mother, however, Greenberg had to wrestle with the price of her success, including a strained relationship with her children and the disintegration of her marriage. 

Baby It's You! features a fabulous ensemble cast belting out classic songs such as Dedicated To The One I Love, Sixteen Candles, Duke of Earl, It's My Party, He's So Fine, Twist and Shout and more.  I was pleasantly surprised by how many songs I recognized (after all, I didn't exactly grow up in the 1960s), and found myself happily singing along and tapping my toes throughout the performance (my apologies to those sitting around me!). 

I particularly enjoyed getting a sense of how records - and stars - were made during that era.  It was so different from today when an artist comes out with an entire album at once rather than one song at a time.  The Shirelles and other groups that rose to fame during that period were under relentless pressure to keep churning out hit singles or risk getting overshadowed and squeezed out by the next big thing. 

The show is a bit on the long side (there were definitely some numbers/songs that could have been cut), and the story itself is not entirely riveting (you really don't get to know too much about The Shirelles themselves), but the music was absolutely divine.  And of course, the historical backdrop made it that much more intriguing.  If you're looking for a fun girls' night out, or a show to which you can bring your in-laws or parents, Baby It's You! is a perfect fit!  For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.babyitsyouonbroadway.com.