‘What She Said,’ a feminine perspective in six genres

A little over a year ago, Gaye Kruger and her husband attended a Hot August Nights event at Unity Spiritual Center where they met Sandra Marlowe.

“I happened to sit down next to Sandra,” Kruger said. The pair chatted, sharing stories about their careers and the entertainment world, agreeing to stay in touch. Then earlier this year, Kruger got a call. Marlowe had an idea for “a diva concert.”

Half scripted, half improvised, “What She Said” will feature a group of six “divas” singing a variety of genres including musical theater (Gaye Kruger ), jazz (Sandra Marlowe), blues (Carol Davis), country (Robin Hambey), soul (Vanessa Cole), and pop (Beth Rainey). A pianist as well as a vocalist, Rainey will accompany the others alongside “bass diva” Kim Plewniak and “drummer diva” Sophia Johnson.

Performances at the Unity Spiritual Center will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Marlowe’s plan was to feature six professional singers specializing in six different genres of music.

“I thought she was calling to have me direct or to help craft it,” Kruger said. “And she said, ‘Yeah, I’d like that, but I’d also like you to be the Broadway diva.’ ”

Kruger had worked as an actress, singer, dancer and a director in musical theater, TV and films for 25 years. But when Marlowe invited her to join the diva cast, she had been out of practice for nearly three decades. Still, she said yes.

With Kruger secured on the Broadway front, Marlowe soon found the other divas.

They hoped to paint an authentic portrait of the feminine perspective together. And, to that end, they made a point of showcasing the cast’s generational diversity.

“Our perspective changes through the years,” Kruger said, explaining how the cast has bonded during various discussions over the course of rehearsals. “What I love most about what happened was how our working together and sharing our perspectives made us very close – and audiences have told us you can see that respect, you can see that playfulness.”

Kruger and Marlowe worked together, curating a list of songs. But digging deeper into the show, they decided to add more narrative structure.

The resulting show, “What She Said,” is a multi-genre, multi-generational jukebox musical. Scored with covers of old favorites and original works, the show is interwoven with personal stories of “love, triumph and heartache, with fun and humor … all from a feminine perspective.”

The first production of “What She Said” – affectionately referred to as “the diva show” – took place in July at the JACC Cultural Center in Post Falls. The performance broke their attendance record.

“I don’t think any of us were prepared for how well our show was received in July,” Davis said. “I think all of us were so blown away that the audience just bought into it … there was this feeding back and forth. All this positive energy. It was truly an amazing night.”

After this weekend’s performances at Unity Spiritual Center, the Divas will return to the JACC in December for an all-new holiday show.

For information, visit “What She Said, a feminine perspective” on Facebook. Tickets are available online at simpletix.com. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit the Unity Spiritual Center.