Review: THE BRIDE OR DOES THIS DRESS MAKE ME LOOK MARRIED? at STAGES HOUSTON

For years, most of us assumed that Denise Fennell was an actual nun. She came in and out of Stages Houston as Sister in the LATE NIGHT CATECHISM series from Maripat Donovan regularly over at least the last decade. She seemed so real, teaching those Catholic classes, and our world was shaken when she did something like SHEAR MADNESS. But Denise had always wanted to do her own one-woman show, and a piece where she could hew closer to herself. THE BRIDE; OR DOES THIS DRESS MAKE ME LOOK MARRIED? premiered at Stages in the spring of 2023, and now has a return engagement after being worked on a bit on the road. This show was the first time that Denise “kicked the habit” and walked out onstage as herself. What makes THE BRIDE even more special is that she created it with her husband, Rick Pasqualone. He wrote most of this, and he’s proving to be her next big inspiration. They met doing TONY AND TINA’S WEDDING (even got married onstage!), and then they were wed on June 26, 2021, in York Beach, Maine. Life imitated art! This play is the first in their collaborations and is a funny, sweet tribute to matrimony and family. This is Denise alone onstage for ninety minutes, talking about the panic she went into on her wedding day. Oh, and of course, there is some hilarious audience interaction, because it is Denise Fennell. 

What will surprise viewers the most is that Denise is a firecracker of a woman, with the same spark that makes Sister so lovable, but she also has a crass, naughty side, not quite captured until this piece. The Boston and Catholic influences are fully present, but she’s not afraid to joke about topics that Sister would avoid. Something tells me Sister would lecture her a little. And heck, even in a huge poofy dress that turns her shoulders into shower loofas, she’s strikingly gorgeous, and wears makeup. And Denise loves her family; she knows where she came from. THE BRIDE is first and foremost a tribute to the people who got her here. Now, don’t think THE BRIDE from Rick and Denise Pasqualone is completely 100% true, because they do employ the tools of any good playwright, and add some dramatic made-up flourishes. But rest assured that most of the bits you are gonna remember really happened. You just can’t make up what her sister does to prevent rain. 

Stylistically, THE BRIDE is a little less interactive than what LATE NIGHT CATECHISMS are like. A narrative spun by Rick and Denise takes center stage and fills at least 80% of the ninety-minute runtime. The improvised bits and call-and-response with the audience are not as frequent, but they are still present when needed. This is an obvious choice for soon-to-be brides or newlyweds, but it will resonate just as easily with the decidedly single or those in unique, unsanctioned relationships. At its heart, it’s more universal than it sounds. There’s some really great tech happening here behind a simple set of empty picture frames. Stages has put this in a larger space this time, and the gorgeous illustrations and Denise’s charisma fill it up past the balcony and up to the ceiling. 

Denise Fennell Pasqualone shares so much of herself in THE BRIDE that it just feels like a hug from the actress. There are laughs, teary moments, and even a random game show thrown in for good measure. This piece works because we are seeing Denise grow as an artist and challenge herself to not hide behind a character. Whenever she talks of her parents, there is a raw and vulnerable moment where she gets a lump in her throat that the entire house feels. And isn’t that what marriages are about? Family. And isn’t that what Denise is to Stages and Houston? Family. Surely this piece belongs on the Sterling stage, and it’s one that you are not going to want to miss, even if you saw it in the original run. Some people have wedding albums or videos they torture you with, but Rick and Denise have something even more unique that could only come from them. It’s an interactive one-woman show that lets Denise Fennell become Denise Fennell Pasqualone. Tony and Tina should be so lucky!  

THE BRIDE will run on the Sterling Stage through February 8th. It would be a great pre-Valentine’s date or a fun girls' (or boys') night.   Definitely check the start times, because the show begins earlier than most shows at the theater. Stages has an awesome bar if you need a libation before the nuptials. And don’t forget to slip some advice to the bride in the box in the lobby. There are photo ops in front of a flower wall, too.