Well-Behaved and Bold: Carmel Dean’s Empowering Musical
Celebrating the stories of trailblazing women through song and performance in Well-Behaved Women at Belvoir St Theatre
Carmel Dean, the renowned composer, lyricist, arranger, and music director whose credits span Broadway hits such as the revival of "Funny Girl" (starring Lea Michele), "If/Then" (starring Idina Menzel), "American Idiot", "Hands on a Hardbody", and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", is bringing something bold and empowering to the stage with "Well-Behaved Women".
Hailing from Perth and now based in New York City, Dean’s musical creation is a dynamic celebration of historical women who broke barriers and refused to conform. The musical, which premiered at Joe’s Pub in New York, now heads to Belvoir St Theatre with a powerhouse cast including Stefanie Caccamo, Zahra Newman, Elenoa Rokobaro, and Ursula Yovich.
Theatre Thoughts recently heard from Carmel Dean as she shared her insights into her journey from Perth to New York, the inspiration behind Well-Behaved Women, and the message she hopes audiences will take away from this revamp of the smash-hit production.
Q: You’ve had an impressive career as a composer, arranger, and music director across Broadway and beyond. How did your journey from Perth to New York shape your approach to creating musical theatre?
Carmel: New York is such a melting pot of creativity and is home to artists from all over the world, so I’ve always felt like I’m able to explore and use my creative voice to its fullest there. I also feel like having grown up in a different country and culture, I’m able to bring a unique (and much-loved!) Aussie perspectives and sensibility into my work, in terms of humor, laid-backness, and people skills.
Q: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Well-Behaved Women? What drew you to highlight these historical female figures, and how did you go about choosing which women to feature?
Carmel: I had the idea to write the song cycle after writing Cleopatra’s song ‘Stay and Fight’ with my friend Miriam Laube. I thought, 'Hang on, what if we had a whole show full of historic women telling their stories through song?' And the idea took off! I chose women whose stories inspired me, who had something specific to say, and a detailed story to tell—women like Billie Jean King, Malala Yousafzai, Harriet Tubman, and even Julia Gillard!
I didn’t just want twenty women singing about being angry or whining about their problems. I wanted them to tell their stories, show real emotion, and have the cumulative nature of the work really impact the audience. And of course, I wanted it to be entertaining, so I chose a variety of musical styles and made sure I had a balance of powerful, funny, poignant, and moving songs throughout the show.
Q: Well-Behaved Women celebrates women who defied societal expectations. What message do you hope audiences take away from the show, especially in today’s context of gender equality and empowerment?
Carmel: That no matter how much it seems gender equality may be changing, we have so far to go. Women still need to use their voices, be empowered, be brave, support each other— and realize we don’t have to be well-behaved to change things for the better.
Q: The production has a powerhouse cast including Stefanie Caccamo, Zahra Newman, Elenoa Rokobaro, and Ursula Yovich. What has the collaboration process been like, and how do you think their performances will shape the final vision of Well-Behaved Women?
Carmel: These four women are absolute powerhouse performers. They are well-respected Australian artists who each have different backgrounds, insights, and stories themselves, just like the women they portray in the show. They will blow audiences away with their passion, humor, and vulnerability!
Q: Given your vast experience with different musicals, how do you see the role of women in musical theatre evolving—both on stage and behind the scenes?
Carmel : The gender imbalance is slowly changing, thanks to organizations like Maestra Music (which provides support, community, and visibility to women and non-binary people working in theatre), and theatres and organizations being more conscious in their DEI practices... but it’s a very slow process. We need to create more opportunities for women to learn and hone their leadership and creative skills, and make the pipeline accessible so that they are set up for success.
As Well-Behaved Women takes the stage at Belvoir St Theatre, Carmel Dean’s message is clear: Women’s voices need to be heard, and their stories need to be told—loudly, boldly, and unapologetically! With a stellar cast and an empowering celebration of history’s most defiant women, this musical promises to inspire, entertain, and leave its mark.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience Well-Behaved Women. Tickets are available now. Get yours here before they sell out!
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