David Hein and Irene Sankoff test socio-political norms and come out with a relevant and pathos-filled musical guaranteed to please and challenge the most critical of New York audience members. As The Drowsy Chaperone became the sweetheart of the Toronto Fringe Festival back in 1999, so too did My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding in 2009. Fortunately, MMLJWW now sits in our collective lap at the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

In My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding—a title befitting hit status—Hein divulges his personal story from an upbringing in a bickering nuclear Nebraskan family to the transformation into an open and modern split family where each parent remarries a woman. The audience at the show I saw sat joyfully and tapped toes as Hein’s mother Claire, played with moving conviction and excellent comedic timing by Broadway vet Liz Larsen, succumbs to the reality that with openness comes inner growth.

Along the way, we are treated to the very likable Hein and Sankoff’s energetic, politically poignant, and hilariously timed deadpan performances. MMLJWW is a beautifully personal story that engages a very pertinent topic in gay marriage.

Director Stafford Arima skillfully induces lovely performances out of his actors; his work is complemented by some hilarious choreography by Matt Williams. Hein and Sankoff’s entertainingly pertinent story is already taking off in the Great White North. In a day and age where Broadway seeks a new hit, we can only hope that an astute producer will come along (much in the way that The Drowsy Chaperone took off out of the Toronto Fringe) and see My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding for what it is—an engaging and definitive modern tale of personal growth highlighted by humor with a kick-ass musical score that rocks the house.

A scene and song chronicling Gay history without histrionics is a showstopper, as it becomes more than just a plot point, and the applause I heard was clearly more than just an audience responding to a scene in a play, but rather an endorsement of empowerment and survival. Though surprising in a mostly cute and chipper musical, it did not feel false or self-indulgent. Why? because the characters had become real and were worth identifying with, because the show is played and directed from the heart, not just the funnybone. And guess what? It’s based on his real-life story and the two writers had their own wedding at some point: they are married to each other.

This musical is kind of a textbook example of how to blend comedy, songs and heart and mix in the message — food for thought that comes from caring that doesn’t feel manipulative. In this case, it’s a message about embracing differences, taking chances, seeking your own happiness and being open. Hopefully, it will have a run that’s open, too.