When it was released in 1978, Christina Crawford's Mommie Dearest made an indelible impression on America's cultural landscape: it enjoyed 42 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, spawned a cult film classic based on the book, and placed the issue of family violence in the national spotlight. Issues of family violence brought to light then have yet to be resolved today and the book still stands as a catalyst for change. 
 
Now: Mommie Dearest is a new musical told primarily from the coming-of-age point of view of a brother-sister pair as they grow up, struggle with adversity and try to remain family even as they are forced down different paths, the musical explores three decades of American culture. The writers will present two songs from the show led by director Joe Barros and performed live by Tina Scariano and Charlie Levy who play Christina and Christopher Crawford.