Nicole Travolta Is Doing Alright

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Nicole Travolta, a member of the famous Hollywood family, has turned her life into a one-woman show that is introducing her to the New York stage. Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright is an entertaining and humorous tale of a girl who grew up in Los Angeles and then found herself as a teenager in Florida when her parents moved there. Co-written with Paula Christensen, it is also a cautionary tale about how not to grow up when on your own. Travolta is an animated, vivacious performer in telling her life story up until now. She recounts her adventures with credit card debt, divorce by age 30 and becoming a spray tan artiste which eventually straightened out her finances. Now at age 40, she has finally learned the error of her ways.

Early on, Nicole found that her name was a burden and came with expectation: she was expected to entertain at the drop of a hat. Yes, her aunts and uncles were all well-known performers but being a nepo niece turned out not to be the same as a nepo baby. When she was 12, her parents moved from Los Angles to Orlando, Florida, where the lifestyle was less expensive. While her father Sam tended to be thrifty to the point of miserliness, her mother Michelle’s love language was spending money she didn’t have where Nicole learned to max out credit cards.

When her parents split up, her father returned to Los Angeles while her mother stayed in Orlando. When Michelle hooked up with Nicole’s stepdad, they moved to his home state of Georgia, but 16-year-old Nicole did not want to miss her senior year in Florida. She moved in with her boyfriend Brian, who turned out to be a meth addict so after graduation Nicole went to work at Charlie’s Steakhouse where she met her husband, “calm nurturing, from a stable family.”

Unfortunately, when they married, he did not know about her $45,000 of credit card debt to Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Victoria’s Secret, Discover, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, and even Home Depot.  When she lost her role on Arrested Development as Charles Sheen’s girlfriend a few months after the wedding, her husband became aware of her financial situation and walked out. Not making any money, Nicole found she was hounded by creditors. Ultimately, a friend suggested she go to work for a spray tanning salon and being willing to make house calls, she managed to crawl out of debt.

Travolta tells all this with a light touch as in retrospect she sees it as humorous. An ebullient, spirited storyteller she makes her adventures both entertaining and tragicomic. One of the funniest stories is her struggle with the tanning tent which led to more debt. She also tells of her encounters with her clients, unnamed Hollywood denizens who all seem to be eccentric and bizarre.

Scott Bogle is responsible for both the mood lighting which changes to various color and the sound design which reproduces all the offstage noises and voices. The uncredited set with its pink sofa and many shopping bags from luxury stores is the perfect milieu for this intimate tale of failure and restoration. The direction by Margarett Perry and Christensen is smooth and keeps the show brisky paced. Nicole Travolta is a charming personality who holds your attention with her unique story. It will be interesting to see her in roles other than as herself in the near future.

Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright (through May 10, 2026)

Twilight Theatre Co.

SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street, off Sixth Avenue, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.sohoplayhouse.com

Running time: 80 minutes without an intermission