2013 Oscars & Musicals!

THE MUSICAL IS BACK!!!

I LOVED IT ALL. Especially the drum-line.

THE WINNERS:

• Ben Affleck for Best Screenplay/Best Movie [Argo]: I am happy for him [not that I've seen Argo]. He's a good family guy & his first Academy Award acceptance speech for Good Will Hunting was legendary. Plus, I'm partial to Bostonians & it was nice to see the 1st Lady supporting the ARTS. 
• Ang Lee for Best Director [Life of Pi] : Brokeback Mountain made me an eternal Ang Lee fan. His speech was engaging, candid, & I like that he said Namaste.
• Jennifer Lawrence for Best Leading Actress [Silver Linings Playbook]: Granted, she fell on her way up to the stage. But I blame J.Law's stylist for that mishap because that stunning Dior couture creation would have been difficult for anyone to maneuver, even Katniss. Even though I have not seen Silver Linings Playbook YET, I am glad she won. It would have been cool for the 9-year old to win (tomorrow is just a day away for that lil starlet), but I am glad Katniss took the crown. 
• Anne Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress [Les Miserables]: I am in agreement with the majority of Americans who feel that there is something inherently unlikable about Anne Hathaway. Maybe it's her faux humility, maybe it's the fact that she alone sees herself as America's Sweetheart, maybe it's that she's arrogant enough to casually call Judy Garland & Tina Fey Judy & Tina like they are BFF....I really don't know. She just lacks that innate likability quotient that can't be faked or taught; sorry, Anne, I'd like to like you. Having said that, I also have to say that she really was an awesome Fantine & did deserve her award. But, it's also a real shame that she beat Naomi Watts because that woman deserves an Academy Award already. 

FAREWELL, LES MISERABLES.

...can two anxious hearts beat as one..?

It seemed a strange choice to open the Les Mis montage with a tiny song that was created for the movie, but I guess its' purpose was to honor the movie specifically rather than the Les Mis empire as a whole. I do like this little ditty [plus, it did serve to replace a section of the musical, not create an entirely new one]. I also like that Hugh Jackman is the only ValJean to have sung this little melody because he deserves his own little piece of Les Mis. The man is an amazing, exceptional talent & the film would be nothing without him. I wish he had won an Academy Award, but Daniel Day Lewis did deserve this 3rd Leading Actor Oscar [I'm going by public opinion, I didn't see Lincoln either]. Anne Hathaway's part in the montage was fine, but her voice did warble during moments that required strength (maybe she was pretending to be emotionally invested?). Amanda Seyfried looked gorgeous & I was surprised at how great she sounded. She & Eddie Redmayne seemed to have an even stronger chemistry in person than on film & his voice sounded amazing. Samantha Barks is obviously an invincible live performer, so she rocked it & I liked her modest, English evening attire. I had an opinion in the back of my mind that this live performance was partially a backlash at the critics who said the cast was comprised of actors pretending to sing. And they did achieve that until Russell Crowe came out. Besides Mr. Crowe (whose acting was sooo much better than his singing), this montage was a lovely last hoorah to the cinematic adaptation of Les Miserables. I credit this film for the Musicals in Movies theme of the Academy Awards & hope the awesome influence of musicals on movies will continue selling tickets & bringing musicals to the any & every theatre forever & always. AMEN!

The Les Mis Movie Archives:

* Les Mis DreamCast [3.31.11] * The Initial Movie Cast [10.21.11] * Movie Cast Compete [1.11.12] * Taylor Swift is NOT Eponine! [2.21.12] *  THE TRAILER [8.28.12] *THE MOVIE ARRIVES [1.1.13] * The Miserable Golden Globes [1.15.13] *

Will Smith Brings Back the Sun: Part II

QUVENZHANE WALLIS 

Replaces Willow Smith as Annie!

It was previously announced that Will & Jada Smith will be producing a film version of Annie with Jay-Z re-working the score (&co-producing), Emma Thompson adapting the script, & his daughter Willow Smith cast in the title role. It was announced yesterday that Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old who became the youngest person to be nominated in the Best Actress category for her performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild, has officially been cast as our Little Orphan Annie. I am so down with this re-casting; I was not in favor of Willow Smith playing the role. It was too inbred, she is too old, & seemed too sassy. Quvenzhane Wallis, on the other hand, still seems like a little girl, has a face that is familiar enough to trust & unfamiliar enough to imagine as Annie, & certainly understands the hard-knock life. My only concern: Can she sing? While attending the seminar Real Talk With Sister Souljah & Will Smith at Temple University on February 5, Will Smith delivered the news that daughter pulled out of the movie. 

Here's his explanation:

"In the past 18 months, I have spent a lot of time focusing on the emotional aspect of my life and my family. In 2010, in one year, our family had the Karate Kid. We had Whip my Hair, we had Hawthorne, and at the end of the year, we did the Nobel Concert when Barack Obama won his Nobel Peace Prize. Don’t be clapping yet, that wears you out. The thing that had become very clear to me is the danger of a material world and focusing so hard on coming up with money or a house or a job. You focus so hard on those things, and sometimes you can lose focus on why you are doing it in the first place. The only reason to do any of that is to have love.

Willow was supposed to be doing Annie, we got Jay-Z to do the movie, got the studio to come in and Willow had such a difficult time on tour with Whip my Hair and she said, ‘You know Daddy, I don’t think so’ and I said, ‘Baby, hold up! I said no, no, no, listen, you’ll be in New York with all of your friends and Beyoncé will be there. You will be singing and dancing,’ and she looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, I have a better idea, how about I just be 12.’

I’m really learning through Willow the necessity that we have to snap ourselves back and refocus on the emotional needs of the people that we love. Someone’s emotional needs can be very very different from your dreams and what you think they should be doing and where they are supposed to be."

Will Smith Brings Back the Sun: Part I

WICKED RETURNS.

BroadwayInChicago has announced WICKED, Broadway's biggest blockbuster, 

will return to Chicago in celebration of its 10th anniversary on Broadway 

for a limited 8-week engagement:  Oct. 30 to Dec. 21, 2013.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald-green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED, winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. WICKED has "cast quite a spell" (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few. WICKED has been declared "A Cultural Phenomenon" by Variety and "The Best Musical of the Decade" by Entertainment Weekly. There are currently 7 productions worldwide: New York, London, Holland, Japan, Australia/New Zealand, and two concurrent North American Tours. Globally, WICKED has amassed nearly $2.9 billion in ticket sales and has been seen by 36 million people worldwide in its 9-year history.

~TheatreInChicago

I am sad to say that I am not one of the 36 million people who have seen WICKED. But that doesn't mean it hasn't had a substantial effect on my theatrical education & upbringing. I've loved this musical for a long time because it's unique, funny, thematically intriguing, & catchy; it also has had a substantial effect on musical theatre as a whole. The idea behind the musical was genius: everyone loves the Wizard of Oz, so there was a built-in audience base. Re-imagining the traditional story had already been achieved with The Wiz, but offering the prologue to the traditional story was just genius [sidenote: I've always wanted there to be a revival of The Wizard of Oz on Broadway where the entire cast/set were in black & white (a la Pleasantville) until Dorothy landed in Oz. It would be a smash hit]. WICKED is show that set trends & jump-starts careers. The original Broadway production starred Idina Menzel as Elphaba (who replaced Stephanie J. Block~ read that that story at the bottom of this blog) & Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. Idina Menzel had already won a Tony for her performance as Maureen in RENT, so she was already a Broadway baby. Kristin Chenoweth has achieved fame that straddles film, stage, & screen, but she still relatively unknown when cast as Glinda. I had seen Kristin Chenoweth in her 1997 Broadway debut in the short-lived musical Steel Pier. The show didn't find much success on Broadway, but I vividly remember being wowed by the tiny, blonde soprano belter. Both of these women deserve all the success they have achieved & being the original leads in WICKED production staff certainly played a pivotal part in the development of both of their careers. 

TRENDWATCH: THE FLYING ACTOR

[extended version; she takes off for flight @ 6.08]

I am not a fan of spectacle for the sake of spectacle, but I really love that contemporary technology has allowed actors to FLY. This trend is 100% due to the trailblazing staging efforts of WICKED. Due to the parameters of the story, it is so essential for Elphaba to actually fly & I'm glad they faced the challenge head-on instead of concocting some strange artistic cop-out. Two musicals that have also incorporated this trend are Mary Poppins & Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. I saw Mary Poppins on Broadway & the show ends with her flying over the audience all the way up to the 2nd balcony & disappearing into the ceiling of the theatre. It was a pretty awe-inspiring finale & allowed the production to maintain the same quality it exhibited with choreography, costumes, & casting. Just like Elphaba, an essential element of Spiderman's character was his ability to fly; Spiderman has gotten so much bad press for actor injuries, but, after YouTubing when the 99% of the time that the flying went well, I was pretty impressed. Just like any trailblazing technology, putting actors in the air is a risk & backfires. Things didn't go so well for Aladdin & Jasmine, but, overall, I'm grateful that Elphaba paved the road for other actors to defy gravity as well. 

THE AWESOME ANTHEM: "FOR GOOD"

[If this video seems familiar, it's because I posted it in my Wicked DreamCast, but I love it, so whatever.]

I lived just outside of Boston when the book Son of a Witch was released & attended a talk by author Gregory Maguire & composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz. During this talk, Stephen Schwartz recounted writing my favorite song For Good: he was talking on the phone to someone & trying to figure out how to conquer the duet between the witches to anchor the end of the second act. While on the phone, he said something along the lines of wanting to acknowledge that both women were permanently effected by their friendship. But instead of saying permanently, he said "for good." He immediately realized the double meaning in that phrase & started writing the show's amazing concluding duet For Good. He also acknowledged the fact that writing this song was an exciting challenge & unique responsibility since a blockbuster musical centered around two women's friendship is a rare gem. This has always been one of my favorite parts about WICKED; there is a sense of familiarity that I am positively not alone in feeling when listening to this soundtrack. The only other musical I can think of that centers on a non-sexual relationship between 2 women is Side Show [which tells the true story of Siamese twins Violet & Daisy Hilton's career in vaudeville]. I loved Side Show [click here for my DreamCast], but it was a flop. WICKED proved that women can carry a musical; I don't know if that was ever a conscious intention, but it certainly was a nice side effect. 

WICKED & CHICAGO

It should be noted that WICKED has a special history with the city of Chicago. WICKED first played a limited engagement from April 29-June 12, 2005 at the Oriental Theatre. The producers decided to extend it to and open-ended run, which made it the first non-Broadway on-going production. It re-opened at the Oriental the day after the tour was set to end & closed Jan. 25, 2009 after over 1,500 performances. WICKED returned for a special limited engagement from Dec. 1, 2010-Jan. 23, 2011. This upcoming, 10th-Anniversary limited engagement will run from Oct. 30-Dec. 21, 2013 [hopefully with the option to extend]. Tickets are currently available for groups of 15+ by calling (312) 977-1710; individual tickets will be available at a later date. 

It is my personal theory that a great deal of the success of Broadway in Chicago is due to WICKED's overwhelmingly successful run. It identified Chicago as a city where theatre is not only well-received, but has an audience base that allows it to stand the test of time. While WICKED was running in Chicago, they utilized the lottery system for tickets that RENT employed on Broadway. A lottery was offered on the day of the show & the winners could purchase $25, front-row tickets. To incorporate a lottery means the tickets were in consistent demand, which speaks well for the production as well as it's audience members.

 [sidenote: this option has recently been made available for The Book of Mormon as well]

A Political WishList.

Julius Caesar @ Chicago Shakespeare Theatre 

When men feel they can no longer trust their elected leader, where is the line between patriotism and personal ambition? Acclaimed British director Jonathan Munby—whose work has graced the stages of Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare's Globe—ignites the fiery power of the most enduring political assassination in history. Within the uniquely personal setting of CST’s Courtyard Theater, audience members feel each spark of emotion as words are wielded like knives in Shakespeare’s epic tale of ambition, betrayal and consequence. 

Closes March 24

Divided Man: Pilate's Story @ Overshadowed Theatre 

Around two thousand years ago, there was a trial that changed history. Jesus Christ was dragged before the Roman politician who had to make the fateful choice that would place the Messiah on the cross. Who was this man, Pontius Pilate? The life of Pilate dramatically comes to life in this world premiere. Judea was a difficult part of the Roman Empire and part of Pilate's responsibility was to keep peace and stability in the land that he governed. Filled with danger, political intrigue, love & history- this story will grip you and bring you face-to-face with the politician, the husband, the servant, the man: Pontius Pilate.

Closes March 9

Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology @ Collaboraction

Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology is a timely new theatrical reaction to Chicago’s history of violent crime and a call to discover what it might take to create lasting change in our city. The show, a Collaboraction world  premiere conceived and directed by Anthony Moseley, couples nonfiction source material such as interviews, articles, and online comments with three true Chicago crimes to raise critical questions surrounding segregation, poverty, the news media, popular culture, and our numbness to it all. Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology features immersive staging, audience participation and stylized dramatizations of three real Chicago crimes:The 2000 mistaken identity killing of Orlando Patterson, a 12 year old boy playing ball in front of his house in the 6900 block of South Perry Avenue; The attack on 13-year-old Lenard Clark by white youth in Bridgeport, leaving him in a coma; & The savage beating of Stacy Jurich and Natasha McShane just blocks from Collaboraction in Wicker Park in 2010

Closes  March 10

The City & The City @ Lifeline Theatre 

Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad is assigned to a seemingly open-and-shut case: an American student found dead in the gutters of the city of Beszel. But soon this deceptively simple crime reveals ties to powerful political and corporate factions at the heart of both Beszel and its twin city, Ul Qoma. Forced to cross the divide between two city-states coexisting in the same geographical space yet separated by irreconcilable cultural differences, Borlú must bring to justice the mastermind of the most unusual and dangerous case of his career. A thrilling crime story set in a location both fantastical and eerily real, in a world premiere adaptation.

Closes April 7

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo @ Lookingglass 

The lives of two American Marines and an Iraqui translator are forever changed by an encounter with a quick-witted tiger who haunts the streets of war-torn Baghdad attempting to find meaning, forgiveness, & redemption amidst the city's ruins. Rajiv Joseph's groundbreaking new play explores both the power & perils of human nature. The New York Times writes, "This boldly imagined, harrowing, & surprisingly funny drama is wonderfully daring." 

Closes March 17

Thrifty Theatre-Goer: Part III

I have found that customer loyalty always pays off. 

Buying season tickets is a great way to save money, but there are other customer-loyalty incentive programs 

that can offer a greater amount of savings and/or bonuses that are worth exploring. Here are three such programs: 

Steppenwolf RED Card

If you are under 29, $100 will get you get a card worth 6 tickets to use however you'd like (that comes out to less than $17/ticket & a 78% savings). You can use the tickets for yourself and friends, but it can't be given as a gift. RED holders also get $1 off any drink at any of the theater's bars & will receive special offers such as social events & 2-for-1 ticket offers in the e-mail updates. You can visit the RED card member page for more information & check their Facebook & Twitter pages for updates. The card expires when the holder turns 29 & can be re-filled after seeing 6 shows. 

Broadway in Chicago Audience Rewards Network

Audience Rewards turns your ticket purchases into points like an airline frequent flyer program. This program offers more incentive for Broadway than Broadway in Chicago, but hopefully that will change as Broadway in Chicago continues to flourish. Once you join, you can earn ShowPoints by buying tickets, looking for bonus point offers, or getting (minimal) bonus points by playing theatre trivia games (my favorite part), telling friends about a show, or shopping at a variety of stores by visiting AudienceRewardsMall.com. The points can be used to earn free tickets, save on tickets, upgrade seats, & buy Broadway merchandise. 

Rogers Park FlexPass 

For $50, you get 4 tickets to any show at Theo Ubique, Lifeline Theatre, Raven Theatre, or  side project theatre company. Considering that 1 full-price ticket at Lifeline costs $40, this is a really great deal. The FlexPass also comes with year-round the following discounts @ nearby restaurants: 10% off @ Act One Pub,Charmers Café/Dagel & Beli, Gruppo di Amici, & Morseland AND 15% off @ The Heartland Café. The passes expire on August 31, 2013.

And a warning...

I love Broadway in Chicago. So far, I've seen FELA!, Les Miserables, The Addams Family, Bring It On, I Love Lucy: Live on Stage & never paid more than $25 thanks to rush tickets. For some strange reason, I was really drawn towards the recent production of Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth. So, I searched the Cadillac Palace on Saturday morning, saw a bounty of available seats, & called the theatre to double check that student and/or rush tickets were available. NOPE! Not for this show. WHY? Who knows. This decision was in very poor taste, but I blame the production & not Broadway in Chicago. Rush tickets are an awesome deal, but apparently inconsistent. Moral of this story: call the theatre if you are planning to buy Broadway in Chicago rush tickets. 

The Thrifty Theatre-Goer Series:

HotTix & Goldstar // Chicago Theatre Week // Thrifty Theatre-Goer Part II

Ragtime 15th Anniversary Concert

The 15th Anniversary Concert!!!

I am so mad I missed this concert last night. This one would have been so worth the cost over a quick flight to NYC & back. The original Broadway production of Ragtime was hands-down the best theatrical production I’ve ever seen (even though I can't believe it was 15 years ago). The cast featured Patina Miller as Sarah, Norm Lewis (from Side Show!) as Coalhouse, Lea Salonga as Mother, Howard McGillin as Father, Michael Arden as Mother's Younger Brother, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Tyne Daly as Emma Goldman, Kerry Butler (from Bat Boy!) as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, & a chorus of over 100 singers from around the country.

On Lea Salonga as Mother:

First of all, no one will ever compare to the Marin Mazzie of the original Broadway cast: she acted with strength, femininity, & depth and sang with a voice equally comprised of beauty & belt. In the Broadway revival, they attempted to re-create Marin's magic with Christiane Noll, which was a fine choice physically, but she lacked the powerful presence that defined Ms. Mazzie. I love Lea Salonga, but this casting choice was too weird for me. Her voice kind of makes up for the fact that she was completely miscast. Her rendition of Back to Before was decent: she nailed the feminine lilting melodic sound that Ms. Mazzie had but lacked the same conviction. I get this was a concert & I get that Lea Salonga is a name that sells tickets. It just seems like they could have found a better fit for the role. 

See, I love Lea. Just not as Mother. 

A Broadway Board Game!

Theatre geeks, 30-somethings and competitive kids 

will have a ball playing this board game!
~New York Post~

Lets you imagine being Glee star Rachel Berry 
playing with her Glee club members. 
~Extra TV~

At the end of the day, I am still that 13 year-old obsessed with Broadway & camped out at the stage door. So, I'm not ashamed to say this board game looks great & could provide endless hours of embarrassing, indulgent awesomeness. Be A Broadway Star! was developed by BroadwaySpace.com & producer Ken Davenport [who holds a special place in my heart & theatrical upbringing]. It has been featured in the New York Times & as one of Kathie Lee & Hoda's "Favorite Things" on The Today Show. HERE are the rules of the game. It normally costs $39.99, but is currently on sale for $29.99 [click here to purchase]. 

P.S. My birthday is September 26. Just sayin. 

The Live Studio Audience

I Love Lucy: Live on Stage was pretty bad, but it got me thinking about the role of 

THE LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE: 

From its earliest days, television has attempted to create the illusion of community. 

Most of the early broadcasts grew out of the New York theater world, 

and what stage veterans knew was putting on a show in front of an audience. 

These shows went out live, and even the dramas were treated like filmed versions of plays, 

with the audience right there, a part of the action. 

No one was quite sure if television could survive without those crowd noises. 

It was a medium meant for consumption by large audiences, 

but it was also one beamed directly into their homes, an uneasy combination of films & stage plays 

(which required one to leave the house) 

and sitting down with a nice long book that unfolded over many sections (which didn’t). 

With the noise of the crowd’s laughter or shock or approval, viewers didn’t have to feel so alone.

~Todd VanDerWerff, A.V. Club

Incidentally, Desi Arnaz was the pioneer who took this idea to the next level. He joined forces with cinemetographer Karl Freund, a seasoned veteran who's career found its' roots in German expressionism, & his wife Lucille Ball, an actress whose style thrived in front of a live audience. In shooting I Love Lucy, Arnaz utilized multiple cameras & created an innovative & energetic style of filming that has created some of our most iconic TV shows. The use of multi-camera angles & a live studio audience in filming shows is quickly dissipating; sure, we have game shows & talk shows that still incorporate the old-school ideals, but what, but what about the sitcoms & story-based shows? Here are my personal & uneducated opinions on what happened to live studio audience:

• Shows that have figured out organic/clever ways to force the characters to directly address the camera: Two of our best, brightest, & most well-received contemporary sitcoms [The Office & Modern Family] have steadily incorporated this method of writing into their series. Sex & the City initially incorporated this idea in its' 1998 premiere, but was apparently working the idea before its' time seeing as the technique was dropped after the first season. 

• TiVo/Hulu/etc.: I'm the first one to say it: Hulu rules & you should totally get Hulu. It is an amazing & awesome treat to stream shows whenever I feel like it to my computer, television, or phone. It is just great. Having said that, it also used to be fun to anticipate your favorite show on a particular night & talk about it the next day to whoever was watching on their respective couch. Convenience versus community: the great, real-life artistic battle.  

• The Wonderful World of Reality TV: The reason why these shows hold a universal, community-based appeal is because we are not watching actors interpreting a script. We are watching our figurative neighbors, co-workers, & high-school enemies live out the most extreme situations. Not only can we picture ourselves in their place (like in a fictitious show), but we can literally envision ourselves in their winning or losing shoes. It's easier to root for/invest in the waitress winning on America's Next Top Model to win the prize than the fictitious waitress on whatever generic sitcom to win the guy. It's also more exciting to know the action has not been written but is being written before our eyes. There is a sense of active interaction in these shows (especially in those like Dancing With The Stars & American Idol, where your opinion actually does make a difference).  

For those of you looking to experience an authentic taste of the antiqued live studio audience, 

Chicago offers some excellent options: 

Tonight It's Live with Tom Bambara

Hosted by local actor/comedian Tom Bambara with his co-host Andi Woody & house band Manny Being Manny. 

Also simultaneously streamed on the internet & made available for viewing later online. 

Open Run ~ Saturdays @ 11 p.m. 
Oracle Theatre ~ 3809 N. Broadway [FREE!]

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

The Oddly Informative News Quiz Show
Hosted by Peter Sagal, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is NPR's weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week, 
you can test your knowledge on the radio against some of the best & brightest in the news & entertainment world 
while figuring out what's real news and what's made up. On the Web, you can play along too.
Open Run ~ Thursdays @ 7:30 p.m.
Chase Auditorium ~ 10 S. Dearborn [$24.75]

The Whiskey Radio Hour
1 performances left! ~ Valentine's Day!
Rhinofest 13 @ Prop Thtr ~ 3502 N. Elston [$12]

Featuring snacks for the audience, a Foley artist, and musical accompaniment on guitar and banjo, Whiskey Rebellion's nod to old-fashioned radio dramas is warm, quaint, & charming. But nostalgia isn't the main attraction here. That would be the performances by Isaac Samuelson, Frederick Ford Beckley, &Ellenor Riley-Condit in the evening's 3 untitled tales. Written by Jessica Wright Buha, they chronicle a western bandit's pursuit of a belle, a woman coming to terms with loss, & a couple slowly moving toward love. The one about the couple shows the most promise: take away the radio gimmick, and it'd still hold up.

-Dan Jakes, The Reader.

I Love Lucy: Live OnStage @ The Broadway Playhouse

"IT'S 1952. 
You & I are part of a studio audience 
watching a taping of I Love Lucy, 

the early TV sitcom starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz...
of course, we see Lucy & Desi and company 

do their stuff in the 2 episodes that are 
theoretically being recorded.
It's a pleasant illusion for the most part."

~Tony Adler, The Chicago Reader

I am very glad I read Mr. Adler's review before seeing this show. I didn't realize the title I Love Lucy: Live On Stage would be taken so literally in this musical adaptation [and honestly don't understand why that was the artistic vision chosen by the creators of this show, but still held hope]. I had also seen a brief preview of LUCY at the Broadway in Chicago Summer Series Concert, which appeared promising. So, I entered the theatre with semi-high hopes. 

All my hopes were crushed. 

Sirena Irwin & Bill Mendietas were sub-par & generic choices for our Lucy & Ricky. Their performances qualified more as off-kilter charicature than thoughtful interpretations of this iconic couple. As Ethel & Fred, Joanna Daniels & Curtis Pettyjohn brought a little more to the table in terms of acting with an appropriate degree of authenticity [and were styled in a much less cartoony manner]. I'm sure all the performers are actually quite talented, but I don't think this material would have allowed any actor the opportunity to shine. 

Re-creating two episodes being filmed in front of a live studio audience did not offer the audience any fresh perspective on the TV show I Love Lucy. Rather, it presented a sub-par interpretation of something awesome without offering any innovative style, perspective, or information. Lucille Ball was a firecracker & trail-blazer, but, most importantly, she still serves as one of the most important women in the history of American comedic entertainment. Before there was Tina, Chelsea, Ellen, & Mindy, there was LUCY. And learning about the woman behind the laughs would have been a much more enriching, enlightening, & authentic theatrical experience than trying to transpose a few vintage episodes to the stage. 

There has been a recent string of musicals that pay homage to some of our more glorious female representatives. This musical did not take that historic route, but here are some musicals that did:

• Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson starring Carolee Carmello [who I saw in The Scarlet Pimpernel & LOVED as the Parade's original Lucille Frank]. 
• End of the Rainbow starring Tracie Bennet as Judy Garland
• Bombshell: The (fictitious) musical on the TV show SMASH that should be real & is the story of Marilyn Monroe
• Evita [2012 Broadway revival] starring Argentinean actress Elena Roger as Eva Peron. 
• One Name Only @ Black Ensemble Theatre: A Chicago world-premiere tribute to The Ladies of Soul which featured the music of Aretha, Gladys, Patti, Chaka with a special tribute to Whitney.

I also find it interesting that there is a show for the theatre that is based off of a television show that is an homage rather than a spoof. The only TV-based musical I've ever seen was Gorilla Tango Theatre's Attend The Tale of Danny Tanner, which was an awesome, gory, re-imagined version of Full House; but to see the same principle applied in a more literal manner would be a fun trend to erupt onstage. Some shows I'd like to see: 

• LOST: It is my favorite show ever, after all. The storyline(s) were highly complicated though, so it would have to be something like Potted Potter, which melds the entire Harry Potter series into a 90-minute recap. Or like the time I saw Henry the IV Parts 1 & 2 @ The National Theatre, which was an 8-hour event complete with a break for dinner. 
• My So-Called Life: It could be performed like a gloomier, more suburban but equally angsty & awesome RENT. Good luck finding someone to stand up to the original Jordan Catalano though 
• Sex & the City: I firmly believe the sassy & urban Cosmo Girls are an underrated demographic in the theatre world. Profiles made a smart move by appealing to their production of Bachelorette. However, I think the SATC musical could easily marry the this TV-trend with the Chick Flick Musical trend to produce something glorious. 
• Six Feet Under: Dark musicals work. I'm picturing something like Martin McDonagh meets The Addams Family Musical meets John Patrick Shanley: one that is satirically dark, at the root focuses on the importance of family values, and is presented in a clean, contemporary manner.