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.

Broadway in Chicago Summer Concert

 

This ruled. Here's why:

• It was FREE. 
• Senate Bill 937 (Live Theatre Production Tax Credit) went into effect in July. This bill allows a tax break to pre-Broadway shows opening in Chicago, which will expand the quality/amount of shows brought in by Broadway in Chicago.
• The concert served as a centennial celebration of the Nederlander Organization, whose work has made this world a much more beautiful place in my book.
• CYNDI LAUPER. She performed a number from her new musical Kinky Boots & made my night. 

THE SHOWS: 

+ Les Miserables: It was nice performance of the most random & downer number: Bring Him Home. I get that they could only produce one song & it’s best for it to be one of ValJean’s. What about WHO AM I??? It’s his defining moment, it’s uplifting, it’s more approachable, applicable, & enjoyable for audiences who don’t know Les Mis already. Nice performance quality, poor song choice.
+ I liked Catch Me If You Can more than I expected. The music was catchy & the lyrics seemed to have quality & content. It is a cool story with awesome artistic potential, so this one might actually end up being pretty good.
+ Million Dollar Quartet: It was fine, but less striking/impressive than I expected.
+ Cinderella: WHY IS THIS MUSICAL STILL BEING PERFORMED?
+ Peter Pan: I know Cathy Rigby was an Olympian, but it's just weird for a 50-something woman to be playing a little boy.

+ War Horse was awesome. I love anything that comes from the National Theatre & this performance provided heightened degree of artistry compared to the other performances. This is one I definitely want to see.
+ Sister Act was fun & had strong vocals. The ensemble was a little muddled, but it'll probably be a fun, entertaining show.
+ Potted Potter: I didn’t like it. I don’t know the Harry Potter series that well, but I’d be 100% more interested in an authentic Harry Potter musical rather than a spoofy one.
+ Besides War Horse, I Love Lucy was my favorite performance. It is such a great idea for a musical & seemed to true to the original show (which I'm predicting means there is going to be a huge, built-in audience-base & probably make great ticket sales)