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.

SMASH S2: better late than never.

Smash was renewed for a second season! Honestly, I’m shocked; thrilled. grateful, etc., but very surprised. Since the show [imaginary musical] within the show [NBC series] is finally up & running, I am very curious as to how the second season will maintain the same sense of interest & suspense. Here’s the bad news about SMASH Season 2: it will not premiere until mid-way through the TV season ("early 2013"). The choice to premiere a show mid-season is a move that the producers of LOST & Grey’s Anatomy [my favorites] have often utilized. Maybe it was to build viewer anticipation or maybe it was because they had no idea where to take the storyline, but it never ceased to frustrate & annoy me. I guess this decision does keep loyal, anticipatory viewers like me on the edge of their sofas. However, in terms of attracting new viewers to the show, it seems a much smarter move to debut the second season when all the new & old fall series erupt on the tiny screen. Even so, the finale of Season 1 was perfect & I will wait it out like the good, loyal viewer I am. Now, let's reminisce:

My favorite part of Season 1's finale was the process of Julia's writing/writing block; I liked her euphoric moment of realizing that she needed to rely on communicating the good & that being the catalyst that created the perfect song for the finale (if you do recall, they only finished 15 minutes before the curtain rose. Talk about drama!). That moment of breaking Julia's writing block was especially cool because it reminded me of a real-life historic theatre: In 2005, Son of a Witch (the sequel to Wicked) was published & I went to a reading/talk by Gregory Maguire (author of the books) & Stephen Schwartz (composer of WICKED). Schwartz recounted a phone call when he was struggling with the final/climactic duet between the two female leads & that he had wanted to communicate how their friendship had changed them both permanently. But instead of saying permanently, he said For Good. Hearing himself say those words led to his euphoric moment that led him to write the song For Good, with the phrase's double meaning of permanence/positivity as its' defining catalyst. I am curious as to whether the storyline on Smash was loosely inspired this real-life writing of WICKED's great closing ballad. Either way, here's the best-ever rendition of For Good, featuring Smash's own Megan Hilty:

THE AXED ACTORS

• Raza Jaffrey as Dev [Karen’s seemingly cool, completely devoted boyfriend who acted completely out of character & cheated on her with Ivy]: I’m so down with him being written off, but not with this plot development as the catalyst. It was inconsistent with his character, a little too Melrose Place, & a little too obvious that they were trying to faze out Dev. I'm still a fan of this choice; Karen will be a much more interesting character without Dev pulling her down. 
• Jamie Cepero as Ellis [the sneaky, snarky, ladder-climber who offered nothing but conflict & irritation]: His exodus was awesome, obviously necessary, reasonably executed, & much appreciated. They pulled it off in a believable, drawn-out storyline (his attempt at becoming a producer & poisoning the movie star's smoothie). This was a  wise & well-executed plot-point. 
• Brian D’Arcy James as Frank [Julia's husband who seemed like he was trying to get over her affair, but threw in the towel]: He will be on at least one episode, but is pretty much gone. I liked his presence only because he is an actual Broadway performer. But the whole Julia/Frank marriage conflicts got old & wasted air-time. So I say good riddance & Brian D’Arcy James should get himself back into a role where he can sing. 
• Will Chase as Michael [Julia's former cheating partner who sometimes played Joe DiMaggio]: I liked him for the same reason I liked Brian D’Arcy James: he’s a true-blue Broadway alumni. However, his role on the show was so boring & I never got why Julia was so entranced by him. I watch this show because I love musicals, not because I’m interested in marital strife. Plus, he was a very bland character & didn't even sing that much. 

THE NEW CAST MEMBERS 

• Daniel Sunjata as Unnamed Man [Julia's new love interest]: I was hoping Julia’s love-life storyline would be more subdued in Season 2, but he has been cast as her new love interest. At least he's easier on the eyes than the other two. Plus, he's a stage actor; he was nominated for a 2003 Tony for his performance in Take Me Out. 
• Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore [a Broadway veteran who has some sort of impact on both Karen & Ivy]: This is very exciting. The woman can do no wrong & is a perfect fit for this cast. Well done, Smash! 
• Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy [according to the casting call:  “Straight, working class from Brooklyn. Sexy, charismatic, musically gifted, but also self-destructive and remote.”]: I know nothing about this guy except that he is coming to SMASH from Newies on Broadway & that's enough to give me faith. 
• Krysta Rodriguez as Ana [Karen's spunky new roommate who is in the ensemble of a Broadway show & looking for her big break]: I LOVE THIS. Krysta's Broadway credits include A Chorus Line, Good Vibrations, In The Heights, Spring Awakening (where I met her briefly after a performance & she was very nice), & originating the role of Wednesday in The Addams Family. She was the pitch-perfect Wednesday. HERE'S PROOF: 

The Addams Family: National Tour

The Addams Family was great & I wish it had stayed in town longer so I could have seen it again. This is the third attempt at making The Addams Family a musical & they finally nailed it. The production was a charming, unique, cohesive, smart satire. It was grounded in reasonable, applicable themes with a stunning & ethereal artistic execution. The new storyline centered around Wednesday’s plans to marry someone quite different from the Addams & the ripple effects of this decision on the family. The musical jumped right into the new storyline & I appreciated the tight narrative focus.

To be completely honest, I was biased against Morticia because I expected her to be un-able to compete with Bebe Neuwirth. But Sara Gettelfinger had the same dynamic in a fresher, re-imagined portrayal; this lady was strong, elegant, funny, & had a huge voice that reminded me of Glenn Close. She exhibited a natural matriarch with a strong maternal factor while still introspectively examining growing older.

I was excited to see that Douglas Sills was cast as GOMEZ. I saw him as the title role in The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway. He is a smart, seasoned actor who can play silly without compromising the integrity of the character. He provided comical punctuation as well as the kalaidescope of emotions that come along with being the best husband & father he could be.

As WEDNESDAY, Cortney Wolfson’s acting quality was outshone by her strong voice. Her acting expressed her adolescent strife, but bordered on overly-simplified at times. Patrick D. Kennedy played PUGSLEY & was the perfect smarmy little brother. His voice was amazing & his number “What If” provided the most poignant moment of Act I.

The Addams Family Is Coming to Chicago! Again!

The Addams Family Musical

National Tour
Cadillac Palace Theatre
Dec. 27-Jan. 1

I really like the looks of this new-ish musical. It looks like the lovechild of Six Feet Under, Rocky Horror, Chicago: The Musical, Beetlejuice, Frank Wildhorn, Sweeney Todd, & Corpse Bride. I like the costume choices because they are authentic to The Classic Addams Family; it shows smart artistic discretion to not switch up what has already works & is loved. The opening number has catchy music, contemporary lyrics, & an animated, modern tone. This is not surprising since Andrew Lippa wrote the music & I loved the tone he established in The Wild Party. I wanted to see this musical in New York & wish national tours weren’t so overpriced so I could see it in Chicago. 

Chris Jones on The Addam's Family's newest re-interpreation