Friday, October 28, 2011
A Shining Love Letter: I LOVE LUCY Live on Stage
It was TV magic when CBS began airing black & white episodes of the I Love Lucy® show in the early 1950s. The lovable redhead known as Lucy Ricardo instantly won the hearts of millions of viewers who tuned in weekly to see her latest antics. Who can forget images of Lucy filming the Vitameatavegamin commercial, stomping grapes, working in the chocolate factory with Ethel, or doing her mirror routine with Harpo Marx?
Now a new adaptation of the show, I Love Lucy® Live on Stage, has come to the Greenway Court Theatre by co-adapters Rick Sparks, who also directs the production, and comedy writer Kim Flagg. It recreates the television taping of two episodes of the iconic series, The Benefit, and Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined, by a quartet of actors who seek not to mimic the original performances but instead honor the essence of The Ricardos and their next door neighbors, Fred and Ethel Mertz.
Sirena Irwin plays Lucy Ricardo and her resemblance to the famous redhead will certainly make you do a double take, styled to perfection as she is with Lucy’s signature red poodle hairstyle and knockout 50’s wardrobe. Credit for the outstanding vintage look of the show goes to Shon LeBlanc and Byron J. Batista for the costume and wig/makeup design, respectively. Irwin pouts and schemes her way through the scenes in typical “Lucy” fashion playing to her charming, and ever-tolerant husband Ricky (Bill Mendieta), who has his own comedic moments and time for plenty of the Cuban bandleader’s signature vocals – “Babalu” included.
Lucy’s sidekick Ethel (a terrific Lisa Joffrey), may have played second fiddle throughout the run of the show, but here she and husband Fred (Bill Chott) get to show off some of their own vaudevillian song and dance skills in “The Varsity Drag” sequence. Both capture the fine points of their characters beautifully.
As with any television show there are some hilarious commercial inserts by notable products of the day; Brylcream, Chevrolet and a dancing Alka Seltzer tablet among them, and musical numbers by The Crystal Tones – think “Glow Worm” in gorgeous six-part harmony. Those beautiful musical arrangements are brought to you courtesy of musical director Wayne Moore, who also leads the Ricky Ricardo Orchestra “live” at the Tropicana and highlighted by Cricket S. Myers' sound design.
Thanks to a top-notch ensemble the show actually begins outside the theatre as costumed cast members interact with the audience while waiting for the doors to open. One excited woman (Amy Tolsky) is just so gosh darned happy to be here that her infectious energy transfers to everyone around her.
Once inside, Aaron Henderson’s set design lit by Jeremy Pivnick welcomes you into the studio and Mark Christopher Tracy takes charge as the host of the show. Audience warm-up is an art and he’s got it down to a T. A few of the other character highlights include Ed Martin’s wildly entertaining turn as Lucy’s eye doctor, Greg Franklin as Broadway producer William Parker, and Tom Christensen as Lucy’s swingin’ jitterbug instructor King Katt Walsh, though it truly is a team effort and everyone in the cast has his or her chance to shine.
I Love Lucy® Live on Stage pays the highest compliment to its namesake sitcom by remaining true to the innocence of the original. In doing so, we the audience have the opportunity to experience a bit of what it was like in those early days when landing a joke was the loftiest of goals and wholesome entertainment was what the country craved. Fresh, lovely, and full of life, Sparks and company have truly created a shining love letter to the one and only first lady of comedy.
I Love Lucy® Live on Stage runs through December 30 at the Greenway Court Theatre. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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The original episodes of The Benefit and Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined were written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr. I Love Lucy® Live on Stage is brought to you by S. Kahn Presents and the Millrock Company. Executive producers are David George and Steve Kahn. Hyra George and Kim Flagg are producers.
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Monday, August 29, 2011
I Love Lucy® Live on Stage
The world premiere of I Love Lucy® Live on Stage, a musical comedy tribute to one of the most popular television shows, opens at the Greenway Court Theatre on October 1. Travel back to the 1950s and the Desilu Studios where Rick Sparks directs the “filming” of two episodes of the iconic and beloved sitcom, complete with a television studio host and vintage-style live musical commercials. In addition to the classic comedy that takes place in Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s New York apartment, musical director Wayne Moore conducts The Ricky Ricardo Orchestra live from the “Tropicana Nightclub.
Sirena Irwin stars as Lucy Ricardo; Bill Mendieta is Ricky Ricardo; Bill Chott plays Fred Mertz; and Lisa Joffrey is Ethel Mertz. Also featured in the cast, playing multiple roles, are Noel Britton, Tom Christensen, Steven Connor, Gregory Franklin, Ed Martin, Denise Moses, Cindy Sciacca, Amy Tolsky, Gina Torrecilla and Mark Christopher Tracy.
“There will never be another television character like Lucy Ricardo,” acknowledges Sparks. “We recognize that there was only one original cast, so we’re not going to attempt any impersonation of their immense talents. Our plan is to honor and celebrate this iconic show, and that experience will begin the moment audiences step onto the sidewalk in front of the theater.”
I Love Lucy® Live on Stage is staged and directed by Rick Sparks. The stage adaptation and additional new material are by Kim Flagg and Rick Sparks. Set design is by Aaron Henderson; lighting design is by Jeremy Pivnick; sound design is by Cricket S. Myers; costume design is by Shon LeBlanc; wigs and hair are by Byron Batista; and the production stage manager is Justine Baldwin. I Love Lucy® Live on Stage is presented by S. Kahn Presents and Millrock Company.
Rick Sparks (Director, Co-Adaptor) is the winner of 16 Los Angeles theater awards. He most recently directed the Ovation-recommended Daddy at the Hudson Mainstage and Trio at Lounge 2.
Kim Flagg (Co-Adaptor) is currently writing on ABC’s new 2011 fall comedy Last Man Standing. Kim was a writer and story editor for the Tim Allen series Home Improvement and has collaborated with Allen for fifteen years as his ghostwriter, head comedy writer, speechwriter and creative design director, developing and writing a wide array of material for his stand-up comedy, award show appearances, comedy concerts, public engagements, hosting events, and talk show appearances.
I Love Lucy® Live on Stage opens on October 1 and continues through December 30. The Greenway Court Theatre is located at 544 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036.
Click Here for tickets and more information or call 800-595-4TIX (800-595-4849).
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