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Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!

Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!

FindingNamo
#1Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 12:35am

Bumping up this old thread of mine I found in the Broadwayworld Archives from the message board in February, 1961. (There wasn't an off-topic board then, so YoungerRoxy kept getting his anti-Kennedy threads deleted).

Posted by FindingNamo February 5, 1961:

A friend of mine who works at Gimbles swung by The Alvin tonight and Lucille Ball is out of 'Wildcat!" yet again. At this point does anybody even know how many times she has gone on? I've been saying this from the very beginning that she is a TV personality and not a stage actress and really has no business having her name above the title of a musical on the Great White Way.

I know everybody here says I hate Lucy and that I have been dogging her since I saw the show two weeks after opening, but I used to love her. I worshipped "I Love Lucy" and could even forgive the missteps of "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour." But after seeing her in "Wildcat!" I was completely disenchanted. Not only could I not tell what notes it was she was supposed to be hitting, but it was obvious she didn't know either. A lot of you say the quavery voice is a character choice, but I think you're being too kind.

And now she keeps missing show after show after show. The woman does not belong on stage, she doesn't have the training or the experience. She needs to go back on TV, get a new series and make it even better than "I Love Lucy."

I can guarantee this, however. After this disaster nobody is EVER going to shove a TV star into the lead of a musical she has no business trying to carry ever again. Mark my words.


Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none

AEA AGMA SM
#2Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 2:53am

Be careful, you never know when some moderator with an unnatural obsession for Lucy might take offense and come along to start deleting all your posts and eventually banning you.

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tazber
#2Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 7:10am

Very funny.


....but the world goes 'round

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PalJoey
#3Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 9:40am

Did you see her on The Sullivan show last Tuesday?

I captured her performance on my Home Kinescope Machine!

http://youtu.be/5V2z1nSrtkI


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PalJoey
#4Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 9:49am

If Lucy leaves the show, I think Judy could come in and take over!

http://youtu.be/fw8YNM61WrI


Updated On: 4/15/12 at 09:49 AM

Dollypop
#5Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 11:14am

I predict that Paula Stewart is going to have a big career in the theater. She's just perfect in every way. She hasn't missed any performances, either!


"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

FindingNamo
#6Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 12:44pm

You're right, Stewart's on a total upwards trajectory. And PJ, I wish I could afford a Home Kinescope Machine! You can really hear how Stewart is holding back to try not to outshine Lucy on the Sullivan show. Lucy's all over the map with the notes she's trying to sing (she was worse the night I went!).

I agree, Judy would be great. She so recently did those 19 weeks at The Palace. Seems like yeserday. (Does anybody know if she missed any performances?) At this point, honestly, I bet Lucie, Jr., at 8 years old, could sing better than her mother.


Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none

Dollypop
#7Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 1:45pm

My only real gripe about WILDCAT is that there's no show curtain. Blah!


"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

Phyllis Rogers Stone
#8Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 4:46pm

Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!


Updated On: 4/15/12 at 04:46 PM

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Jordan Catalano
#9Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 4:52pm

God, I love you. LOL

PalJoey Profile Photo
PalJoey
#10Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 6:00pm

"Miss Phyllis Rogers"? Was that before you married Ben Stone or were you married and still going by your maiden name in '61?


Phyllis Rogers Stone
#11Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 6:46pm

I actually joined BWW '41 before I was married, but for some reason it's showing a join date of '57. BWW was glitchy even then!

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EricMontreal22
#12Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 6:54pm

What is the legitimate theatre coming to? Do they think people will just go to any crap show because it has a star attached to it (and need I remind you Ball is not even a movie star). At this rate there will never be a decent musical again--the death of Hammerstein really did change things.

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Jordan Catalano
#13Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 7:23pm

God, I wish you could pull up the original FOLLIES reviews thread from '71.

FindingNamo
#14Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 9:01pm

Eric, I think Ball could push herself up to major movie star status, remember she was known as a sturdy movie performer before she started her radio show and then moved to TV. In fact, I believe she could probably really shine in a big-budget glossy movie musical someday. One with a strong, beloved female lead.


Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none

Gothampc
#15Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 9:13pm

Miss Ball was given a choice: Wildcat or Unsinkable Molly Brown. Her choice in material was obviously wrong because Tammy Grimes knocks it out of the park every night.

Too bad the producers couldn't get Merman on board for Wildcat. It would have meant a Tony for her.

There's a girl in the chorus named Valerie Harper. I bet she's really going places. If they ever do a movie about Fanny Brice, she would be perfect.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

Dollypop
#16Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/15/12 at 9:26pm

Have they cut the song "Corduroy Road" yet? It slows down the action something fierce. It's gotta go.


"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

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Mister Matt
#17Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 10:28am

We have to take Broadway back, y'all!


"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#18Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 11:54am

Maybe I'm crazy, but when Lucy is much, much, much older, I'd love to see her play Auntie Mame.

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PalJoey
#19Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 11:56am

In a musical? It would make a lousy musical. What would they sing about?


#20Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 11:59am

Oh God no! The woman CAN NOT sing! No one will ever imagine that Lucy could carry a musical again!

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PalJoey
#21Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 2:13pm

Actually, Judy Garland might be great in a musical version of Auntie Mame.


#22Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 2:31pm

WOW- what a crazy idea, but if it worked, it would be amazing!

Dollypop
#23Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 3:01pm

I stage doored the other night and Keith Andes told me the producers are trying to get Martha Raye to replace this Ball woman


"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

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madbrian
#24Lucy out of 'Wildcat!' again tonight!
Posted: 4/16/12 at 3:13pm

They should get Vivian Vance to replace Stewart.


"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson